LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Whitney Houston's ex-husband Bobby Brown struck back at claims he was responsible for getting the pop star hooked on drugs or that he somehow played a role in her cocaine-fueled death in February.
'I'm not the one that got Whitney on drugs, at all,' Brown said in an interview to be aired this week on the 'Today' show on U.S. television network NBC.
'I'm not the reason she's gone,' he added.
Houston, 48, was found dead in a Beverly Hills hotel bathtub on February11 from what authorities called accidental drowning brought on by cocaine use and heart disease. White powder and drug paraphernalia were found in the bathroom where she died.
The singer had spoken publicly about a long battle with cocaine, marijuana and crack, particularly during her tempestuous 15-year marriage to Brown. They divorced in 2007, but some fans and members of Houston's family have blamed Brown for her untimely death.
In his first TV interview since the singer died, Brown, 43, told 'Today' show host Matt Lauer that he had been off drugs for seven years and was hurt to hear that Houston had been using cocaine.
'I was hurt ... because, you know, me being off of narcotics for the last seven years - I felt that she was, you know, I didn't know she was struggling with it still. But at the same time, you know - listen, it's a hard fight,' he said.
Brown said drugs were part of Houston's life before he met her in 1991. 'I smoked weed, I drank the beer, but no, I wasn't the one that got Whitney on drugs at all,' he said.
'So this was a part of her life before you and she got together?' Lauer asked.
'Way, way before. Yeah ... It's just, it's just unexplainable - how one could, you know, (say that I) got her addicted to drugs. I'm not the reason she's gone,' Brown replied.
Brown said Houston had a 'glow about her' when he last saw her about a week before she died. He was at a restaurant having dinner with their daughter, Bobbi Kristina.
'She just looked like she was in a good place,' he said about the 'I Will Always Love You' singer.
The interview will be aired on 'Today' show on Wednesday and Thursday.
Brown turned up for Houston's funeral in New Jersey but left before the service started saying he felt unwanted and disrespected.
Six weeks after Houston died, Brown was arrested and charged in Los Angeles with drunk driving and driving on a suspended license. Brown has pleaded not guilty.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant)
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Monday, April 30, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Jack White knocks Adele off top of UK album charts
LONDON (Reuters) - Former White Stripes frontman Jack White's debut solo album 'Blunderbuss' knocked Adele's '21' off the top of Britain's charts on Sunday, and Carly Rae Jepsen managed to keep a new single from Calvin Harris from the No. 1 spot.
Soul singer-songwriter Adele's album has been a fixture near the top of Britain's charts for more than a year, and U.S. magazine Time recently named her among the world's 100 most influential people in 2011 - an accolade not received by Britain's prime minister, David Cameron.
However, she lost the top spot this week to the blues-influenced 'Blunderbuss' by Jack White, who found fame with the White Stripes until the band split in February 2011, the Official Charts Company said.
Singers Lana Del Rey and Nicki Minaj traded places to stand third and fourth respectively, while Rufus Wainwright's album 'Out of the Game' was a new entry at No. 5.
In the singles chart, Canadian Idol talent show contestant Carly Rae Jepsen remained at No. 1 with 'Call Me Maybe', which has sold 434,000 copies to date and is on track to be one of 2012's top-selling records.
Scottish singer-songwriter Calvin Harris, who produced Rihanna's 'We Found Love', was in second place with 'Let's Go', which features U.S. R&B singer Ne-Yo. It was the only new entry in this week's top 40 singles chart.
(Reporting by David Milliken Editing by Maria Golovnina)
Soul singer-songwriter Adele's album has been a fixture near the top of Britain's charts for more than a year, and U.S. magazine Time recently named her among the world's 100 most influential people in 2011 - an accolade not received by Britain's prime minister, David Cameron.
However, she lost the top spot this week to the blues-influenced 'Blunderbuss' by Jack White, who found fame with the White Stripes until the band split in February 2011, the Official Charts Company said.
Singers Lana Del Rey and Nicki Minaj traded places to stand third and fourth respectively, while Rufus Wainwright's album 'Out of the Game' was a new entry at No. 5.
In the singles chart, Canadian Idol talent show contestant Carly Rae Jepsen remained at No. 1 with 'Call Me Maybe', which has sold 434,000 copies to date and is on track to be one of 2012's top-selling records.
Scottish singer-songwriter Calvin Harris, who produced Rihanna's 'We Found Love', was in second place with 'Let's Go', which features U.S. R&B singer Ne-Yo. It was the only new entry in this week's top 40 singles chart.
(Reporting by David Milliken Editing by Maria Golovnina)
Friday, April 27, 2012
Rolling Stone overhauls album ranking, Kanye stars
LONDON (Reuters) - Three Kanye West albums have made it on to the latest edition of Rolling Stone magazine's authoritative '500 Greatest Albums of All Time' list, placing him among the greats of popular music.
The new ranking, which combines a 2003 list (updated in 2005) with a later survey of the 2000s, saw two Radiohead records join the elite club, while long-established names including Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan also had albums added.
Rolling Stone has published the list, along with details of the albums and several new recording histories based on first-hand accounts, in 'bookazine' format available for $11.99 on newsstands between Friday and July 25 in the United States.
As with any survey that tries to put arguably the greatest rock and roll recordings into a particular order, there was plenty of heated debate among the journalists and editors who came up with the final list.
Much of the hard work had been done, however, with hundreds of reporters, executives and musicians involved in the earlier surveys.
'We had arguments in the office, and I hope those arguments are replicated elsewhere,' said Christian Hoard, a senior editor at Rolling Stone, of the selection process.
'These special issues are great sellers,' he told Reuters. 'But they also turn people on to music they haven't heard, and hopefully start fun arguments too.
'People like to get angry about these 'best' lists. It was really a great deal of fun to make.'
WEST THE BIG WINNER
The big beneficiary was U.S. hip-hop star West, who saw 2005 album Late Registration, The College Dropout (2004) and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010) make it to the top 500.
In total, 30 albums were added and 30 taken away, with the casualties including several artists well-represented on the list already and whose 'lesser' albums have now been dropped.
The highest entry among recent albums was West's Late Registration at No. 118.
Asked whether the relatively low position of recently released albums reflected a barren period for great rock and pop, Hoard replied:
'My personal opinion is no. Music is as inspirational as it's ever been.
'Things get clearer as the years pass. If you held this poll in 10 years, say, Arcade Fire could be a lot higher and the same could be said of Kanye West. Reputation and time definitely help an album, especially with pollers like ours.'
Canadian band Arcade Fire's Funeral is among the 30 additions, as is British act Arctic Monkeys for their 2005 hit Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not.
Radiohead features twice -- for Amnesiac (2001) and In Rainbows (2007), Jay-Z is added for The Black Album (2003), Lil Wayne makes it with Tha Carter III (2008) and the late Amy Winehouse for Back to Black.
Among those dropping out to make way for the additions were The Beach Boys (Sunflower), David Bowie (Changesone), Elton John (Elton John) and Madonna (Music).
The first change to the previous list comes at number 59, leaving the Beatles to dominate the top 10.
The Fab Four feature no less than four times in the first 10; at number one (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band), three (Revolver), five (Rubber Soul) and 10 (The White Album).
Three acts have 10 albums each on the list -- the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan -- and the oldest album on the list is from 1952 (The Anthology of American Folk Music).
Only 40 albums released since 2000 feature, compared with 187 from the 1970s.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)
The new ranking, which combines a 2003 list (updated in 2005) with a later survey of the 2000s, saw two Radiohead records join the elite club, while long-established names including Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan also had albums added.
Rolling Stone has published the list, along with details of the albums and several new recording histories based on first-hand accounts, in 'bookazine' format available for $11.99 on newsstands between Friday and July 25 in the United States.
As with any survey that tries to put arguably the greatest rock and roll recordings into a particular order, there was plenty of heated debate among the journalists and editors who came up with the final list.
Much of the hard work had been done, however, with hundreds of reporters, executives and musicians involved in the earlier surveys.
'We had arguments in the office, and I hope those arguments are replicated elsewhere,' said Christian Hoard, a senior editor at Rolling Stone, of the selection process.
'These special issues are great sellers,' he told Reuters. 'But they also turn people on to music they haven't heard, and hopefully start fun arguments too.
'People like to get angry about these 'best' lists. It was really a great deal of fun to make.'
WEST THE BIG WINNER
The big beneficiary was U.S. hip-hop star West, who saw 2005 album Late Registration, The College Dropout (2004) and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010) make it to the top 500.
In total, 30 albums were added and 30 taken away, with the casualties including several artists well-represented on the list already and whose 'lesser' albums have now been dropped.
The highest entry among recent albums was West's Late Registration at No. 118.
Asked whether the relatively low position of recently released albums reflected a barren period for great rock and pop, Hoard replied:
'My personal opinion is no. Music is as inspirational as it's ever been.
'Things get clearer as the years pass. If you held this poll in 10 years, say, Arcade Fire could be a lot higher and the same could be said of Kanye West. Reputation and time definitely help an album, especially with pollers like ours.'
Canadian band Arcade Fire's Funeral is among the 30 additions, as is British act Arctic Monkeys for their 2005 hit Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not.
Radiohead features twice -- for Amnesiac (2001) and In Rainbows (2007), Jay-Z is added for The Black Album (2003), Lil Wayne makes it with Tha Carter III (2008) and the late Amy Winehouse for Back to Black.
Among those dropping out to make way for the additions were The Beach Boys (Sunflower), David Bowie (Changesone), Elton John (Elton John) and Madonna (Music).
The first change to the previous list comes at number 59, leaving the Beatles to dominate the top 10.
The Fab Four feature no less than four times in the first 10; at number one (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band), three (Revolver), five (Rubber Soul) and 10 (The White Album).
Three acts have 10 albums each on the list -- the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan -- and the oldest album on the list is from 1952 (The Anthology of American Folk Music).
Only 40 albums released since 2000 feature, compared with 187 from the 1970s.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)
Thursday, April 26, 2012
New breed of boy bands takes over airwaves
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Boy band fever is storming the music scene in the United States, led by the Brits who are breaking away from the slick, squeaky-clean image of old as they battle to become America's newest pin-ups.
The five young men of The Wanted take on their baby-faced rivals One Direction with their self-titled debut EP released this week, following One Direction's No. 1 first album on the U.S. Billboard charts last month.
It's more than 10 years since New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys and N'Sync ruled the U.S. music scene and sent hordes of screaming young girls to record stores.
In Britain, boy bands have never gone out of fashion, although the new breed appears to have grown up.
If One Direction are the co-ordinated, clean-cut, media-savvy boy band, The Wanted are the rebellious antidote, uncensored by their team and left to win over audiences by goofing around with each other, and the media.
'We're different, we all play instruments, we don't dance and we don't dress very well,' The Wanted's Tom Parker told Reuters.
