BREAKING TRAGIC NEWS: WHITNEY HOUSTON FOUND DEAD AT 48 IN THE BEVERLY HILLS HILTON.

Rest in Peace Whitney!! WE will always LOVE YOU and YOUR VOICE!

I am truly saddened and shocked to hear that Whitney died today Saturday Feb 11th 2012 at 3.55pm PT. She was a true PERSONAL friend. I met Whitney on the set of her ex-husband's reality show "Being Bobby Brown." It was at that time that I truly saw the effect of addiction on Whitney. She and I developed a friendship that was so close that she told me everything going on with her and Bobby. We became such great friends on the set. I was the only known entertainment blogger at that time in 2004 when blogging was still evolving. My former blog was ATLCelebritynews.

On this particular day she was shooting on the set at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Buckhead, Atlanta and it was a casual set. Bobbi Christina, her only child and even the dog was there. I have more pics but these are the only ones that came to Canada with me. It was to be the last episode of BBB reality show. The last thing I told Whitney is "Look to God and never let the Devil take over." This is the LAST time I saw her as I left Atlanta.

I spoke to her a few times on the phone years later with the last time being August 2011 when I suggested to her to "retire" and be a Judge on X-factor, Idol or similar talent shows. In my opinion, she spiraled down after the 2010 Grammy nomination blow. Her comeback CD "I look to you" was SNUBBED. Whitney went back on drugs. Even though not confirmed yet, more than likely, people are already speculating that Whitney may have died of substance abuse or a combination of things. I want to remember Whitney for the song "The Greatest Love of all." She sang..... "I believe that the children are the future." May she rest in peace and may Bobbi Christina find peace in this tragedy of losing her mom. My Pictures of Bobbi's 13th birthday party are not available as they are back overseas in my old office computer. Whitney invited me to this event too and that was the last time I physically saw her.

Last time I saw her performing was in a video at Bobby Brown's mother Carole's funeral in 2011. Carole was once her mother-in-law. I interviewed Carole in 2005 about all the drug use in the marriage to Bobby and it was aired on an Atlanta Radio station shocking everyone when Carole said that Whitney introduced her son to "white powders" referring to cocaine and heroin. Carole stated that Bobby was only into weed.

Shame I missed her Toronto visit a few years ago. Now hearing from Jimmy Jam (Academy Chair) that the whole production of the show is changing drastically. Jennifer Hudson and a few others are planning to sing her songs in a tribute. There is not much time and everyone is scheduled to be at the Clive Davis party. TRULY SAD!

WILL KELLY BE A JUDGE ON SIMON'S TALENT SHOW?

Former Destiny's Child star Kelly Rowland is eyeing a role on Simon Cowell's talent show The X Factor when he takes the program to the States next year (11). Cowell announced on Monday (11Jan10) that he is leaving hit series American Idol when his contract expires at the end of the ninth season, which begins on Tuesday night (12Jan10). He also confirmed he now plans to concentrate on bringing his hit British talent show The X Factor to America in 2011 - and Rowland is keen to land a role on the judging panel alongside Cowell.

She says, "The X Factor is an amazing show and Simon knows that all he has to do is call me. I love Simon because he's so honest. When I watch it, everything he says I agree with. "If you're going to do something, you have to do it right. So when we see an upcoming artist, you either see potential or you don't see anything at all. It's important to be completely open and honest with them."

TONI BRAXTON ALMOST QUIT MUSIC. I THOUGHT SHE DID!!

R&B star Toni Braxton almost turned her back on the music industry and quit singing for good after enduring a difficult 2008 blighted by health problems. The Unbreak My Heart singer was hospitalized in April 2008 after experiencing complications relating to her ongoing heart issue microvascular angina - a small vessel disease. Her illness forced the cancellation of the final months of her Las Vegas residency at the Flamingo Hotel and Braxton admits she came close to hanging up her microphone forever.

But she struggled to stay away from music and signed a new record deal with Atlantic Records at the end of the year (08). Braxton is set to release her sixth studio album next month (Feb10) and she confesses she's nervous about the prospect of performing live once more. She says, "I'm a little nervous because it's been a while since I've been singing, but I enjoy performing so much that I had to do it. "I tried to pull a Jay-Z and said I'm gonna retire, he couldn't do it either, so it's in my DNA, I had to come out and perform." Hip-hop superstar Jay-Z announced his plans to quit rapping in 2002, but made a successful comeback in 2006 with the release of Kingdom Come.

TONI BRAXTON SUED BY BANK!

TONI BRAXTON's legal woes are stacking up - she has been hit with a lawsuit from bank bosses who allege she owes them money. City National Bank (CNB) officials are suing the Unbreak My Heart singer for breach of contract, accusing her of failing to pay $900,000 she allegedly pledged in writing to pay back. Bank bosses insists Braxton "made, executed and delivered to a CNB Promissory Note for $900,000" in November 2007, according to the lawsuit obtained by RadarOnline.com.

