Gucci Mane, an Alabama rapper who caught the wave of southern rap in the mid-2000s, is facing criminal charges for aggravated assault stemming from a confrontation last month. He allegedly hit a soldier with a champagne bottle at an Atlanta, Ga., club....
Beyoncé used her new Pepsi commercial titled “Mirrors!” to sample her latest song “Grown Woman,” then does battle with images of her from her past in a hall of mirrors. It all ends in a huge explosion of glass. Hopefully, Bey isn’t superstitious....
Beyonce, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams show they haven’t lost their touch, harmonizing as sweetly as ever on the new single, “Nuclear,” off their upcoming compilation album. The song will be the only original off the trio’s upcoming Love Songs. But if the album does well, who knows? It could lead to something even bigger....
Kara Dioguardi, the sexy songwriter who scored a bundle as a judge on “American Idol,” got a welcome Christmas present. She unloaded her Studio City mansion for $6.3 million and appears lucky enough to have broken even or made a slight profit. The Los Angeles real estate market is still hit or miss four years after the financial crisis and real estate bust....
Jonas Brothers band has been named in a lawsuit stemming from a raucous free concert in May 2010. The woman who filed the suit in an apparent rush to beat the three-year statute of limitations, claims she was severely injured during the concert. The Los Angeles woman, Ashleigh Johnson, has also sued Caruso Management Co., which runs the outdoor shopping mall where the concert took place....
Lana Del Rey continues to enthrall Europe. In France, they can’t get enough of what she calls Old-California style. She burns with sexuality on the cover of Obsession the fashion supplement to Paris newspaper Le Nouvel Obserateur. She turns up the sensuality for photographers Sofia Sanchez and Mauro Mongiello. The ’60s retro-chic look, which has become her trademark, is captured by stylist Elizabeth Stewart, with hair by Pamela Cochrane and makeup by Anna Cofone....
As a Disney teen queen, Demi Lovato took a back seat to Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez. But she came into her own at a high profile performance as part of NBC’s holiday special, “A White House Christmas.” She belted out the popular chestnut “All I Want for Christmas is You,” a risky pick since Mariah Carey just revived the 1966 song as part of her Christmas album. Nonetheless, Demi pulled off the song with aplomb by singing more of a classic arrangement compared with Mariah’s up-tempo pop treatment. Demi also imbued the song with passion, rising to the occasion....
Cheyenne Jackson, the openly gay actor and singer who has appeared on such shows as Fox’s hit “Glee” and NBC’s “30 Rock,” has stepped back into the musical arena with a new video for his latest song, “Don’t Wanna Know.” The video opens with the 37-year-old in bed, rolling over and finding that his lover is gone. The scene cuts to a nightstand photo of him embracing his lover, who is a man. ...
Lee Dorman, the Iron Butterfly bassist who played on the band’s iconic 17-minute song “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” which became a signature song of the drug-fueled psychedelic ’60s, was found dead Friday morning. He was 70. Dorman had suffered from heart problems for years and had to retire from music because of his health. His body was found in a vehicle at his home Friday morning, according to Orange County sheriff’s spokeswoman Gail Krause. ...
Rita Ora takes off into space in the video for her song “Radioactive.” It’s part “Tron,” part “Star Trek” and unfolds in what looks like a rocking ride through the galaxy. Someone should have told her Katy Perry used the same intergalactic theme for her “E.T.” video. The video also has a decided post-Apocalyptic vibe, which seems so popular these days. Rita does some dance moves in front of something that looks like a high-tech compass, Then, she spins slowly in a floating chair wearing a tiger-striped coat against a backdrop of space junk and industrial waste....
Rihanna got frisky with her BFF Melissa Forde, who released new photos of the singer doing one of the things she does best; shedding her clothes in front of a camera. The 24-year-old singer keeps the photos just this side of appropriate because she doesn’t reveal any private parts. She’s wearing a black bra, but no panties, revealing the bare lines of her legs and thighs. The photos were posted to Instagram and are quickly going viral....