The Wanted - Parker, Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness and Nathan Sykes, aged between 19 and 23 - were put together after mass auditions in the U.K. in 2009, and are managed by Scooter Braun, the mastermind behind Canadian teen idol Justin Bieber.
'All the acts that I manage are built organically and they all get to be exactly who they are,' said Braun, 30, who encourages The Wanted to be open about drinking, partying and dating girls.
'I used to be a party promoter the last time boy bands were huge, and I knew a lot of those guys, and they like to party and drink and do all that stuff too. But they always had to hide it, and I think it's refreshing to see a boy band that doesn't hide it and that doesn't care,' Braun added.
LADS HAVING FUN
One Direction - formed of Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan, all aged between 18 and 20 - were put together in 2010, and are managed by Simon Cowell.
One Direction's image is more carefully groomed and choreographed in the vein of the boy band stereotype but that didn't stop a controversial romance between Styles and a British TV presenter 15 years his senior, prior to the band making their U.S. debut.
'We don't mind at all being called a boy band, we're just lads in a band. But I think we're trying to do something a little bit different...it's a bit more relaxed, lads having fun, we do what we want,' said One Direction's Payne.
Both bands fall squarely into the pop genre, with One Direction embracing innocent, fun love songs such as with their lead single 'What Makes You Beautiful,' which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Wanted have taken a more adult route, with heavier dance beats and raunchier music videos such as their single 'Glad You Came,' peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
'Their music is really different to ours and I think anyone can see that, and you can like one or the other or both,' said The Wanted's McGuiness.
'A lot of people expect boy bands to cater music exclusively to young girls...we accept that a lot of young girls do like us, but we respect their musical choice as much as we respect a 50-year-old dude,' McGuiness added.
DIRECTIONERS VS. TEAM WANTED
The Wanted have received mixed critical reviews for their debut EP in the United States, released this week.
August Brown at the Los Angeles Times said that while The Wanted were 'saucier and sleeker' than One Direction, their music wasn't 'nearly as fun,' while Maura Johnston at Rolling Stone said 'their dance pop droops where it should bounce.'
Devoted fans, known as 'Directioners' and 'Team Wanted,' compete on Twitter to make the bands a trending topic, and have been a fundamental part in driving sales.
'As much as we don't try to be perfect all the time, we knew America had an idea of boy bands...we have to thank them because they welcomed us with open arms, and we could never have expected it,' said McGuiness.
One Direction's first album, 'Up All Night,' sold more than 176,000 copies in its first week, entering the Billboard 200 album chart at No. 1 and making history as the first UK band to debut at the top with their first album.
The Wanted also look set to chart high, currently at No. 7 on iTunes.
One Direction has more than 5 million fans on Facebook and 3.2 million 'Directioners' following on Twitter, while The Wanted have more than 1.6 million fans on Facebook and 500,000 Twitter followers.
Parker from The Wanted called the adulation 'pretty weird at times' and Horan from One Direction admitted he gets a 'bit scared' when their female fan base are driven into a frenzy.
Manager Braun brushes off critics who dismiss boy bands as mere manufactured creations.
'People forget that the Beatles were once a cheesy boy band - that's what America other than the teenage girls thought. But then they kept making great records...when you make great songs, everyone else just shuts up,' said Braun.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, Editing by Jill Serjeant)
The five young men of The Wanted take on their baby-faced rivals One Direction with their self-titled debut EP released this week, following One Direction's No. 1 first album on the U.S. Billboard charts last month.
It's more than 10 years since New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys and N'Sync ruled the U.S. music scene and sent hordes of screaming young girls to record stores.
In Britain, boy bands have never gone out of fashion, although the new breed appears to have grown up.
If One Direction are the co-ordinated, clean-cut, media-savvy boy band, The Wanted are the rebellious antidote, uncensored by their team and left to win over audiences by goofing around with each other, and the media.
'We're different, we all play instruments, we don't dance and we don't dress very well,' The Wanted's Tom Parker told Reuters.
The Wanted - Parker, Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness and Nathan Sykes, aged between 19 and 23 - were put together after mass auditions in the U.K. in 2009, and are managed by Scooter Braun, the mastermind behind Canadian teen idol Justin Bieber.
'All the acts that I manage are built organically and they all get to be exactly who they are,' said Braun, 30, who encourages The Wanted to be open about drinking, partying and dating girls.
'I used to be a party promoter the last time boy bands were huge, and I knew a lot of those guys, and they like to party and drink and do all that stuff too. But they always had to hide it, and I think it's refreshing to see a boy band that doesn't hide it and that doesn't care,' Braun added.
LADS HAVING FUN
One Direction - formed of Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan, all aged between 18 and 20 - were put together in 2010, and are managed by Simon Cowell.
One Direction's image is more carefully groomed and choreographed in the vein of the boy band stereotype but that didn't stop a controversial romance between Styles and a British TV presenter 15 years his senior, prior to the band making their U.S. debut.
'We don't mind at all being called a boy band, we're just lads in a band. But I think we're trying to do something a little bit different...it's a bit more relaxed, lads having fun, we do what we want,' said One Direction's Payne.
Both bands fall squarely into the pop genre, with One Direction embracing innocent, fun love songs such as with their lead single 'What Makes You Beautiful,' which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Wanted have taken a more adult route, with heavier dance beats and raunchier music videos such as their single 'Glad You Came,' peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
'Their music is really different to ours and I think anyone can see that, and you can like one or the other or both,' said The Wanted's McGuiness.
'A lot of people expect boy bands to cater music exclusively to young girls...we accept that a lot of young girls do like us, but we respect their musical choice as much as we respect a 50-year-old dude,' McGuiness added.
DIRECTIONERS VS. TEAM WANTED
The Wanted have received mixed critical reviews for their debut EP in the United States, released this week.
August Brown at the Los Angeles Times said that while The Wanted were 'saucier and sleeker' than One Direction, their music wasn't 'nearly as fun,' while Maura Johnston at Rolling Stone said 'their dance pop droops where it should bounce.'
Devoted fans, known as 'Directioners' and 'Team Wanted,' compete on Twitter to make the bands a trending topic, and have been a fundamental part in driving sales.
'As much as we don't try to be perfect all the time, we knew America had an idea of boy bands...we have to thank them because they welcomed us with open arms, and we could never have expected it,' said McGuiness.
One Direction's first album, 'Up All Night,' sold more than 176,000 copies in its first week, entering the Billboard 200 album chart at No. 1 and making history as the first UK band to debut at the top with their first album.
The Wanted also look set to chart high, currently at No. 7 on iTunes.
One Direction has more than 5 million fans on Facebook and 3.2 million 'Directioners' following on Twitter, while The Wanted have more than 1.6 million fans on Facebook and 500,000 Twitter followers.
Parker from The Wanted called the adulation 'pretty weird at times' and Horan from One Direction admitted he gets a 'bit scared' when their female fan base are driven into a frenzy.
Manager Braun brushes off critics who dismiss boy bands as mere manufactured creations.
'People forget that the Beatles were once a cheesy boy band - that's what America other than the teenage girls thought. But then they kept making great records...when you make great songs, everyone else just shuts up,' said Braun.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, Editing by Jill Serjeant)
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Sony-led group wins EU approval to buy EMI publishing
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A Sony-led consortium won EU approval on Thursday to buy EMI's music publishing business for $2.2 billion, on the condition that it sell the worldwide publishing rights of artists including Robbie Williams and Lenny Krativz.
Sony, with Blackstone Group, Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Development Co. Raine Group and music and film mogul David Geffen, won the bidding for EMI Publishing last year in a deal that will put Sony top in global music publishing.
European competition regulators approved the deal after the consortium proposed selling the rights to four back-catalogues, including the musical works of 12 contemporary artists.
The catalogues to be sold are Virgin UK, Virgin Europe, Virgin U.S. and Famous Music UK and include artists such as Gary Barlow, Ozzy Osbourne, Ben Harper, Placebo and The Kooks, as well as Lenny Kravitz and Robbie Williams.
'Sony and Mubadala have offered to divest valuable and attractive catalogues containing bestselling titles as well as works of successful and promising authors,' said Joaquin Almunia, the European commissioner for competition issues.
'I am therefore satisfied that the competitive dynamics in the online music publishing business will be maintained so as to ensure consumer choice and cultural diversity.'
An initial investigation by the Commission had concluded that the deal was not conducive to fair competition, but Sony and its partners agreed to divest more assets, depending on how much is raised from the asset sales.
'The Commission therefore concluded that, subject to these divestments, the transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the European economic area or any substantial part of it,' the Commission said.
The catalogues are likely to be auctioned off in the coming months, sources close to the negotiations said.
Before the deal, Sony was the fourth biggest player in music publishing, behind Universal Music Group, EMI and Warner Music.
The agreement will push it into first place, owning the rights to about 3 million songs such as 'New York, New York' and Adele's recent smash 'Rolling in the Deep'.
Citigroup is selling EMI after taking over the group when its previous owner, private equity group Terra Firma, defaulted on borrowings from the investment bank.
Impala, a trade organization representing Europe's independent music companies, had urged the EU regulator to veto the deal because it would give Sony excessive power and result in an overly concentrated market.
(Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek and Foo Yun Chee; editing by Luke Baker)
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Sony, with Blackstone Group, Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Development Co. Raine Group and music and film mogul David Geffen, won the bidding for EMI Publishing last year in a deal that will put Sony top in global music publishing.
European competition regulators approved the deal after the consortium proposed selling the rights to four back-catalogues, including the musical works of 12 contemporary artists.
The catalogues to be sold are Virgin UK, Virgin Europe, Virgin U.S. and Famous Music UK and include artists such as Gary Barlow, Ozzy Osbourne, Ben Harper, Placebo and The Kooks, as well as Lenny Kravitz and Robbie Williams.
'Sony and Mubadala have offered to divest valuable and attractive catalogues containing bestselling titles as well as works of successful and promising authors,' said Joaquin Almunia, the European commissioner for competition issues.
'I am therefore satisfied that the competitive dynamics in the online music publishing business will be maintained so as to ensure consumer choice and cultural diversity.'
An initial investigation by the Commission had concluded that the deal was not conducive to fair competition, but Sony and its partners agreed to divest more assets, depending on how much is raised from the asset sales.
'The Commission therefore concluded that, subject to these divestments, the transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the European economic area or any substantial part of it,' the Commission said.
The catalogues are likely to be auctioned off in the coming months, sources close to the negotiations said.
Before the deal, Sony was the fourth biggest player in music publishing, behind Universal Music Group, EMI and Warner Music.
The agreement will push it into first place, owning the rights to about 3 million songs such as 'New York, New York' and Adele's recent smash 'Rolling in the Deep'.
