Entertainment News

DETROIT - Soul singer Aretha Franklin underwent a "highly successful" surgery on Thursday for an undisclosed health problem, the "Queen of Soul" said in a statement released by her spokeswoman.

In early November, Franklin, 68 and a multiple Grammy Award winner, canceled her concert and personal appearances until May 2011 on the orders of her doctors, No reason was given, and her representatives have declined to disclose her illness.

"I had superb doctors and nurses whom were blessed by all the prayers of the city and the country," Franklin said in a statement following her surgery.



The Detroit Free Press reported on Thursday afternoon that the "Respect" singer was "in good spirits and resting comfortably," citing Franklin's cousin, Brenda Corbett.

City Councilwoman JoAnn Watson had organized a prayer vigil for Franklin on Wednesday in front of the Spirit of Detroit statue by Detroit's city hall.

"We are not prying into the circumstances, the details of the surgery," Watson said. "We just wanted her to know that we stand with her in prayer and love and support."

Franklin, who sang at U.S. President Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009, was admitted to a Detroit hospital in October for undisclosed reasons and released a few days later.

The singer also canceled two concerts in the summer after sustaining minor injuries in a fall at her home.

She is a living legend of U.S. soul music with a string of hits in the 1960s and '70s that included "Chain of Fools," "I Say a Little Prayer" and "I Never Loved a Man."


Source: David Bailey/Bob Tourtellotte, Reuters

Eminem's "Recovery" was made complete on Wednesday night as the Recording Academy nominated the resurgent rapper for 10 awards, including the biggest prizes: album, song, and record of the year.

It was a night that also saw the academy honor one of the year's most profane but infectious hits: Cee Lo's "(Expletive) You," so foul it had to be changed for radio to "Forget You," was nominated for both record and song of the year.

"It wasn't meant to be a radio song," said Cee Lo after the nominations. "It was meant to be something with flair and first impression and it really took on a life of its own, and I had no idea it would become what it is today."

That song was co-written by Bruno Mars and helped him garner seven nominations, the second-highest tally. Other top nominees included Lady Antebellum, Jay-Z and Lady Gaga, who were all nominated for six each. Gaga also was nominated for album of the year — the second straight nomination in the category for her.

The nominations were announced as part of an hourlong CBS special from Club Nokia in Los Angeles that featured performances by nominees such as Mars, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Train and Miranda Lambert.

"It's just been a great year, incredible, incredible year, and I can't believe this is happening to me," said Mars, who was also nominated for best male pop vocal for his own hit, "Just the Way You Are."

"We've worked so hard trying to make a living doing music and the fact that we're here right now is incredible, incredible."

For Eminem, "Recovery" was a critical and commercial triumph. It became the best-selling album of the year so far, with more than three million copies sold, and spawned top hits like "Love the Way You Lie" featuring Rihanna, which was nominated for song and record of the year.

But it was also a mark of personal redemption for Eminem, and came almost 10 years after he was first nominated for album of the year for "The Marshall Mathers LP." Since then, Eminem has become one of the top-selling artists in the world, but also struggled through prescription drug addiction that led to lags between albums and sub par material. With "Recovery," his status as the best rapper — and pop's top artist — was restored.

Country trio Lady Antebellum couldn't be more opposite than Eminem, but their album "Need You Now" was the second-best selling album of the year, doing almost as well as "Recovery," with almost 3 million albums sold and fueled by the lovelorn title track — a huge crossover hit for the band. Grammy voters rewarded that success, nominating them for album of the year and also record and song of the year for the hit.

Only last year, they were celebrating their first Grammy win.

"It's been a wild and crazy year; it definitely feels like Christmas came early for us," said Lady A's Dave Haywood in a telephone interview after the awards were announced. He wasn't watching with his bandmates, Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott, but they watched the special and texted each other with amazement.

"It's just kind of complete shock that we'd be recognized, especially to be recognized in some of these all-genre categories," Haywood said. "It's pretty bizarre for a couple of rednecks from Tennessee and Georgia."

Other nominees for record of the year included the rap hit "Nothin' On You" by newcomer B.o.B and featuring Mars, and Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' anthem for New York, "Empire State of Mind."

Rounding out the nominations for song of the year were Ray LaMontagne's "B

Today is Thursday, Dec. 2, the 336th day of 2010. There are 29 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Dec. 2, 1970, the newly created Environmental Protection Agency opened its doors. (Its first director was William D. Ruckelshaus.)