Dave Brubeck, a seminal figure in jazz, who popularized the musical form over seven decades with his unique compositions, died suddenly today from a heart attack at his home in Norwalk, Conn. He was one day shy of his 92nd birthday. Brubeck composed hundreds of songs during his long career. “In Your Own Sweet Way, “The Duke” and Take Five" were most popular. He recorded and toured with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, with renowned alto saxophonist Paul Desmond and was embraced by the Beat Generation....
Carly Rae Jepsen became a YouTube sensation with a little help from another YouTube sensation, Justin Bieber. Now the fellow Canadian talks to Cosmpolitan about finally catching a break in the music business after years trying. Bieber, like millions of others, was enamored by Jepsen’s pop tune “Call Me, Maybe.” He made it an international hit when he Selena Gomez, Ashley Tisdale and other pals posted a sing-along on YouTube. Jepsen went viral....
Taylor Swift was spotted in Australia making the rounds to promote her new album, Red, ahead of her star turn on Aria Awards Thursday night, which is actually tonight by U.S. time standards. The awards show is Australia’s version of the Grammy Awards in the United States, but she’ll only be performing as a special guest. Her new album is not up for any awards. ...
Pete Bennett, one of the top promotion men in rock music during its Golden era, died suddenly of a heart attack on Thanksgiving day at his home in Connecticut. He was 77.
Bennett, named “World’s Top Promotion Man,” by Billboard magazine, is credited for propelling the careers of The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, The Who, Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor and many artists and bands. Bennett, born in the Bronx, NY was described by ex-Beatle Paul McCartney as “the promotion man responsible for getting the Beatles on the radio,” according to his company Peter Bennett Enterprises....
Solange Knowles, the kid sister of music icon Beyonce Knowles, is establishing a footprint in fashion with her funky photo shoot for Dutch magazine Rika. She stepped out of the spotlight as a teen after getting married and having a baby. But the 26-year-old singer and fashion maven is working on a comeback. She’s always had an interest in fashion and has modeled for the family’s clothing line, House of Deréon, named after grandmother Agnéz Deréon. She also helped launch a junior apparel line within the brand and has modeled clothes along with her big sis....
Miley Cyrus doesn’t actually eat cake but she wears it well smeared across her boobs in a new video for dubstep artist Borgore. He unleashes a four-minute riot of hot babes and midgets to celebrate having your cake and eating it, too. Miley doesn't make an appearance until about halfway through the video. She rocks out in all black low-cut top that reveals her ample cleavage; no bra, of course. And yes, that’s her fiance Liam Hemsworth in the unicorn mask. In one scene, Miley tries to remove his tonsils with her long, lean tongue....
Taylor Swift played New York’s Times Square this morning as part of her “Good Morning America” promotional appearances for her new album “Red.” After talking about how she wrote the songs, she sang two of her new hits to a throng of fans. Swift has been previewing songs for the album for the past several weeks in a run up to the album’s release yesterday (Oct. 23). She performed new singles “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and “Red,” both of which are controversial because they were reportedly inspired by her breakup with movie actor Jake Gyllenhaal. The two dated last year for about three months....
Taylor Swift’s full-version of her new single “I Knew You Were Trouble,” has gone viral on the Internet after it was released on iTunes at midnight. It looks like ex-boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal takes another shot in the kisser for doing her wrong. She might as well dedicate her entire upcoming album “Red” to him, or at least give him a co-writing credit. Swift previewed the third single from the album yesterday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” It’s another broken heart song like her two previous releases from the album. ...
Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson and Usher will headline a special tribute concert in memory of pop icon Whitney Houston, who died in February on the eve of the Grammy Awards from complications related to drug abuse. The one-hour CBS Entertainment special will tape Oct. 11 at the Nokia Theatre L.A. and air on CBS Nov. 16 at 10pm. It’s titled “We Will Always Love You: A Grammy Salute To Whitney Houston.” The special will include interviews and clips from Houston’s most memorable performances, including never-seen-before footage. During her career, the six-time Grammy winner sold more than 170 million albums, songs and videos....