Citigroup is selling EMI after taking over the group when its previous owner, private equity group Terra Firma, defaulted on borrowings from the investment bank.
Impala, a trade organization representing Europe's independent music companies, had urged the EU regulator to veto the deal because it would give Sony excessive power and result in an overly concentrated market.
(Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek and Foo Yun Chee; editing by Luke Baker)
This article is brought to you by DATING.
Protesters detained at Russian punk group hearing
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian police detained at least 13 people who demonstrated outside a courthouse on Thursday against the arrest of three members of a women's punk rock group that performed a protest song in Moscow's main cathedral, witnesses said.
The court was to decide whether to extend the detention of the three women over the performance, in which the group known as Pussy Riot sang a song against President-elect Vladimir Putin in short dresses and colored masks in Christ the Savior Cathedral.
About 60 of the group's supporters chanted 'Freedom! Freedom!' outside the beige brick Moscow courthouse and some released green, pink and yellow balloons with Pussy Riot's trademark masks drawn on them.
Scuffles broke out when a Russian Orthodox bystander threw an egg at the husband of one of the three detainees. A Reuters reporter saw police drag at least 13 people off into police vans, two of them for throwing a smoke bomb.
The three women could face seven years in jail on hooliganism charges but deny taking part in the protest in February. No date has been set for trial and the court was expected to extend their pre-trial detention.
Anger over their arrest has fuelled criticism of the Russian Orthodox Church, whose status has improved vastly since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and which has played an increasingly active role in politics since then.
Russians are divided over Pussy Riot's 'punk prayer' protest. Many believers were offended by the protest but some are also upset that Church leaders have called for tough sentences in the case.
Patriarch Kirill, who has described the performance as part of an attack on the Russian Orthodox Church, is also under fire over a lifestyle which critics say is lavish and unbecoming of the head of the Church.
(Reporting by Alissa de Carbonnel, Writing by Timothy Heritage, Editing by Steve Gutterman)
The court was to decide whether to extend the detention of the three women over the performance, in which the group known as Pussy Riot sang a song against President-elect Vladimir Putin in short dresses and colored masks in Christ the Savior Cathedral.
About 60 of the group's supporters chanted 'Freedom! Freedom!' outside the beige brick Moscow courthouse and some released green, pink and yellow balloons with Pussy Riot's trademark masks drawn on them.
Scuffles broke out when a Russian Orthodox bystander threw an egg at the husband of one of the three detainees. A Reuters reporter saw police drag at least 13 people off into police vans, two of them for throwing a smoke bomb.
The three women could face seven years in jail on hooliganism charges but deny taking part in the protest in February. No date has been set for trial and the court was expected to extend their pre-trial detention.
Anger over their arrest has fuelled criticism of the Russian Orthodox Church, whose status has improved vastly since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and which has played an increasingly active role in politics since then.
Russians are divided over Pussy Riot's 'punk prayer' protest. Many believers were offended by the protest but some are also upset that Church leaders have called for tough sentences in the case.
Patriarch Kirill, who has described the performance as part of an attack on the Russian Orthodox Church, is also under fire over a lifestyle which critics say is lavish and unbecoming of the head of the Church.
(Reporting by Alissa de Carbonnel, Writing by Timothy Heritage, Editing by Steve Gutterman)
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Diddy beats Jay-Z, as Forbes' richest hip hop artist
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs topped a list of hip hop's wealthiest artists compiled by Forbes on Wednesday, beating out contemporaries Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, Birdman and 50 Cent.
Combs' net worth was estimated at $550 million, including high returns from his investment in Ciroc vodka as well as clothing lines Sean John and Enyce, record label Bad Boy, marketing company Blue Flame and numerous tech start-ups.
The 'I'll Be Missing You' rapper, 42, beat out hip hop mogul Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter, who came in at No. 2 with a net worth of $460 million.
Carter, 42, who is married to R&B superstar Beyonce, continued to rake in substantial earnings from music and tours after signing a $150 million deal with concert promoters Live Nation in 2008, as well as investments in the New Jersey Nets basketball team, the 40/40 club chain and numerous other business ventures.
Pioneering rapper Dr. Dre, 47, who has worked with top artists including Eminem and 50 Cent, took the No. 3 position, with a net worth of $260 million, a bulk of which comes from his headphone company, Beats Electronics, which he co-owns with Interscope Records founder Jimmy Iovine.
The top five was rounded out by Cash Money Records co-founder Bryan 'Birdman' Williams, 43, at No. 4 with a net worth of $125 million, while Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson, 36, takes the No. 5 spot with $110 million, and earned $100 million in 2007 for his stake in the VitaminWater drink.
The Forbes Five list is compiled by the publication's editors after valuing current holdings, past earnings, financial documents and speaking to analysts and experts in the field.
The list only took into account hip hop artists and rappers who perform, and did not include producers and other industry influencers behind the scenes.
The full list of 2012's wealthiest hip hop artists can be found on Forbes.com/forbesfive.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, Editing by Jill Serjeant)
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING SITE.
Combs' net worth was estimated at $550 million, including high returns from his investment in Ciroc vodka as well as clothing lines Sean John and Enyce, record label Bad Boy, marketing company Blue Flame and numerous tech start-ups.
The 'I'll Be Missing You' rapper, 42, beat out hip hop mogul Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter, who came in at No. 2 with a net worth of $460 million.
Carter, 42, who is married to R&B superstar Beyonce, continued to rake in substantial earnings from music and tours after signing a $150 million deal with concert promoters Live Nation in 2008, as well as investments in the New Jersey Nets basketball team, the 40/40 club chain and numerous other business ventures.
Pioneering rapper Dr. Dre, 47, who has worked with top artists including Eminem and 50 Cent, took the No. 3 position, with a net worth of $260 million, a bulk of which comes from his headphone company, Beats Electronics, which he co-owns with Interscope Records founder Jimmy Iovine.
The top five was rounded out by Cash Money Records co-founder Bryan 'Birdman' Williams, 43, at No. 4 with a net worth of $125 million, while Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson, 36, takes the No. 5 spot with $110 million, and earned $100 million in 2007 for his stake in the VitaminWater drink.
The Forbes Five list is compiled by the publication's editors after valuing current holdings, past earnings, financial documents and speaking to analysts and experts in the field.
The list only took into account hip hop artists and rappers who perform, and did not include producers and other industry influencers behind the scenes.
The full list of 2012's wealthiest hip hop artists can be found on Forbes.com/forbesfive.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, Editing by Jill Serjeant)
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Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Tom Petty gets guitars back, security guard arrested
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The waiting might have been the hardest part, but rockers Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have gotten back the missing guitars they were seeking and police said on Tuesday a security guard has been arrested on suspicion of stealing the instruments.
The five guitars - which included Petty's 1967, 12-string Rickenbacker made of maple - were reported stolen on Thursday from a sound studio in Culver City, west of Los Angeles, and the band announced it would pay a $7,500 reward for information leading to their recovery.
Daryl Washington, a 51-year-old security guard at the studio, was arrested on Monday and booked on suspicion of grand theft, police said.
Detectives got a tip one of the guitars was sold to a Hollywood pawn shop, police said.
'I am extremely grateful to the Culver City Police Department for a job well done and touched by the outpouring of good wishes and concern from our fans and friends,' Petty wrote on his Facebook page.
It was not immediately clear if anyone would collect the $7,500 no-questions asked reward for the return of the guitars.
(Reporting By Alex Dobuzinskis, Editing by Jill Serjeant)
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The five guitars - which included Petty's 1967, 12-string Rickenbacker made of maple - were reported stolen on Thursday from a sound studio in Culver City, west of Los Angeles, and the band announced it would pay a $7,500 reward for information leading to their recovery.
Daryl Washington, a 51-year-old security guard at the studio, was arrested on Monday and booked on suspicion of grand theft, police said.
Detectives got a tip one of the guitars was sold to a Hollywood pawn shop, police said.
'I am extremely grateful to the Culver City Police Department for a job well done and touched by the outpouring of good wishes and concern from our fans and friends,' Petty wrote on his Facebook page.
It was not immediately clear if anyone would collect the $7,500 no-questions asked reward for the return of the guitars.
(Reporting By Alex Dobuzinskis, Editing by Jill Serjeant)
This article is brought to you by RELATIONSHIP ADVICE.
Country legend George Jones postpones two shows
(Reuters) - Country music star George Jones has been forced to postpone upcoming shows as he continues to recover from upper respiratory infection.
The 80-year-old singer, best known for hits such as 'White Lightning' and 'He Stopped Loving Her Today,' postponed shows in Minnesota and South Dakota on April 20 and 21 after doctors advised the singer to remain resting for another weekl solo career recording hits inc. The shows will be rescheduled for a future date.
'I never want to cancel a show, but I have to do what the doctors tell me,' Jones said in a statement on Tuesday, thanking fans for their prayers.
Jones spent a week in a Tennessee hospital in March after contracting an upper respiratory infection.
The Texas native famously earned the nickname 'No Show Jones' during his 1970s heyday, when he missed a string of live performances due to drunkenness, a problem that he acknowledged later in his 1996 autobiography 'I Lived To Tell It All.'
Jones, also nicknamed the 'Possum' due to his facial features, embraced sobriety after surviving a drink-driving car accident in 1999.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy)
The 80-year-old singer, best known for hits such as 'White Lightning' and 'He Stopped Loving Her Today,' postponed shows in Minnesota and South Dakota on April 20 and 21 after doctors advised the singer to remain resting for another weekl solo career recording hits inc. The shows will be rescheduled for a future date.
'I never want to cancel a show, but I have to do what the doctors tell me,' Jones said in a statement on Tuesday, thanking fans for their prayers.
Jones spent a week in a Tennessee hospital in March after contracting an upper respiratory infection.
The Texas native famously earned the nickname 'No Show Jones' during his 1970s heyday, when he missed a string of live performances due to drunkenness, a problem that he acknowledged later in his 1996 autobiography 'I Lived To Tell It All.'
Jones, also nicknamed the 'Possum' due to his facial features, embraced sobriety after surviving a drink-driving car accident in 1999.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy)
Bobby Brown pleads not guilty to driving drunk
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Whitney Houston's ex-husband Bobby Brown pleaded not guilty on Monday to a charge of drunk driving and driving on a suspended license in Los Angeles last month.
Brown, 43, a singer with the 1980s boy band New Direction, did not appear in court for Monday's hearing and his plea was entered by his lawyerers about re-recording some of his memorable. A pre-trial hearing was set for May 16.
The singer was arrested on March 26, about six weeks after the sudden death of Houston, when police pulled him over for talking on his cellphone while drivingt;Stuck on You," "He . He then failed a sobriety test, police said.
Brown has a string of arrests over the years for battery, drunk driving and parole violationsll remember for the rest of my l. He was married to Houston for almost 15 years, and their relationship was marked by what the 'I Will Always Love You' singer later described as heavy cocaine use and bizarre behavior.