On this date:

In 1804, Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of the French.

In 1823, President James Monroe outlined his doctrine opposing European expansion in the Western Hemisphere.

In 1859, militant abolitionist John Brown was hanged for his raid on Harpers Ferry the previous October. Artist Georges-Pierre Seurat was born in Paris.

In 1927, Ford Motor Co. formally unveiled its second Model A automobile, the successor to its Model T.

In 1939, New York Municipal Airport-LaGuardia Field (later LaGuardia Airport) went into operation as an airliner from Chicago landed at one minute past midnight.

In 1942, an artificially created, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction was demonstrated for the first time, at the University of Chicago.

In 1954, the Senate voted to condemn Wisconsin Republican Joseph R. McCarthy for conduct that "tends to bring the Senate into disrepute."

In 1969, the Boeing 747 jumbo jet got its first public preview as 191 people, most of them reporters and photographers, flew from Seattle to New York City.

In 1980, four American churchwomen were raped and murdered outside San Salvador. (Five El Salvador national guardsmen were later convicted of murdering nuns Ita Ford, Maura Clarke and Dorothy Kazel, and lay worker Jean Donovan.)

In 1990, composer Aaron Copland died in North Tarrytown, New York, at age 90. Actor Bob Cummings died in Woodland Hills, California, at age 80.

Ten years ago: Al Gore sought a recount in South Florida, while George W. Bush flatly asserted, "I'm soon to be the president" and met with GOP congressional leaders. Actress Gail Fisher died in Culver City, Calif. at age 65.

Five years ago: North Carolina inmate Kenneth Lee Boyd became the 1,000th person executed since the U.S. resumed capital punishment in 1977. Singapore executed a Vietnamese-born Australian heroin trafficker (Nguyen Tuong Van) despite a warning by Australian Prime Minister John Howard that the hanging would sour relations between the two countries.

One year ago: A day after President Barack Obama announced plans to deploy 30,000 more troops in Afghanistan, leading congressional Democrats said they had serious misgivings but would not try to stop the deployments while Republicans said they supported the force increase even as they questioned Obama's July 2011 deadline to start bringing troops home. Tiger Woods issued a statement saying he'd let his family down with "transgressions" that he regretted "with all of my heart," and that he would deal with his personal life behind closed doors.

Today's Birthdays: Character actor Bill Erwin is 96. Actress Julie Harris is 85. Former Attorney General Edwin Meese III is 79. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is 71. Actress Cathy Lee Crosby is 66. Movie director Penelope Spheeris is 65. Actor Ron Raines is 61. Country singer John Wesley Ryles is 60. Actor Keith Szarabajka is 58. Actor Dan Butler is 56. Broadcast journalist Stone Phillips is 56. Actor Dennis Christopher is 55. Actor Steven Bauer is 54. Country singer Joe Henry is 50. Rock musician Rick Savage (Def Leppard) is 50. Rock musician Nate Mendel (Foo Fighters) is 42. Actress Rena Sofer is 42. Rock singer Jimi (cq) HaHa (Jimmie's Chicken Shack) is 42. Actress Lucy Liu (loo) is 42

Top entertainers will also be honored at Birthday Bash for Bishop Don Magic Juan Featuring Snoop Dogg’s First DJ Set.

Hollywood, CA - Rap star, artist and producer Diddy will be honored with the Player's Lifetime Achievement Award at the Players Ball 2010, the much-anticipated birthday bash for Bishop Don Magic Juan featuring the DJ debut of Snoop Dogg, Serious Pimp Enterprises, title sponsor of the event, announced today.

Annual Player of the Year awards will also be presented to top entertainers and music producers including the Producer of the Year to LT Hutton, the Hardest Working Player of the Year to Snoop Dogg, the Players Community Service Award to Fred Dorton and Pimp of the Year to Pimp Jo Jo.

Celebrating its 33rd year, and known as one of the most extravagant annual entertainment events, The Players Ball 2010 will be held this year for the first time on the West Coast and will feature an outstanding program of live music and entertainment on Saturday, December 4 at the Marbella, located at 6757 Hollywood Boulevard. The event is open to the public and tickets are available from PayPal through the event website at http://www.playersball2010.com. Doors open at 8 pm.



"Diddy is truly worthy of this Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honor the Board of Directors can bestow and a true Player can earn," said Bishop Don Magic Juan.