The star was due to pay back the amount by February 2008, but she renegotiated the arrangement after encountering financial difficulties. Braxton then fell behind in payments in April (09), prompting lawyers for CNB to file the lawsuit, seeking $657,500 plus interest in excess of $44,000. The 40 year old was contersued by London insurance officials earlier this month (Oct09) after she launched legal action against them over the cancellation of a string of shows.

CONGRATS TO DEBORAH COX WHO IS EXPECTING BABY #3.

Grammy winner DEBORAH COX is set to become a mum for the third time - she's expecting in February (08). The singer, who is married to music producer Lascelles Stephens, announced the happy news on her MySpace.com page on Thursday (23Oct08). She writes, "I could not be more blessed." Cox and Stephens already have two children - Isaiah, five, and Sumayah, two.

TONI BRAXTON'S GLAD THAT SHE WAS BOOTED FROM DANCING WITH THE STARS!

Grammy Award-winning singer TONI BRAXTON is quietly glad her stint on U.S. reality TV show DANCING WITH THE STARS has come to an end - because she was struggling to cope with the demands of the program. The Unbreak My Heart hitmaker, who suffers from heart and respiratory issues, was voted off the hit show on Tuesday night (21Oct08), despite scoring a respectable 22 out of 30 from the show's judges.

But Braxton has hinted that producers, who feared for her health, may have had the last word when it came to who should be ejected. She says, "The show you see... we do it earlier (and) I was getting chronically fatigued and I think the judges and the producers knew that. "(I have) microvascular angina and it falls under the umbrella of a heart attack... like, 27 per cent of my heart doesn't get enough oxygen... I have a tightness (on the show) sometimes... I'm always sitting there, smiling and trying to dance." But, given the chance, Braxton wouldn't hesitate to return to the dancing show - because her fancy footwork has helped her strengthen her weak heart.

She explains, "My heart is much healthier. When I started at the beginning of the competition, I remember breathing (heavily), but now my breathing is more controlled. Dancing is good for the heart." Braxton admits she had to fight with her doctors to appear on the show in the first place, just three months after a major health scare landed her in hospital. She adds, "The doctors all got together in a room - but they said it could be a good thing, and if you don't feel well, drop out.
"I have to be honest. This show has made me feel so much better. It's healing my heart."

BREAKING NEWS: NATALIE COLE HOSPITALIZED IN HEPATITIS C SETBACK!

Grammy Award-winning singer Natalie Cole has been hospitalized in New York after suffering a setback in her battle against Hepatitis C, her spokeswoman said on Friday.

Cole, the 58-year-old daughter of legendary singer Nat King Cole, has canceled her tour dates for October but is expected to make a full recovery, the spokeswoman told Reuters. Cole's unexpected hospitalization was first reported by Entertainment Tonight.

"She has had a setback and is in the hospital in New York. We expect her to make a full recovery. She will be in the hospital a few more days and then will be sent home for bed rest," the spokeswoman, who declined to be named, told Reuters.

She said Cole had postponed all her concert dates and other appearances scheduled for October.

Cole's manager declined to discuss her condition.

Cole announced in July she had been diagnosed with Hepatitis C and that she probably contracted the liver disease from drug use more than 30 years ago.

Her doctors said at the time she was responding well to treatment, including chemotherapy, but was suffering "significant side effects," including fatigue, muscle aches and dehydration.

The singer, whose father died of lung cancer when she was 15, documented her addiction to cocaine, heroin and alcohol in her 2000 autobiography "Angel On My Shoulder." She overcame her addictions after a lengthy stay in rehab in the early 1980s.

Source: Reuters via Yahoo news

Our get well wishes go out to her.

Faith Evans Almost Shevled Memoir, Book Climbs Best Sellers List.

With her memoir "Keep The Faith" climbing the New York Times Best Sellers List, Faith Evans recently shed light on her purpose for penning the book and who she credits for allowing her to share the story.

"Keep The Faith" has been a hot topic over the last three months with just about every blog, radio station and online magazine covering excerpts of the book that finally sheds light or at least in many ways clears up rumors about the singer and the Notorious B.I.G.

According to Evans, however, the book was almost shelved. "I was worried about the 'Big' element and I knew that it was one of those things that people would talk about more, especially in the media" says Faith, who spoke with Soultracks recently.

Evans credits Biggie's mother, Volletta Wallace with giving her the okay to release the book after several months of collaborating with Aliya, who worked on the memoir. "I was going back and forth with myself and then I spoke to Miss Wallace and she said 'You should do it. People think they know you and they don't'. Wallace may have been right as Evans' novel is getting close to hitting the top 10 on the New York Times Best Seller's List, according to recent reports the book is sitting at #21 after just short of a month on shelves.