Houston drowned in a hotel bathtub on February 11 in an accident triggered by cocaine use and heart disease, a Los Angeles coroner's report said.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
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Brown, 43, a singer with the 1980s boy band New Direction, did not appear in court for Monday's hearing and his plea was entered by his lawyerers about re-recording some of his memorable. A pre-trial hearing was set for May 16.
The singer was arrested on March 26, about six weeks after the sudden death of Houston, when police pulled him over for talking on his cellphone while drivingt;Stuck on You," "He . He then failed a sobriety test, police said.
Brown has a string of arrests over the years for battery, drunk driving and parole violationsll remember for the rest of my l. He was married to Houston for almost 15 years, and their relationship was marked by what the 'I Will Always Love You' singer later described as heavy cocaine use and bizarre behavior.
Houston drowned in a hotel bathtub on February 11 in an accident triggered by cocaine use and heart disease, a Los Angeles coroner's report said.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
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Sunday, April 15, 2012
Adele sets a new record with "21"
LONDON (Reuters) - Multi-award winning singer Adele returned to number one in the albums chart with '21', overtaking David Bowie and Dire Straits for the number of weeks spent in the top spot, the UK's Official Albums Chart said on Sunday.
The Brit and Grammy award winner moved up two places in her 64th week in the albums chart with '21'.
During her career, she has notched up 23 weeks at number one, including one week for her debut album '19' and 22 weeks for '21'.
Bowie and Dire Straits both managed 22 weeks.
Making way for Adele was Nicki Minaj with 'Pink Friday - Roman Reloaded' which dropped one place to number two.
A new entrant at number three was Alabama Shakes with debut album 'Boys & Girls'.
In the singles chart, pop starlet Carly Rae Jepsen kept teen sensation Justin Bieber at bay, holding on to number one with 'Call Me Maybe'.
The Canadian Idol contestant outsold her Canadian compatriot's single 'Boyfriend' by two to onets like 'I Will Always. Bieber, who had praised his rival on Twitter, had to settle for a new entrant at number two.
American R'n'B singer Usher was another new entrant at number four with 'Climax'.
(Reporting by Avril Ormsby)
The Brit and Grammy award winner moved up two places in her 64th week in the albums chart with '21'.
During her career, she has notched up 23 weeks at number one, including one week for her debut album '19' and 22 weeks for '21'.
Bowie and Dire Straits both managed 22 weeks.
Making way for Adele was Nicki Minaj with 'Pink Friday - Roman Reloaded' which dropped one place to number two.
A new entrant at number three was Alabama Shakes with debut album 'Boys & Girls'.
In the singles chart, pop starlet Carly Rae Jepsen kept teen sensation Justin Bieber at bay, holding on to number one with 'Call Me Maybe'.
The Canadian Idol contestant outsold her Canadian compatriot's single 'Boyfriend' by two to onets like 'I Will Always. Bieber, who had praised his rival on Twitter, had to settle for a new entrant at number two.
American R'n'B singer Usher was another new entrant at number four with 'Climax'.
(Reporting by Avril Ormsby)
Black Keys help conquer the cold at Coachella
INDIO, CALIFORNIA (Reuters) - Rain, strong winds and gloomy skies plagued the opening day of the Coachella music festival but failed to hamper the high spirits of festival-goers and bands such as Brit punkers James and headliners, The Black Keys.
'Howlin' For You' opened The Black Keys set, and the rockers followed with a selection of older and newer hits including 'I'll Be Your Man,' 'Tighten Up' and 'Lonely Boy' that kept the crowd's energy high throughout the cold Friday night.
On their set's penultimate number, 'Everlasting Light,' the pace slowed to highlight singer Dan Auerbach's vocals while the closer, 'I Got Mine,' took full advantage of drummer Patrick Carney's pounding beat to end the show on a deafening high.
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, three afternoons and evenings of live bands playing outdoors in the desert near Palm Springs, east of Los Angeles, is typically bathed in sunshine and warm spring weather in Aprile I've had a better compilation of music th. But this year's opening day crowds, numbering in the tens of thousands, were caught off-guard by a Pacific storm that swept in.
Festival first-timer Ari Blos, 18, came unprepared for the chilly desert air that forced her to wrap up in a Snuggie blanket, but said the weather had little impact on the crowd.
'I don't think they care, they'll deal with it and have fun doing it,' said Blos, a student from Los Angeles.
Many festival-goers, typically in shorts and light shirts, layered up with jackets and draped blankets or sleeping bags around their shoulders co-star in his video for 'T. Campers on the festival's grounds had to secure or take down tents against the strong desert winds.
'Most people would embrace it probablye to do it, So when we were getting ready to sh. If they signed up for camping, they should know the risks,' said festival attendee Sam Nachbar, 25, from Los Angeles.
The cool and damp weather was the topic of the day on the main stage, too, with Pulp front man Jarvis Cocker joking that it was brought by two Sheffield, England bands - his group and the Arctic Monkeys.
Brit-rock showed a strong presence when Coachella kicked off with '80s post-punkers James, from Manchester, preceding the Arctic Monkeys and Pulp.
Arctic Monkeys returned to this year's festival after their debut here in 2007, and livened up the crowd with a selection of classics such as 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor' and 'The View From The Afternoon,' as well as newer songs including 'Don't Sit Down Cause I've Moved Your Chair.'
Alternative rockers Pulp made their Coachella debut with a raucous set of their best known singles like 'Common People.'
Following The Black Keys, DJs Swedish House Mafia, took over to keep the festivities going late into the night.
Off the main stage, thousands gathered to see newcomer singer-songwriter Frank Ocean at the Gobi tent, a platform that has become a proving ground for emerging artistsa four-lane highway right through h. The singer had the crowd chanting his name as he took the stage, riling them up with hits such as 'Novacane' and 'Swim Good.'
In the Sahara tent for dance music, Alesso kept the crowd dancing with a stream of top 40 dance hits such as Flo Rida's 'Good Feeling' and a remix of Gotye's break-up song 'Somebody That I Used To Know,' which had the crowd both inside and outside the tent singing along.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
'Howlin' For You' opened The Black Keys set, and the rockers followed with a selection of older and newer hits including 'I'll Be Your Man,' 'Tighten Up' and 'Lonely Boy' that kept the crowd's energy high throughout the cold Friday night.
On their set's penultimate number, 'Everlasting Light,' the pace slowed to highlight singer Dan Auerbach's vocals while the closer, 'I Got Mine,' took full advantage of drummer Patrick Carney's pounding beat to end the show on a deafening high.
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, three afternoons and evenings of live bands playing outdoors in the desert near Palm Springs, east of Los Angeles, is typically bathed in sunshine and warm spring weather in Aprile I've had a better compilation of music th. But this year's opening day crowds, numbering in the tens of thousands, were caught off-guard by a Pacific storm that swept in.
Festival first-timer Ari Blos, 18, came unprepared for the chilly desert air that forced her to wrap up in a Snuggie blanket, but said the weather had little impact on the crowd.
'I don't think they care, they'll deal with it and have fun doing it,' said Blos, a student from Los Angeles.
Many festival-goers, typically in shorts and light shirts, layered up with jackets and draped blankets or sleeping bags around their shoulders co-star in his video for 'T. Campers on the festival's grounds had to secure or take down tents against the strong desert winds.
'Most people would embrace it probablye to do it, So when we were getting ready to sh. If they signed up for camping, they should know the risks,' said festival attendee Sam Nachbar, 25, from Los Angeles.
The cool and damp weather was the topic of the day on the main stage, too, with Pulp front man Jarvis Cocker joking that it was brought by two Sheffield, England bands - his group and the Arctic Monkeys.
Brit-rock showed a strong presence when Coachella kicked off with '80s post-punkers James, from Manchester, preceding the Arctic Monkeys and Pulp.
Arctic Monkeys returned to this year's festival after their debut here in 2007, and livened up the crowd with a selection of classics such as 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor' and 'The View From The Afternoon,' as well as newer songs including 'Don't Sit Down Cause I've Moved Your Chair.'
Alternative rockers Pulp made their Coachella debut with a raucous set of their best known singles like 'Common People.'
Following The Black Keys, DJs Swedish House Mafia, took over to keep the festivities going late into the night.
Off the main stage, thousands gathered to see newcomer singer-songwriter Frank Ocean at the Gobi tent, a platform that has become a proving ground for emerging artistsa four-lane highway right through h. The singer had the crowd chanting his name as he took the stage, riling them up with hits such as 'Novacane' and 'Swim Good.'
In the Sahara tent for dance music, Alesso kept the crowd dancing with a stream of top 40 dance hits such as Flo Rida's 'Good Feeling' and a remix of Gotye's break-up song 'Somebody That I Used To Know,' which had the crowd both inside and outside the tent singing along.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
Thursday, April 12, 2012
"Believe" it: Bieber, Swift team up for new song
(Reuters) - Canadian pop star Justin Bieber has teamed with country sensation Taylor Swift on a new song for his upcoming third album, though details were scant as the 'Boyfriend' singer keeps fans guessing.
Bieber told British radio station Capital FM in a recent interview that Swift was one of several people he had worked with on 'Believe.'
'I even wrote a song with Taylor Swift, so the whole album ranges differently,' Bieber said.
'With my music it doesn't only stay in a boxing his first gig with a span class. Everything is so different and that's why I'm so happy with this album,' he added.
Bieber, 18, did not give the title of the song he wrote with Swift, 22, nor did he say if the pair would sing it together.
The pop singer also has said he worked with R&B star Usher, rappers Kanye West and Drake, and producer Timbaland on the new album which is expected to be released later this summer.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
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Bieber told British radio station Capital FM in a recent interview that Swift was one of several people he had worked with on 'Believe.'
'I even wrote a song with Taylor Swift, so the whole album ranges differently,' Bieber said.
'With my music it doesn't only stay in a boxing his first gig with a span class. Everything is so different and that's why I'm so happy with this album,' he added.
Bieber, 18, did not give the title of the song he wrote with Swift, 22, nor did he say if the pair would sing it together.
The pop singer also has said he worked with R&B star Usher, rappers Kanye West and Drake, and producer Timbaland on the new album which is expected to be released later this summer.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
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Music fans gear up for Coachella two-weekend event
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival returns to the California desert on Friday with a new, double dose of music that some fans have said might dilute its impact but others think could give an even bigger break to up-and-coming bands.
For the first time since it began in 1999, organizers have scheduled the three-day festival for two consecutive weekends with identical lineups, highlighting its growing popularity.
But recreating the experience two weeks in row has provided a challenge for organizers because fans go to festivals for unique experiences where one never knows what will happen.