Presented by Serious Pimp Chairman of the Board Bishop Don Magic Juan, the Awards recognize the individuals who best embody the Player lifestyle. Winners receive a beautiful chalice Pimp Cup designed exclusively by renowned crystal design artist Debbie the Glasslady, who will join Bishop Don Magic Juan at the event to present the award. Past honorees of the Player of the Year Award include musician Lil’ John, actor Owen Wilson, Diddy and Snoop Dogg.

“There has never been a Hollywood awards ceremony like this one! We join Snoop Dogg and Bishop Don Magic Juan in congratulating Diddy and all the Players for their Serious Pimp swagger and leading Player style,” said Serious Pimp Founder and CEO, Damian Kutzner.

In addition to the first ever DJ dance set performed by entertainer, rapper, record producer and actor Snoop Dogg, the event will headlined by talented rapper Too $hort, who joined 50 Cent and E-40 to release the hugely popular remix of “Bitch” earlier this year. The program will also feature performances by hip-hop artists Mr. Fab and Glasses Malone.

About Serious Pimp Serious Pimp designs sunglasses, accessories, and clothing that blend Hip Hop style with MMA attitude. Since its inception in 1999, Serious Pimp has been a supporter of extreme sports including mixed martial arts including sponsoring a long list of fighters. Serious Pimp was founded by serial entrepreneur, business mogul and company CEO Damian Kutzner and is lead by its President Snoop Dogg and Chairman of the Board Bishop Don Magic Juan. Serious Pimp has recently signed licensing agreements with popular television personality The Situation and its sunglasses and cloth

“GoodThyme Click/MaxaMusic Group CEO Sean “Due” Lashley & Fashion Icon Niki Chin Celebrate Birthday With Lil Kim & Dj Envy”

New York, NY (PRWEB) December 1, 2010

On Friday December 3, 2010, GoodThyme Click/MaxaMusic Group is holding a star-studded birthday celebration for super producer Sean "Due" Lashley & fashion icon Francine "Niki Chin" Gordon at Inside Park at St. Bart’s in New York City, in conjunction with Didda-D.I.D.-IT Production & AOS Entertainment.

The December 3rd Birthday Gala will be hosted by Grammy Award winning artist Lil Kim and New York City’s Power 105.1 radio personality DJ Envy "The Mayor of NY". Executives and artists throughout the entertainment industry are expected to attend and participate in the festivities. Video Vixen Kimbella will be a featured guest. Additional invited guests include Wonder Mike and Master Gee formerly of the Sugarhill Gang with HenDogg and DJ T Dynasty, dancehall legend Lady Saw, new Princess of Dancehall Tifa, rising R&B star Felicia Temple and MBK/J Records recording artist Fame. It is sure to be a night to remember filled with music, libations and glamour.

GoodThyme Click/MaxaMusic Group is a multimedia conglomerate which focuses on brand management, representation and music distribution. With EJ Albowicz (President and Chairman of MaxaMusic Group) and Sean “Due” Lashley (President and CEO of GoodThyme Click) at the helm, GoodThyme Click/MaxaMusic Group has released a string of chart-topping hit singles in 2010 such as “LaLa Song” by Wonder Mike and Master Gee formerly of the Sugarhill Gang with HenDogg and DJ T Dynasty featuring Bob Sinclair, “Woman” by Beenie Man and “Your Lovin” by Meryl Carter featuring Vybz Kartel. Such singles showcase the diverse range of an ever-growing and impressive catalogue.

Francine “Niki Chin” Gordon is the President and co-owner of Niki Chin Designs along with CEO Harold Grate. Her product lines include: Niki Chin Couture, Niki Chin Urban Wear, and also Niki Chin Accessories. Niki Chin has achieved great success as a fashion designer as well as an international television hostess. She has headlined various fashion shows throughout the United States and abroad including 2009 and 2010 Harlem Week, 2010 Fashion Connection in Jamaica, 2010JRG “Bikini Under the Bridge” Fashion Show in Dumbo Brooklyn and the 2009 South Florida Dancehall Awards Show. Niki Chin is a shining star in the fashion industry.