Detailing everything from experiences with Biggie, Lil Kim, Mary J. Blige, Tupac and even Suge Knight to her struggle as a woman in the game, Faith Evans' story has proven to be a riveting and relatable to story to many.

"It's not like I'm trying to go back and open old wounds, rehash situations or what have you, but it was therapeutic and it made me look back and see how far I have come and know that those experiences are like wisdom now."

Faith Evans' "Keep The Faith" is in stores now.

Source: Singers room

Brandy BET “106 & Park” Video (September 4)

VIDEO: BRANDY - “RIGHT HERE (DEPARTED)”

Brandy premieres her video for the first single from her new album, Human (out November 11th). The video is very minimal, and works really well with the song. Brandy looks great too. The video features cameos from brother Ray-J (who appears in most of Brandy’s videos), friend/long time contributor, Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins and Tia Mowry’s husband Corey

WHAT HAPPENED? ESTELLE'S U.S. SALES SUFFER AFTER ITUNES REMOVAL!!

British singer/rapper ESTELLE has suffered a massive blow to the U.S. sales of her hit single AMERICAN BOY, after record label executives removed her album SHINE from digital download service iTunes. The move by the star's bosses at Warner Music Group was aimed at forcing fans into record stores to purchase a CD version of the album - released earlier this year (08) - instead of individual songs. But American Boy has now slipped down the U.S. Billboard singles chart, falling from 11 to number 37 after her LP was made unavailable on the iTunes website.

The Kanye West-featured track, which topped the charts in both the U.S. and U.K. when it was released, has also taken a blow on the Billboard download chart, plummeting from number six to 59 in a matter of days. A Warner spokesman tells the Wall Street Journal the move was made as part of a broad range of strategies "uniquely tailored to each artist and their fanbase in an effort to optimise revenues and promote long-term artist development". Estelle's representative has yet to comment on the reports.

Bad move Warner! My fave record label too. I-Tunes have never sold a CD in their lives but are closing in on $8 billion in sales this Christmas. This digital download phenomenom is driving labels nuts but I personally feel they should have her album in both places. Estelle is performing here agin in October and I am trying to interview her this time as you know the other two times, my schedule clashed!.

JOHN LEGEND 'PROUD' OF PROTEGEE ESTELLE!

R&B singer JOHN LEGEND is thrilled that his protegee ESTELLE has cracked the U.S. with her hit song AMERICAN BOY. The British singer was dumped by V2 Records after her first single 1980 failed to make the U.K. chart's top ten in 2004. But Estelle was soon noticed by Legend, who promptly signed her to his own Homeschool record label shortly after her departure from V2.

And Legend is delighted that the star has enjoyed so much success with her hit track, which reached number one in the U.K. and rocketed to number 11 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 after its release in March (08). He says, "There has been a lot of talk about who is coming over from the U.K. I am very, very proud of Estelle. American Boy is the song of the summer. "I think this album is more sophisticated than her first. The writing, production and her confidence has grown too. Overall she is a better artist."

TONI BRAXTON: 'DON'T TAKE IT EASY WITH ME!'

Soul singer TONI BRAXTON has told her DANCING WITH THE STARS partner not to treat her like an invalid as he plans energetic routines for the recovering star. Braxton, who suffers from heart condition pericarditis, had to cancel a revue in Las Vegas at the beginning of the summer (08) after falling ill - but she insists she's well enough to compete on the TV dance-off. And she's told professional dancer Alec Mazzo not to treat her any differently to his fit and healthy partners. Mazzo, who won the first season of the dance show with soap star Kelly Monaco, says, "She told me herself, 'Give me the competitive choreography you can; I'm gonna deal with it.'"

This is the worst move since this dress in the 90's! She will fall down on that dance floor and collapse. I am not wishing her this but her doctors are foolish and so are the show's producers!

DID SOLANGE SNAP AT A REPORTER THIS MORNING?

Solange Knowles snaps at News Reporter this morning during her introduction on the morning show in Las Vegas. Competition in the family must be very stiff. in your post. Solange Knowles snaps at News Reporter this morning during her introduction on the morning show in Las Vegas. Competition in the family must be very stiff!

Thanks to Dime Wars but can you not spam my inbox with videos? They are all in my spam folder when they arrive and I may miss something important. I'll rather come visit your site and find what I need. Take me off the spam list. Love the site!

R. KELLY TO BE QUIZZED BY POLICE OVER 'TOUR SCAM'

R&B star R. KELLY is to be questioned over his alleged role in a tour scam in South Africa. The singer has been accused of profiting $130,000 from a tour despite failing to appear, according to reports. Local woman Busiswe Zakwe has been arrested for allegedly swindling thousands from investors by promising them they would benefit from ticket sales if they brought an R. Kelly tour to the country in 2005. Kelly never appeared in the country, but Zakwe claims she deposited the money into his account.