In 2008, one of Pink Floyd's giant inflatable pigs 'escaped' its tethers on the stage and floated off into the desert, sparking a pig hunt that made headlines around the world.
More important, Coachella has become a proving ground for young bands looking for a big break who might do just about anything on stage, as well as established acts wanting to cement their fame among the mostly young music lovers who turn out for the shows near Palm Springs, California.
'Coachella has pushed boundaries in the pastties such as Dallas, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh. It has redefined what festivals are about, and has a different character to other festivals around the world,' said Tye Comer, editor of Billboard.com, to Reuters.
He acknowledged that this year there is a 'fear that it's going to be a bit tainted for people going the second weekend because they're getting a copy of the first weekend.'
One factor that may divide the two weekends, however, is the weather like "Dr, Feelgood&qu. Early forecasts show a chance of rain and cool winds during the first weekend -- a far cry from the typically hot, sunny, desert weather plans for a 40-plus city to. That threatens to turn the first weekend into a mud bath, whereas the second will likely be clear and dry.
But the festival needed to expand to handle the crowds, and tickets for both weekends are sold-outd='lw_1332309852_0'Motley Crue/span, on Tue. Coachella has grown from 25,000 attendees initially to 75,000 people a day over the three-day weekend, and it has become an important platform for rock, rave and electronic music acts such as Daft Punk, Rage Against The Machine and The Mars Volta.
DRDallas, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh and Cleveland . DRE IN THE DESERT
The diversity in this year's three headlining acts - American rockers The Black Keys on Friday, Brit-rock band Radiohead on Saturday and hip hop veterans Drtley Crue reached stardom in the. Dre and Snoop Dogg on Sunday - highlights the growing fusion of genres consumed by the mainstream audience.
Sunday's rare performance from the reclusive Druesday unveiled plans for a 40-. Dre has fans and critics buzzing with speculation that rappers Eminem, Wiz Khalifa and Warren G might join him and Snoop Dogg as surprise guests.
'It's what makes Coachella so unique because you won't see Dry Crue/span, on Tuesday un. Dre and Snoop performing at Lollapalooza or BonnarooThan Hell," Motley Crue reached. Coachella's really good at going back 20 or 30 years, finding artists and pulling them back onto the main stage,' Comer said.
Radiohead returns to Coachella for the first time since blowing crowds away with their 2004 performance - the first year the festival sold out in advancehit cities such as D. The Black Keys make their transition from alternative rockers to headlining act, after performing at the festival many times in the past decade.
Newcomer acts also have the opportunity to break through the clutter of bands with a stellar performances Vegas, Pittsburgh and C. This year, Belgian artist Gotye, electro-pop French musician M83, Harlem rapper Azealia Banks and New Orleans neo-soul singer Frank Ocean, are expected to be ones to watch at this year's festival.
Beyond the music, Coachella is known for its buzzing party scene as young Hollywood celebrities and artists indulge in pool parties and nighttime events set up by brand sponsors at private estates and hotels in the Palm Springs area.
This year, Filter Magazine is holding its annual yacht club party, designer brand Mulberry dishes out barbecue by the pool, and Belvedere Vodka's music lounge promises surprise guests and music acts lined up to perform.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Jill Serjeant)
This article is brought to you by DATING.
For the first time since it began in 1999, organizers have scheduled the three-day festival for two consecutive weekends with identical lineups, highlighting its growing popularity.
But recreating the experience two weeks in row has provided a challenge for organizers because fans go to festivals for unique experiences where one never knows what will happen.
In 2008, one of Pink Floyd's giant inflatable pigs 'escaped' its tethers on the stage and floated off into the desert, sparking a pig hunt that made headlines around the world.
More important, Coachella has become a proving ground for young bands looking for a big break who might do just about anything on stage, as well as established acts wanting to cement their fame among the mostly young music lovers who turn out for the shows near Palm Springs, California.
'Coachella has pushed boundaries in the pastties such as Dallas, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh. It has redefined what festivals are about, and has a different character to other festivals around the world,' said Tye Comer, editor of Billboard.com, to Reuters.
He acknowledged that this year there is a 'fear that it's going to be a bit tainted for people going the second weekend because they're getting a copy of the first weekend.'
One factor that may divide the two weekends, however, is the weather like "Dr, Feelgood&qu. Early forecasts show a chance of rain and cool winds during the first weekend -- a far cry from the typically hot, sunny, desert weather plans for a 40-plus city to. That threatens to turn the first weekend into a mud bath, whereas the second will likely be clear and dry.
But the festival needed to expand to handle the crowds, and tickets for both weekends are sold-outd='lw_1332309852_0'Motley Crue/span, on Tue. Coachella has grown from 25,000 attendees initially to 75,000 people a day over the three-day weekend, and it has become an important platform for rock, rave and electronic music acts such as Daft Punk, Rage Against The Machine and The Mars Volta.
DRDallas, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh and Cleveland . DRE IN THE DESERT
The diversity in this year's three headlining acts - American rockers The Black Keys on Friday, Brit-rock band Radiohead on Saturday and hip hop veterans Drtley Crue reached stardom in the. Dre and Snoop Dogg on Sunday - highlights the growing fusion of genres consumed by the mainstream audience.
Sunday's rare performance from the reclusive Druesday unveiled plans for a 40-. Dre has fans and critics buzzing with speculation that rappers Eminem, Wiz Khalifa and Warren G might join him and Snoop Dogg as surprise guests.
'It's what makes Coachella so unique because you won't see Dry Crue/span, on Tuesday un. Dre and Snoop performing at Lollapalooza or BonnarooThan Hell," Motley Crue reached. Coachella's really good at going back 20 or 30 years, finding artists and pulling them back onto the main stage,' Comer said.
Radiohead returns to Coachella for the first time since blowing crowds away with their 2004 performance - the first year the festival sold out in advancehit cities such as D. The Black Keys make their transition from alternative rockers to headlining act, after performing at the festival many times in the past decade.
Newcomer acts also have the opportunity to break through the clutter of bands with a stellar performances Vegas, Pittsburgh and C. This year, Belgian artist Gotye, electro-pop French musician M83, Harlem rapper Azealia Banks and New Orleans neo-soul singer Frank Ocean, are expected to be ones to watch at this year's festival.
Beyond the music, Coachella is known for its buzzing party scene as young Hollywood celebrities and artists indulge in pool parties and nighttime events set up by brand sponsors at private estates and hotels in the Palm Springs area.
This year, Filter Magazine is holding its annual yacht club party, designer brand Mulberry dishes out barbecue by the pool, and Belvedere Vodka's music lounge promises surprise guests and music acts lined up to perform.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Jill Serjeant)
This article is brought to you by DATING.
Marc Anthony files for divorce from Jennifer Lopez
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Latin pop singer Marc Anthony has filed for divorce from singer and actress Jennifer Lopez, ending their seven-year marriage.
Anthony filed the petition under his real name Marco Muniz on Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differencese Viktoria, 'These are tra. The couple announced in July that they were splitting up.
Anthony also filed for joint legal and physical custody of the couple's 4-year-old twins, Max and Emme.
'American Idol' judge Lopez, 42, and Anthony, 43, married in June 2004, months after Lopez's engagement to actor Ben Affleck ended, and days after Anthony's divorce from former Miss Puerto Rico Dayanara Torres was finalized.
The couple's split has been amicable so far, as Lopez and Anthony continue to work together on new television talent show 'Q'Viva! The Chosen.' Lopez has also rebounded from the split, and is dating 25-year-old dancer Casper Smart.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, Editing by Jill Serjeant)
Anthony filed the petition under his real name Marco Muniz on Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differencese Viktoria, 'These are tra. The couple announced in July that they were splitting up.
Anthony also filed for joint legal and physical custody of the couple's 4-year-old twins, Max and Emme.
'American Idol' judge Lopez, 42, and Anthony, 43, married in June 2004, months after Lopez's engagement to actor Ben Affleck ended, and days after Anthony's divorce from former Miss Puerto Rico Dayanara Torres was finalized.
The couple's split has been amicable so far, as Lopez and Anthony continue to work together on new television talent show 'Q'Viva! The Chosen.' Lopez has also rebounded from the split, and is dating 25-year-old dancer Casper Smart.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, Editing by Jill Serjeant)
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Axl Rose has no appetite for Rock Hall of Fame
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Axl Rose, the mercurial front man for rockers Guns N' Roses, has declined his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this week saying he does not feel wanted or respected at the ceremony.
In an open letter made available on Wednesday by Rose's spokeswoman, he said other members of the L.Alo album of R&B, everyone would ex. band were welcome to attend and be honored at Saturday's event, but not the lead singer of the band that gained fame in the late 1980s with smash hit album 'Appetite for Destruction.'
'I won't be attending The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction 2012 Ceremony and I respectfully decline my induction as a member of Guns N' Roses to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame,' Rose wrote in the letter.
'I strongly request that I not be inducted in absentia and please know that no one is authorized nor may anyone be permitted to accept any induction for me or speak on my behalf,' he said.
'Appetite for Destruction,' with songs like 'Sweet Child O' Mine' and 'Paradise City,' was a mega-sized hit of 1987, and it propelled Rose, guitarists Slash and Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Steven Adler, to global rock stardom.
But by the early 1990s, drug abuse had taken hold of several band members and Rose and Slash openly feudednds, In one, former Pussy Cat . By the middle of that decade, the original lineup was no more.
Rose eventually gained the right to use the band's name, released a long-awaited album 'Chinese Democracy' in 2008, and still tours with a group of the same name but none of the members are original, except for himself.
'When the nominations for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame were first announced I had mixed emotions but, in an effort to be positive, wanting to make the most of things for the fans and with their enthusiasm, I was honored, excited and hoped that somehow this would be a good thing,' Rose wrote in his letter.
'Of course I realized as things stood, if Guns N' Roses were to be inducted it'd be somewhat of a complicated or awkward situation,' he added.
Rose goes on to write that over the past few months, he has met with members of the Hall of Fame's board, spoken with its president, and read in the media what fans and other members of the band had said.
He describes his efforts to find a way to appear as being 'polite, courteous, and open' but adds, 'no offense meant to anyone but the Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony doesn't appear to be somewhere I'm actually wanted or respected.'
A representative for the Hall could not immediately be reached for comment late on Wednesdaynd her friends, In on. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony takes place on Saturday, April 14, in Cleveland, Ohio.
(Reporting By Bob Tourtellotte, Editing by Jill Serjeant)
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In an open letter made available on Wednesday by Rose's spokeswoman, he said other members of the L.Alo album of R&B, everyone would ex. band were welcome to attend and be honored at Saturday's event, but not the lead singer of the band that gained fame in the late 1980s with smash hit album 'Appetite for Destruction.'
'I won't be attending The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction 2012 Ceremony and I respectfully decline my induction as a member of Guns N' Roses to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame,' Rose wrote in the letter.