Sean "Due" Lashley started his music career as an artist who produced his own compositions. In 1993 he was signed through the Hip Hop superstar Heavy D to a recording agreement at the historic Tuff break/A&M Records as “The Babalu Bad Boy”. Shortly thereafter, Sean’s interest quickly transitioned from artist to full time producer. He was introduced to the “drum machine” at a young age by legendary producer Whiz Kid of G.L.O.B.E fame. He began producing chart topping records for such classic artists as E-40, Dirty South, Kokaine, Amil feat Jay-Z, Beenie Man, Cl Smoove, T.O.K., Mr. Vegas, Truck Turner, Vybz Kartel, Tifa, Black Buddafly, Jimmy Cozier, Total, Barbee', Treach (Of Naughty By Nature) and Alicia Keys reggae/dancehall remixes as well as a number of soundtracks. His most recent #1 single is "I Love You Anyway" by Barbee.

Lil Kim is the undisputed Queen of Rap Music with a catalogue of classic material and appearances such as "All about the Benjamins” (Puff Daddy Featuring The Lox, The Notorious B.I.G. & Lil Kim) "Lighters", "No Time" (Featuring Puff Daddy), “Crush on You”

LOS ANGELES – Authorities say Faith Evans has pleaded no contest to reckless driving after being arrested in August for investigation of drunken driving. Los Angeles city attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan says the Grammy-winning singer entered the plea Monday and was sentenced to three years of informal probation.

Police say the 37-year-old Evans was arrested after being stopped at a DUI checkpoint in Marina del Rey.

She is the widow of rapper Christopher Wallace, also known as the Notorious B.I.G. Evans won a Grammy in 1998 for the song "I'll Be Missing You."

It was not immediately clear whether she was represented by an attorney. A phone message left with her agent, Marc Gerald, was not immediately returned.

Evans' plea was first reported by celebrity website TMZ.

MADRID (AFP) – Canadian teen idol Justin Bieber said Monday he plans to go to university, even after selling millions of albums by the age of just 16 after being discovered on YouTube.

"I always travel with a private tutor who I have five three-hour sessions a week with," he told a news conference in Madrid where he is promoting his third album "My Worlds: The Collection".

"I want to finish high school and also university and then evolve wherever my music takes me. I also want to stick my head in the movie world although I am going to focus on my music for now."

About 5,000 people flocked to a Bieber autograph session at a record store in downtown Madrid on Monday despite the rain and cold, the online edition of daily newspaper El Mundo reported.

The singer, who will perform for the first time in Spain in April 2011, won all four awards he was nominated for at the American Music Awards last week, including favourite artist, making him the youngest ever winner of the trophy.

The turning point for Bieber came in 2007 when his mother posted home-made videos of him performing cover songs from Usher, Justin Timberlake and Stevie Wonder on YouTube for friends and family to see.

The videos ended up attracting a wider audience and Usher ultimately signed Bieber to RBMG/Island Def Jam.

The teenager, whose hits include "One Less Lonely Girl" and "Love Me", currently has 15 million fans on Facebook and six million followers on Twitter.

"I will never close my accounts on Facebook and Twitter because it is a way to interact with my fans," he said.

Now downloaded at a rate of 200,000 apps per month!

(PRWEB) November 29, 2010

As they celebrate 2 million downloads, Musicsoft Arts, the creators of DJ Mixer, have released an updated version of the top 10 iPad music app. Packed with a host of new features, DJ Mixer is quite possibly the most true-to-life virtual music app on the market.

While the current version of the app makes for an unarguably remarkable experience, transporting the user into a virtual world with all of the same 2-turntable vibe you’d get in a real DJ booth, the updated version sends it into the stratosphere featuring a full analog interface and real-time scratching.

DJ Mixer is the first iPad app to offer direct import of tracks directly from the device, enabled by the brand new iPad iOS 4.2. DJ Mixer makes mixing and playing music for friends easy, fun and affordable – packing almost $2,000 worth of hardware and software into a $9.99 iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch app.

DJ Mixer, with its astounding capabilities, is the brainchild of Musicsoft Arts, a New York City based company dedicated to building great mobile music apps.

Founded by Aviv Eyal, a serial entrepreneur who has been building Internet media companies in Silicon Valley and New York City for the past 10 years and Dan Yashiv, a true music industry maverick and music maker who has clocked 15 years experience as a record producer and engineer for Britney Spears, Natalie Imbruglia, De La Soul, DJ Spooky and more, Musicsoft Arts has established itself, in less than one year, as a leader in the rapidly growing mobile music apps market by landing three apps in the top 20 music category of Apple’s app store.