Local police have confirmed the bank account information that Zakwe claims to be Kelly's is authentic, however the whereabouts of the money is unknown. Police are reportedly now seeking to question Kelly about the cash. Zakwe has been charged with fraud and is due to appear in a local court on 10 September (08).

Idol winner Studdard faces nearly $200,000 in tax liens!

Ruben Studdard, American Idol winner and central tenant in Birmingham’s proposed entertainment district, has been hit with federal and state property liens for allegedly failing to pay nearly $200,000 in state and federal taxes, according to court records. Studdard, a Birmingham native, owes the federal government $171,920 in unpaid income taxes, according to a lien filed in Jefferson County Circuit Court. He also owes $21,730 in state income taxes.

The majority of Studdard’s unpaid taxes stem from 2003, the year he won American Idol, and a $1 million recording contract. He owes $19,581 in state income taxes and $163,836 in federal taxes for the period ended Dec. 31, 2003, court records show.

Source: MSNBC

JOJO COLLAPSES WHILE KC CONTINUES PLAYING IN CONCERT!

TMZ reports that after suddenly collapsing on stage and clutching his head in agony, Jojo -- from R&B duo K-Ci and JoJo -- laid frighteningly motionless during a live concert in Australia this weekend -- unfortunately, his brother was more concerned with hitting his high note. JoJo spent nearly a full minute on the floor by himself, while in the same time, a crew member picked up the fallen microphone, and his brother continued singing -- but neither one paid any attention to the passed out singer.

In the video, you can hear people in the crowd asking, "Is he alright" and begging K-Ci to "pick him up, man!" But here's the rub -- instead of getting him backstage for help ASAP, K-Ci picks up JoJo and drags his stumbling brother to the front of a stage for an ovation. A crew member then quickly grabbed the dazed singer by the arm and hauled him off the stage. K-Ci told the crowd Jojo was just dizzy from the flight.

My God, I have never liked that KC guy. Isn't he the one that battered Mary J Blige? That inspired that "No more drama" song.

Exclusive: Ray J Gets His Own VH1 Dating Show?

Ray J may be one of the most infamous playboys in hip-hop, but he still hopes to find that special woman he can settle down with … and VH1 is going to help! The “Sexy Can I” singer is getting his own dating show in 2009, and producers are already looking for smart, attractive women over 21 who think they can handle the drama of celebrity life. If you’re near one of the following locations, e-mail for an audition!

Miami (Miami@realtalentcasting.com)

Chicago (Chicago@realtalentcasting.com)

Las Vegas (Vegas@realtalentcasting.com)

New York (NY@realtalentcasting.com)

Dallas (Dallas@realtalentcasting.com)

Houston (Houston@realtalentcasting.com)

Oklahoma City (OK@realtalentcasting.com)

Los Angeles (LA@realtalentcasting.com)

Can you imagine this? Ray-J was a little baby when Brandy started singing in 1995 was it? She, late Aaliyah and Monica were all 15.

Source: VH1

PUSSYCAT DOLL MEMBER ROBBED!!

PUSSYCAT DOLLS star NICOLE SCHERZINGER and her racing driver boyfriend LEWIS HAMILTON have been targeted by thieves in Spain. Two bags were stolen from the couple's rented Mercedes shortly after a chauffeur had loaded their luggage into the vehicle outside the Malaga Palacio hotel on Saturday (16Aug08). An eyewitness tells Britain's The Daily Star newspaper, "Lewis' driver was cleaning the wing mirrors when two men ran up to the open boot (trunk) he'd just finished loading and pinched a rucksack and a leather hold-all.

"The one (thief) carrying the rucksack dropped it as the bodyguards pursued him but the other guy with the smaller piece of luggage kept hold of his. "I overheard one of the security men saying it had Lewis' iPod inside it with all his music on."

USHER'S CONCERNS OVER HYPERACTIVE SON !

R&B star USHER is always worried about the welfare of his seven-month old son because the tot is so hyperactive. The Confessions singer welcomed his first child, Usher Raymond V, in November (07) with his wife Tameka Foster. But Usher and Foster live in constant fear that the youngster will injure himself because he is such an active child. Foster tells USweekly.com, "He's like hyper baby - he's crawling so fast. He stands up, and he's walking around the table. It's amazing to watch him. I've never seen a baby crawl so fast! I call him Dash, like on the Incredibles (2004 Pixar movie).

"We're just scared because the baby knows how to get off the bed already, so our bed is like a gigantic crib because we have rails." And Foster admits that they are already keen to expand their brood. She adds, "I'd love to have more, we just gotta make the time."

Take it from the Pharmacist Usher....Just give him some Ritalin. It's the "American" thing to do. Just kidding! He's too young for that but for God's sake mom Tameka has 3 other kids and she should tell Ush that babies are active!!