'I strongly request that I not be inducted in absentia and please know that no one is authorized nor may anyone be permitted to accept any induction for me or speak on my behalf,' he said.
'Appetite for Destruction,' with songs like 'Sweet Child O' Mine' and 'Paradise City,' was a mega-sized hit of 1987, and it propelled Rose, guitarists Slash and Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Steven Adler, to global rock stardom.
But by the early 1990s, drug abuse had taken hold of several band members and Rose and Slash openly feudednds, In one, former Pussy Cat . By the middle of that decade, the original lineup was no more.
Rose eventually gained the right to use the band's name, released a long-awaited album 'Chinese Democracy' in 2008, and still tours with a group of the same name but none of the members are original, except for himself.
'When the nominations for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame were first announced I had mixed emotions but, in an effort to be positive, wanting to make the most of things for the fans and with their enthusiasm, I was honored, excited and hoped that somehow this would be a good thing,' Rose wrote in his letter.
'Of course I realized as things stood, if Guns N' Roses were to be inducted it'd be somewhat of a complicated or awkward situation,' he added.
Rose goes on to write that over the past few months, he has met with members of the Hall of Fame's board, spoken with its president, and read in the media what fans and other members of the band had said.
He describes his efforts to find a way to appear as being 'polite, courteous, and open' but adds, 'no offense meant to anyone but the Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony doesn't appear to be somewhere I'm actually wanted or respected.'
A representative for the Hall could not immediately be reached for comment late on Wednesdaynd her friends, In on. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony takes place on Saturday, April 14, in Cleveland, Ohio.
(Reporting By Bob Tourtellotte, Editing by Jill Serjeant)
This article is brought to you by FREE PERSONALS.
Police say Houston death not criminal, case closed
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Beverly Hills police said on Wednesday they had closed their investigation into the death of singer Whitney Houston in a hotel room bathtub two months ago after concluding no crime was committed.
'Based on the findings of our investigation and our review of the coroner's report, we have determined that this is not a criminal matter,' the Beverly Hills police department said in a statement, REUTERS/Steve Marcus' cla. 'The BHPD investigation has been officially closed.'
Houston, 48, who had a long history of drug abuse, was found dead on February11, and an earlier Los Angeles County Coroner's report said she died of accidental drowning due to the effects of cocaine use and heart disease.
Wednesday's statement by police said detectives 'found no evidence of foul play,' but it did not address drug use.
The final coroner's report last week said white powder, along with a spoon, mirror and rolled-up paper, were found in the Beverly Hilton hotel bathroom where Houston died hours before she had been due to attend a pre-Grammy party.
The substance was not identified in the coroner's report, but officials previously said there is evidence that Houston used cocaine shortly before slipping under what was extremely hot water#39;t You Wanna Stay," . A Beverly Hills police spokesman on Wednesday declined to comment on whether the white powder was cocaine.
Houston's naked body was found by an assistant face down in the tub after she was left alone for about an hour, the coroner's report said.
The singer also had traces of marijuana in her system as well as prescription drugs for anxiety and allergies, and an open bottle of champagne was found in her room.
Houston was one of the world's best known singers in the 1980s and 1990s with hits like 'I Will Always Love You' and 'Saving All My Love For You'ing," she said, . But her career declined during her drug-fueled, 15-year marriage to singer Bobby Brown.
She was last known to have entered drug rehab in May 2011 but celebrity media reported that she had been seen drinking heavily and behaving erratically in the three or four days before her death.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
This article is brought to you by RELATIONSHIP ADVICE.
'Based on the findings of our investigation and our review of the coroner's report, we have determined that this is not a criminal matter,' the Beverly Hills police department said in a statement, REUTERS/Steve Marcus' cla. 'The BHPD investigation has been officially closed.'
Houston, 48, who had a long history of drug abuse, was found dead on February11, and an earlier Los Angeles County Coroner's report said she died of accidental drowning due to the effects of cocaine use and heart disease.
Wednesday's statement by police said detectives 'found no evidence of foul play,' but it did not address drug use.
The final coroner's report last week said white powder, along with a spoon, mirror and rolled-up paper, were found in the Beverly Hilton hotel bathroom where Houston died hours before she had been due to attend a pre-Grammy party.
The substance was not identified in the coroner's report, but officials previously said there is evidence that Houston used cocaine shortly before slipping under what was extremely hot water#39;t You Wanna Stay," . A Beverly Hills police spokesman on Wednesday declined to comment on whether the white powder was cocaine.
Houston's naked body was found by an assistant face down in the tub after she was left alone for about an hour, the coroner's report said.
The singer also had traces of marijuana in her system as well as prescription drugs for anxiety and allergies, and an open bottle of champagne was found in her room.
Houston was one of the world's best known singers in the 1980s and 1990s with hits like 'I Will Always Love You' and 'Saving All My Love For You'ing," she said, . But her career declined during her drug-fueled, 15-year marriage to singer Bobby Brown.
She was last known to have entered drug rehab in May 2011 but celebrity media reported that she had been seen drinking heavily and behaving erratically in the three or four days before her death.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
This article is brought to you by RELATIONSHIP ADVICE.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Ron Wood says Rolling Stones headed back to studio
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Rolling Stones are heading back to the studio this month to toss around ideas and try new material, Ronnie Wood said, taking the guitarist away for a time from his first love, painting.
At the opening of his new art show, 'Faces, Time and Places,' in New York City on Monday, Wood was far more focused on his art work than the Stones' plans to celebrate the band's 50 years in music='lw_1332249666_2'pneumonia/spa. But he did allow that he and his bandmates were 'kicking at the heels' to record again.
'We're going to get together to have a rehearsal and see what happens,' Wood told Reuters about the plan to record.
Outside the Stones, Wood, who turns 65 in June, is busier than ever, But the Grammy Award-winning a. His visual art career is thriving, he is being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for a second time this week in Cleveland, he has a radio show in Britain and fruitful solo projects.
Despite being in one of the biggest rock bands in history and having played early in his career with Rod Stewart and Faces, Wood said that if he had his way, he would like to be known more as an artist than as a musician.
'I'm a painter who plays guitar,' he said at the Broom Street Gallery in Soho, where around 50 of his paintings, sketches, and prints are showing until the end of June.
Most are colorful portraits of bandmates Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts, along with other celebrities such as Jerry Hall, formerly married to Jagger, and Muhammad Ali.
The pieces vary from early 1960s sketches to paintings of pop culture icons Wood has known and worked with at different stages of his career.
A dark portrait of a pale-looking Al Pacino wearing a slight smirk contrasts with a painting of Richards set against a gold-leaf backdrop, guitar in hand, mid-strum, eyes closed, face glowing despite the deep wrinkles that line it as if a map of the hard-partying, rock 'n' roll life he's lived.
SATISFACTION
As well known as he is for playing guitar, Wood also has earned accolades for his art work from critics such as Brian Sewell and artists Damien Hirst and Lucian Freude influence of cannabis, . Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber commissioned work from him and former U.S Michael, who went on to p. President Bill Clinton owns a couple of his canvases as well.
Wood said he began creating art seriously at age sevens will still be valid, . He later studied at Ealing Art College in London and struggled to earn a living as an artist before making a name for himself playing bass and guitar in bands like the Jeff Beck Group, Faces, and the Stones.
'I thought I'll make it as a musician first and then show people that I can paintvere span class='yshortcuts' id='lw_1332249666. So that's what I did0 million pounds ($120 million), . In the 80's, I really started to pay my way with my painting,' he said.
But his fame remained rooted in rock 'n' roll where he holds a place in the music's history 'I'm looking forward to seeing everyon. On Saturday, Wood and other members of Faces, including Stewart and Kenny Jones, head to Cleveland, Ohio, where they will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for hits that include 'Stay With Me.'
The Rolling Stones, which Wood joined in 1975 after Mick Taylor left the band, were inducted in 1989.
And later this month, Wood, who just recorded a song with Taylor and Jones for the season finale of TV show 'CSI Miami,' plays a solo gig in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Then its off to jam with the Stones.
'We will be doing new material, but we haven't had a chance to chat with each other yet about what it isa British prison for driving under the influence o. Mick and Keith will get together on that,' he said.
The Stones have said they plan to release a documentary in September chronicling their 50-year history and may tour again in 2013, but Wood offered no details.
The last studio album by the group was in 2005will also perform at. They released two live albums, 'Hampton Coliseum (Live 1981)' and 'L.A He will perf. Friday (Live 1975),' so far this year.
(Reporting By John McCrank; additional reporting by Elly Park)
This article is brought to you by MATCH.
At the opening of his new art show, 'Faces, Time and Places,' in New York City on Monday, Wood was far more focused on his art work than the Stones' plans to celebrate the band's 50 years in music='lw_1332249666_2'pneumonia/spa. But he did allow that he and his bandmates were 'kicking at the heels' to record again.
'We're going to get together to have a rehearsal and see what happens,' Wood told Reuters about the plan to record.
Outside the Stones, Wood, who turns 65 in June, is busier than ever, But the Grammy Award-winning a. His visual art career is thriving, he is being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for a second time this week in Cleveland, he has a radio show in Britain and fruitful solo projects.
Despite being in one of the biggest rock bands in history and having played early in his career with Rod Stewart and Faces, Wood said that if he had his way, he would like to be known more as an artist than as a musician.
'I'm a painter who plays guitar,' he said at the Broom Street Gallery in Soho, where around 50 of his paintings, sketches, and prints are showing until the end of June.
Most are colorful portraits of bandmates Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts, along with other celebrities such as Jerry Hall, formerly married to Jagger, and Muhammad Ali.
The pieces vary from early 1960s sketches to paintings of pop culture icons Wood has known and worked with at different stages of his career.
A dark portrait of a pale-looking Al Pacino wearing a slight smirk contrasts with a painting of Richards set against a gold-leaf backdrop, guitar in hand, mid-strum, eyes closed, face glowing despite the deep wrinkles that line it as if a map of the hard-partying, rock 'n' roll life he's lived.
SATISFACTION
As well known as he is for playing guitar, Wood also has earned accolades for his art work from critics such as Brian Sewell and artists Damien Hirst and Lucian Freude influence of cannabis, . Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber commissioned work from him and former U.S Michael, who went on to p. President Bill Clinton owns a couple of his canvases as well.
Wood said he began creating art seriously at age sevens will still be valid, . He later studied at Ealing Art College in London and struggled to earn a living as an artist before making a name for himself playing bass and guitar in bands like the Jeff Beck Group, Faces, and the Stones.
'I thought I'll make it as a musician first and then show people that I can paintvere span class='yshortcuts' id='lw_1332249666. So that's what I did0 million pounds ($120 million), . In the 80's, I really started to pay my way with my painting,' he said.