Eyal, addressing the impetus to create DJ Mixer says, "I wanted to build something that makes it easy, affordable and fun for music fans with iPod Touches, iPhones or iPads to play great sounding music to friends. With DJ Mixer, anyone can be a DJ.” Prior to co-founding Musicsoft Arts with Yashiv, Eyal co-founded and sold Grouper Networks / Crackle.com to Sony in 2006 for $65M, serving as VP, Technology for Sony post acquisition. The duo have palpably succeeded in creating an app that allows practically anyone to be a mixologist extraordinaire.

Not only is DJ Mixer considered the leading next generation music player, it hints at a new avenue for the technologically challenged record industry to introduce music to the masses. Indeed, free promo songs offered by DJ Mixer were downloaded more than 3 million times in less than a year. What’s more, DJ Mixer users can now access all the music they own either on their devices or the computers, as a premium feature.

DJ Mixer technology has recently been used in apps for notable mixologist DJ Spooky, who has enthusiastically proclaimed the application “the party’s in your pocket!” and for Hennessey Artistry Music Mixer featuring free tracks from such hip-hop and R&B luminaries as Albe Back featuring DMC, Ryan Perfect, Gilbere Forte and more.

As DJ Mixer continues to reign as a top iPhone and iPad music mixing app, the creators have listened to user feedback and built several enhancements. The newly released DJ Mixer 3 includes exciting new features such as two turntables or CD players; scratching; direct touch screen music control; and more. DJ Mixer 3 includes a revolutionary new, patent-pending feature that allows anyone to DJ with any type of headphone using a WiFi network and two “iDevices.”

CNET’s Digital Noise calls it a “Fantastic DJ app” and says, “Amateurs will love the sync button: as you’re playing one track, the sync button will adj

Joe Bourne presents “A Nat King Cole & Gospel Music Christmas Concert” on Saturday, Dec. 18, at SaddleBrooke’s DesertView Performing Arts Center. Accompained by his 4 piece combo and special guest the Tucson Mass Choir

Tucson, AZ (PRWEB) November 29, 2010

Joe Bourne presents “A Nat King Cole & Gospel Music Christmas Concert” on Saturday, Dec. 18, at SaddleBrooke’s DesertView Performing Arts Center.

By Christy Krueger..... Holiday music has a way of invoking the season’s spirit in everyone, especially when performed on stage in the company of a 30-voice choir.

Oro Valley vocalist Joe Bourne presents “A Nat King Cole & Gospel Music Christmas Concert” on Saturday, Dec. 18, at SaddleBrooke’s DesertView Performing Arts Center.

Music lovers familiar with Bourne’s audience-wooing style will be treated to this special live performance based on his tribute CD, “Remembering Mr. Cole.” Selections include favorites such as “When I Fall in Love,” “Unforgettable,” “Nature Boy” and “The Christmas Song.”

Prior to his return to the U.S. in 2000, Bourne spent 25 years touring Europe with dozens of American musical acts, including the Stylistics, Natalie Cole and Ray Charles.

Fresh from his autumn Nat King Cole Tribute tour dates in Ohio, Idaho and Washington state, Bourne will be joined on the DesertView stage by his quartet, handpicked from among Tucson’s finest jazz musicians – Sly Slipetsky on piano, Matt Mitchell on guitar, Scott Black playing bass and Miguel Bazemore on percussion.

Bourne then unites with the Tucson Arizona Mass Choir, an interfaith gospel group representing churches from all corners of Tucson. Together they’ll present a festive holiday program featuring both secular and gospel Christmas tunes.

A Nat King Cole and Gospel Music Christmas Concert Open to the General Public

Date: Saturday, Dec. 18, 2010 Time: 7:30 p.m. Place: DesertView Performing Arts Center, SaddleBrooke Tucson, AZ Tickets, $21 in advance, $23 at the door

http://tickets.saddlebrooketwo.com

Phone: 520-818-5318

Youtube Link to: Joe Bourne sings "The Christmas Song" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNl9MU0rbBg

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JOE BOURNEJoe Bourne Music Art & Entertainment520-877-8446Email Information

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Singers Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake are among the celebrities who have decided to temporarily exit social networking websites to help raise money for needy children, local media reported.

The celebrities said they will stay off Twitter and Facebook until one million dollars has been raised for a charity called "Keep A Child Alive," the reports said.

The event is organized by R&B singer Alicia Keys who is the global ambassador for the organization.

Other celebrities taking part include Usher, Jennifer Hudson, Ryan Seacrest, Elijah Wood, Serena Williams and Keys' husband Swizz Beatz.