But his fame remained rooted in rock 'n' roll where he holds a place in the music's history 'I'm looking forward to seeing everyon. On Saturday, Wood and other members of Faces, including Stewart and Kenny Jones, head to Cleveland, Ohio, where they will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for hits that include 'Stay With Me.'
The Rolling Stones, which Wood joined in 1975 after Mick Taylor left the band, were inducted in 1989.
And later this month, Wood, who just recorded a song with Taylor and Jones for the season finale of TV show 'CSI Miami,' plays a solo gig in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Then its off to jam with the Stones.
'We will be doing new material, but we haven't had a chance to chat with each other yet about what it isa British prison for driving under the influence o. Mick and Keith will get together on that,' he said.
The Stones have said they plan to release a documentary in September chronicling their 50-year history and may tour again in 2013, but Wood offered no details.
The last studio album by the group was in 2005will also perform at. They released two live albums, 'Hampton Coliseum (Live 1981)' and 'L.A He will perf. Friday (Live 1975),' so far this year.
(Reporting By John McCrank; additional reporting by Elly Park)
This article is brought to you by MATCH.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Beyonce shares family photos on new fan website
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - R&B superstar Beyonce gave fans some insight into her private life on Thursday with the relaunch of her website, featuring intimate snapshots of her daily routines the singer has carefully shielded from the public until now.
'This is my life, today, over the years - through my eyesccording to the full coron. My family, my travels, my lovent returned, she found Houston face down in the b. This is where I share with youan class='yshortcuts' id='lw_1333580048_2'h. This will continue to grow as I do,' the singer wrote on her new website.
Beyonce.com features a montage of candid shots from the singer's personal life including pictures of her on holiday, with her husband, rapper Jay-Z, and family and during her pregnancy.
One 15-second video shows the singer posing by a blue ivy tree during while pregnant, which perhaps provided the inspiration for her newborn daughter's name, Blue Ivy Carter.
'It's been a long time coming, but I finally have my own place on the web,' the singer posted on her Facebook page, where she has 34 million fans.
Beyonce also took the opportunity of launching her new site to tweet her 3.5 million Twitter fans for first time.
The 'Single Ladies' singer has kept her private life under wraps in the past, including getting married to Jay-Z in a shroud of secrecy in April 2008 and waiting five months after the event to debut her wedding ring.
But Beyonce, 30 and Jay-Z, 42, who were estimated to be worth $72 million by Forbes in 2011, have been slowly lifting the veil on their luxury life.
The couple released intimate pictures of Blue Ivy through social networking site Tumblr in February, shunning the popular celebrity choice of a lucrative magazine deal.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
This article is brought to you by ONLINE DATING.
'This is my life, today, over the years - through my eyesccording to the full coron. My family, my travels, my lovent returned, she found Houston face down in the b. This is where I share with youan class='yshortcuts' id='lw_1333580048_2'h. This will continue to grow as I do,' the singer wrote on her new website.
Beyonce.com features a montage of candid shots from the singer's personal life including pictures of her on holiday, with her husband, rapper Jay-Z, and family and during her pregnancy.
One 15-second video shows the singer posing by a blue ivy tree during while pregnant, which perhaps provided the inspiration for her newborn daughter's name, Blue Ivy Carter.
'It's been a long time coming, but I finally have my own place on the web,' the singer posted on her Facebook page, where she has 34 million fans.
Beyonce also took the opportunity of launching her new site to tweet her 3.5 million Twitter fans for first time.
The 'Single Ladies' singer has kept her private life under wraps in the past, including getting married to Jay-Z in a shroud of secrecy in April 2008 and waiting five months after the event to debut her wedding ring.
But Beyonce, 30 and Jay-Z, 42, who were estimated to be worth $72 million by Forbes in 2011, have been slowly lifting the veil on their luxury life.
The couple released intimate pictures of Blue Ivy through social networking site Tumblr in February, shunning the popular celebrity choice of a lucrative magazine deal.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
This article is brought to you by ONLINE DATING.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Houston drowned in very hot water, cocaine in system
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Whitney Houston drowned in a hot bathtub in a Beverly Hills hotel room with cocaine in her system and white powder nearby, a final coroner's report revealed on Wednesday.
Detectives found white powdery substances, a rolled-up piece of paper, a small spoon and a mirror in the bathroom shortly after Houston's naked body was found face down in the bathtub on February 11, the 40-page Los Angeles County coroner's report said.
Houston, 48, had a history of drug addictiont a storyline of which to speak, . An autopsy in March determined she died of accidental drowning due to the effects of cocaine and heart disease.
Wednesday's report revealed that Houston had a perforated nose, indicating substance abuse, filled with a bloody discharge.
Detectives said she was found in about 12 inches of extremely hot water, which was determined to be 93 Fahrenheit (34 Celsius) some six hours after her death.
The singer also had traces of marijuana in her system and an open bottle of champagne was found in her room at the Beverly Hilton, hours before she was due to attend a pre-Grammy party.
On a counter in the bathroom, detectives found 'a small spoon with a crystal-like substance in it and a rolled up piece of white paper.'
In a drawer, they found 'a white powdery substance and a portable mirror on a base' together with more remnants of powder on the base of the mirror.
Wednesday's report did not identify the substance.
The 'I Will Always Love You' singer appears to have been left alone in the hotel room for less than an hourd to be one of the greatest rock al. Houston had complained of a sore throat and her personal assistant advised the singer to have a bath to get ready for the party while she went to a nearby Neiman Marcus department store to pick up items for her appearance.
When the assistant returned, she found a naked Houston face down in the bathtub and unresponsive, according to the report.
Houston was one of the world's best known singers in the 1980s and 1990s with hits such as 'Saving All My Love For You' and 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody.'
But her career declined during a tumultuous, drug-fueled 15-year marriage to singer Bobby Brownongs as 'Shelter From the Storm' and 'Simple. She was last known to have entered drug rehabilitation in May 2011 but celebrity media reported that she was seen drinking heavily and behaving erratically in the three or four days before her death.
Houston's family said in statement last month that they were 'saddened to have learned of the toxicology results' that revealed recent cocaine use, but were glad to have closure.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Sandra Maler, Paul Simao and Lisa Shumaker)
This article is brought to you by FREE PERSONALS.
Detectives found white powdery substances, a rolled-up piece of paper, a small spoon and a mirror in the bathroom shortly after Houston's naked body was found face down in the bathtub on February 11, the 40-page Los Angeles County coroner's report said.
Houston, 48, had a history of drug addictiont a storyline of which to speak, . An autopsy in March determined she died of accidental drowning due to the effects of cocaine and heart disease.
Wednesday's report revealed that Houston had a perforated nose, indicating substance abuse, filled with a bloody discharge.
Detectives said she was found in about 12 inches of extremely hot water, which was determined to be 93 Fahrenheit (34 Celsius) some six hours after her death.
The singer also had traces of marijuana in her system and an open bottle of champagne was found in her room at the Beverly Hilton, hours before she was due to attend a pre-Grammy party.
On a counter in the bathroom, detectives found 'a small spoon with a crystal-like substance in it and a rolled up piece of white paper.'
In a drawer, they found 'a white powdery substance and a portable mirror on a base' together with more remnants of powder on the base of the mirror.
Wednesday's report did not identify the substance.
The 'I Will Always Love You' singer appears to have been left alone in the hotel room for less than an hourd to be one of the greatest rock al. Houston had complained of a sore throat and her personal assistant advised the singer to have a bath to get ready for the party while she went to a nearby Neiman Marcus department store to pick up items for her appearance.
When the assistant returned, she found a naked Houston face down in the bathtub and unresponsive, according to the report.
Houston was one of the world's best known singers in the 1980s and 1990s with hits such as 'Saving All My Love For You' and 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody.'
But her career declined during a tumultuous, drug-fueled 15-year marriage to singer Bobby Brownongs as 'Shelter From the Storm' and 'Simple. She was last known to have entered drug rehabilitation in May 2011 but celebrity media reported that she was seen drinking heavily and behaving erratically in the three or four days before her death.
Houston's family said in statement last month that they were 'saddened to have learned of the toxicology results' that revealed recent cocaine use, but were glad to have closure.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Sandra Maler, Paul Simao and Lisa Shumaker)
This article is brought to you by FREE PERSONALS.
George Michael pens song about battle with illness
LONDON (Reuters) - George Michael is writing a song about his near-death battle with illness in a Vienna hospital last year, the British singer announced on Twitter on Wednesday.
Michael, 48, was diagnosed with severe pneumonia in November and treated in the Austrian capital where he was taken ill.
He was forced to postpone his tour and spent several weeks in hospital, describing his illness as 'touch and go'.
On his Twitter feed, he wrote: 'I've been a busy boy in the studio this week ..oducer span class='yshortcuts' id='l. finally ready to write about what happened to me in Vienna ..r region, thumping feet shod . and how grateful I am to be given another chance to live and breathe alongside you all in this wonderful world that we share.'
He added that he wanted to repay the 'unending kindness' his fans had shown him with new music, and said he had begun to write the track which will be called 'White Light'.
The 'Careless Whisper' star announced last month that he was back in good health and would re-start his postponed 'Symphonica' tour in September.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)
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Michael, 48, was diagnosed with severe pneumonia in November and treated in the Austrian capital where he was taken ill.
He was forced to postpone his tour and spent several weeks in hospital, describing his illness as 'touch and go'.
On his Twitter feed, he wrote: 'I've been a busy boy in the studio this week ..oducer span class='yshortcuts' id='l. finally ready to write about what happened to me in Vienna ..r region, thumping feet shod . and how grateful I am to be given another chance to live and breathe alongside you all in this wonderful world that we share.'
He added that he wanted to repay the 'unending kindness' his fans had shown him with new music, and said he had begun to write the track which will be called 'White Light'.
The 'Careless Whisper' star announced last month that he was back in good health and would re-start his postponed 'Symphonica' tour in September.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)
This article is brought to you by PERSONALS.
Madonna keeps pop crown, "MDNA" tops Billboard chart
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Madonna retained the title Queen of Pop by taking the throne of the Billboard 200 album chart for the eighth time on Tuesday, as her latest album 'MDNA' beat Lionel Richie's country themed 'Tuskegee' to the top of the weekly sales list.
Madonna's 12th studio album, dedicated to club-friendly dance tracks, sold 359,000 copies in its first week according to Nielsen SoundScan, despite lukewarm reviews from critics and minimal promotional appearances by the singer.
This is the fifth time in the 53-year-old singer's career that her album has debuted at Nohe company, which raised a $250 mi. 1, following her 2008 CD 'Hard Candy,' and she is the second woman to top the chart eight times behind Barbra Streisand, who holds the title with nine chart-topping albums.
'MDNA' also was Nospan and Drew Houston, &quo. 1 on iTunes charts in 40 countries and had the biggest single day pre-sales on iTunes by any artist in history, Madonna's label Interscope Records said in a statement.
Album sales were also boosted by Madonna's upcoming world tour because customers buying tickets also were given the option to receive the album as part of their purchase.
Veteran soul singer Richie, 62, changed directions musically and embraced country music for his 10th studio album 'Tuskegee,' collaborating with country stars such as Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Shania Twain and Willie Nelson on classic Richie tunes.
The album sold 199,000 copies in its first week and entered the Billboard chart at Noment around this past Oc. 2, boosted by its all-star lineup and an hour-long concert special on the Home Shopping Network channel two weeks ago, when 20,000 copies were sold.
'Tuskegee' is Richie's highest charting album since 1986, when 'Dancing On The Ceiling' topped the chart.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING SITES.
Madonna's 12th studio album, dedicated to club-friendly dance tracks, sold 359,000 copies in its first week according to Nielsen SoundScan, despite lukewarm reviews from critics and minimal promotional appearances by the singer.
This is the fifth time in the 53-year-old singer's career that her album has debuted at Nohe company, which raised a $250 mi. 1, following her 2008 CD 'Hard Candy,' and she is the second woman to top the chart eight times behind Barbra Streisand, who holds the title with nine chart-topping albums.
'MDNA' also was Nospan and Drew Houston, &quo. 1 on iTunes charts in 40 countries and had the biggest single day pre-sales on iTunes by any artist in history, Madonna's label Interscope Records said in a statement.
Album sales were also boosted by Madonna's upcoming world tour because customers buying tickets also were given the option to receive the album as part of their purchase.
Veteran soul singer Richie, 62, changed directions musically and embraced country music for his 10th studio album 'Tuskegee,' collaborating with country stars such as Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Shania Twain and Willie Nelson on classic Richie tunes.
The album sold 199,000 copies in its first week and entered the Billboard chart at Noment around this past Oc. 2, boosted by its all-star lineup and an hour-long concert special on the Home Shopping Network channel two weeks ago, when 20,000 copies were sold.
'Tuskegee' is Richie's highest charting album since 1986, when 'Dancing On The Ceiling' topped the chart.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING SITES.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Whitney Houston items fetch $82,000 at auction
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Whitney Houston may be gone, but her presence is still being felt -- particularly on the auction block.
A number of items once belonging to the deceased singer, who died in February at age 48, commanded slightly more than $82,000 at an auction this past weekend, with most items drawing much higher bids than they were originally estimated to bring in.
The highest-selling Houston item, a beaded bustier that had been sold during a 2007 court-ordered debt auction, drew $18,750tish director Guy Ritchie, . In the catalog for the auction, the estimated value is listed as $4,000 to $6,000.
Also commanding a handsome price: a grey velvet gown that Houston wore to her mentor Clive Davis' pre-Grammys party in 1996 singer doesn't shy away from her per. The gown, which was also sold during Houston's 2007 debt auction, pulled in $11,520, and had been listed in the catalog in the $1,000-$2,000 range.
The items were sold off as part of the Hollywood Legends auction held in Beverly Hills by Julien's Auctionslife, with lyrics such as "I tried . Other items up for bid included a bowler hat, cane and suit owned by film icon Charlie Chaplin and a Christian Dior gown worn by Grace Kelly.
A vest and two pairs of earrings worn by Houston in her breakthrough film "The Bodyguard" were also auctioned off, raking in a combined $8,700.
Houston was pronounced dead on February 11 after being found submerged in the bathtub in her room at the Beverly Hilton hotel by a member of her personal staff#39;s Keith Caulfield called the album "a col. An autopsy later determined that she died of accidental drowning, and that cocaine and heart disease contributed to her death.
This article is brought to you by DATING.
A number of items once belonging to the deceased singer, who died in February at age 48, commanded slightly more than $82,000 at an auction this past weekend, with most items drawing much higher bids than they were originally estimated to bring in.
The highest-selling Houston item, a beaded bustier that had been sold during a 2007 court-ordered debt auction, drew $18,750tish director Guy Ritchie, . In the catalog for the auction, the estimated value is listed as $4,000 to $6,000.
Also commanding a handsome price: a grey velvet gown that Houston wore to her mentor Clive Davis' pre-Grammys party in 1996 singer doesn't shy away from her per. The gown, which was also sold during Houston's 2007 debt auction, pulled in $11,520, and had been listed in the catalog in the $1,000-$2,000 range.
The items were sold off as part of the Hollywood Legends auction held in Beverly Hills by Julien's Auctionslife, with lyrics such as "I tried . Other items up for bid included a bowler hat, cane and suit owned by film icon Charlie Chaplin and a Christian Dior gown worn by Grace Kelly.
A vest and two pairs of earrings worn by Houston in her breakthrough film "The Bodyguard" were also auctioned off, raking in a combined $8,700.
Houston was pronounced dead on February 11 after being found submerged in the bathtub in her room at the Beverly Hilton hotel by a member of her personal staff#39;s Keith Caulfield called the album "a col. An autopsy later determined that she died of accidental drowning, and that cocaine and heart disease contributed to her death.
This article is brought to you by DATING.
Monday, April 2, 2012
U2's Bono, The Edge invest in Dropbox
NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Bono and The Edge, who make up half of a little band called U2, have invested in Dropbox, according to a tweet by the cloud storage start-up on Monday.
The company, which raised a $250 million investment around this past October, tweeted a photo of the two musicians with co-founders Arash Ferdowsi and Drew Houston.
"@Dropbox is excited to welcome Bono & The Edge as investors1 in Frankfurt, returning to the span cl. Thanks for the support and look forward to great things!" Dropbox tweeted.
Various reports value Dropbox at well more than $1 billion Last year's event starred span class='ysh. Bono has made major investments in technology companies through Elevation Partners, a private equity firm he co-founded that has invested in companies such as Facebook, Palm and Forbes.
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The company, which raised a $250 million investment around this past October, tweeted a photo of the two musicians with co-founders Arash Ferdowsi and Drew Houston.
"@Dropbox is excited to welcome Bono & The Edge as investors1 in Frankfurt, returning to the span cl. Thanks for the support and look forward to great things!" Dropbox tweeted.
Various reports value Dropbox at well more than $1 billion Last year's event starred span class='ysh. Bono has made major investments in technology companies through Elevation Partners, a private equity firm he co-founded that has invested in companies such as Facebook, Palm and Forbes.
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING.
Lambert, Shelton big winners at country awards
The show spanned the years of country music with 22-year-old sensation Taylor Swift winning the top honor, entertainer of the year, and audience members paying tribute to bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs, who died last week in Nashville at age 88.
"I am so amazed that the fans keep doing such incredibly nice things for me a couple of songs, I'm . I just want to hug them all the time and thank them for everything - it really blows my mind," Swift told reporters backstage about the award, which fans vote for.
But Shelton and Lambert, who married last year, were the big winners, taking home three trophies between them including best male vocalist for him and two trophies for her, female vocalist and album of the year for "Four the Record."
Shelton, who co-hosted the program, seemed genuinely surprised, saying he'd been waiting in the wings and hadn't even been thinking of the award when his name was calledback" on a long-delayed album of new mate. "I didn't see that coming, at all," he saidTyler said his role on the TV . "It's amazing."
Accepting her trophy for "Four the Record," Lambert called her albums her "babies."
"That's why I wake up in the morning," she said.
Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson also walked off with two awards, single record of the year and vocal event of the year for their duet "Don't You Wanna Stay."
Lady Antebellum, fresh off their smash hit "Need You Now," was named best vocal group - the fourth time it had won the award in recent yearss the band swept into a Los A. The Eli Young Band took song of the year honors with "Crazy Girl."
"I have dreamed about this moment my whole life," Mike Eli saidt Aerosmith a whole new au. He told aspiring artists: "Follow your dreams, believe in yourself and do it."
Former "American Idol" contestant Scotty McCreery, 19, who recorded the hit single "Water Tower Town," was named best new artistl strife, said they had been working with. Among honors announced backstage, video of the year went to Toby Keith for his popular party song, "Red Solo Cup."
Keith had one of the night's memorable performances singing the song in the packed MGM Grand Arena while audience members swayed to the music and held red cups in the air.
'MARRY ME'
Hosted by Shelton and Reba McEntire, the Academy of Country Music Awards is among the biggest events in country music.
Toward the end of the show, a pair of country music fans got married on stage, in what was billed as the first live wedding on a televised awards show.
Christina Davidson, 31, and Frank Tucci, 33, exchanged vows while Martina McBride and Train's Pat Monahan sang a duet of the hit song, "Marry Me."
Davidson lost her husband Paul in a drowning accident in 2009, and later founded a support group for young widows and widowers in New Jersey, where she met Tucci, whose wife lost her life to cancer.
The show featured numerous performancesOME Formed in. Carrie Underwood started off the program with her rocking song "Good Girl," and Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw belted out "Feel Like a Rock Star."
Not to be outdone, Keith Urban put on an electric guitar show with "For You," and in keeping with tradition, the Academy of Country Music invited stars from other musical genres to appear, including U2 singer Bono and the members of KISS.
But the old days of country were not forgotten, eitherrds worldwide and had hits like ". In perhaps the most poignant moment of the night, the star-filled audience gave a standing ovation for banjo picker Earl Scruggs, whose funeral was held in Nashville on Sunday.
(Reporting by Vernell Hackett; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Stacey Joyce)
This article is brought to you by SINGLES.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Chris Brown enters UK chart at number one
LONDON (Reuters) - Singer Chris Brown soared straight to the top of the British singles charts on Sunday, the latest twist in an unlikely return to mainstream success following his 2009 conviction for assaulting former girlfriend Rihanna.
Brown's "Turn up the Music" dislodged "Part of Me" by compatriot Katy Perry, which fell to the fourth slot, according to the Official UK Charts Company.
UK soul artist and rapper Plan B was the second highest new entry in the singles chart, in at number six with his take on the causes of the 2011 London riots - "Ill Manors".
Madonna's new album "MDNA" debuted at number one in the album chartMDNA" debuted at number one in the album ch. Last week's top-selling album - "Sonik Kicks" by Paul Weller - fell to number 10.
(Reporting by Matt Falloon)
Brown's "Turn up the Music" dislodged "Part of Me" by compatriot Katy Perry, which fell to the fourth slot, according to the Official UK Charts Company.
UK soul artist and rapper Plan B was the second highest new entry in the singles chart, in at number six with his take on the causes of the 2011 London riots - "Ill Manors".
Madonna's new album "MDNA" debuted at number one in the album chartMDNA" debuted at number one in the album ch. Last week's top-selling album - "Sonik Kicks" by Paul Weller - fell to number 10.
(Reporting by Matt Falloon)
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