Sunday, July 31, 2011
Melanie Brown: I Embrace ?All the Different Phases? of Pregnancy
"It was strange because with my last two pregnancies I never had morning sickness. So it was a bit shocking, to say the least."
This Potato Totally Looks Like This Seal
This Potato Totally Looks Like This Seal
J.Lo's Music Video Hunk DENIES Affair w/ Singer
The hot piece of man meat who starred as Jennifer Lopez 's shirtless romantic interest in her steamy "I'm Into You" music video claims he's NOT romantically involved with the singer ... despite reports to the contrary. The guy at the center of the affair…
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Beyonce Debuts At #1 With 4
Big Sean, Selena Gomez and Scotty McCreery also debut in top 10.
By Gil Kaufman
Beyoncé
Photo: Ian Gavan/Getty Images
There wasn't much question about whether Beyoncé's fourth solo effort, 4, would debut at the top of the Billboard 200 chart this week — it was just a matter of what the final tally would be.
Beyoncé does indeed top the chart with sales of 310,000, according to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan. But that's about 172,000 less than the first-week tally for her last effort, 2006's double-disc smash, I Am ... Sasha Fierce, and marks the softest opening sales for the singer's solo albums to date (edging out her 2003 solo debut, Dangerously in Love, which moved 317,000).
Bey leads a parade of new faces in the top 10, including the debut from Kanye West protégé Big Sean, Finally Famous: The Album, which lands at #3 (87,000). Also new to the top 10: the latest from Selena Gomez & the Scene, When the Sun Goes Down (#4, 78,000); the second effort from former "American Idol" winner David Cook, This Loud Morning (#7, 46,000); and the debut EP from this year's "Idol" winner, Scotty McCreery, which hits #10 on sales of 40,000.
As for the rest of the top 10, Adele's 21 continues to defy expectations and recent music-industry logic by scooting up one spot to #2 on sales of 92,000 as her year-to-date figures pass the 2.5 million mark. After debuting at #1 last week, Jill Scott falls to #5 with The Light of the Sun, which was down 60 percent on sales of 55,000. Country singer Jason Aldean's My Kinda Party moves up four spots to #6 (48,000), "America's Got Talent" mini-opera diva Jackie Evancho falls four to #8 with Dream With Me (44,000) and the Eminem and Royce da 5'9" collabo, Hell: The Sequel, slips three spots to #9 (42,000).
While sensitive folkie Bon Iver takes a major 63 percent tumble to #11 (39,000) with his self-titled second album after a #2 debut last week, it is the steady decline of Lady Gaga's Born This Way that continues to make headlines. Even as U.K. breakout star Adele has managed to hover around the top five for most of the year and rack up the biggest figures to date for a 2011 release on the back of just one single ("Rolling in the Deep"), despite a string of singles and high-profile videos, Gaga's album has steadily faded after just six weeks.
This week marks its first outside the top 10, as Born This Way falls another four spots to #12, with sales dipping another 22 percent to 38,000 as total sales passed the 1.5 million mark.
Elsewhere on the charts, the all-star Buddy Holly tribute album, Rave on Buddy Holly, comes in at #15 (28,000), just ahead of the comeback attempt from 1990s nu-metal icons Limp Bizkit, Gold Cobra (#16, 27,000), and the self-titled album from a reunited Taking Back Sunday (#17, 27,000).
Country star Blake Shelton clearly benefited from his turn on the NBC hit reality singing program "The Voice," as his Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton rises 42 spots to #18 as sales ballooned by 182 percent to 25,000. Meanwhile, Maroon 5's latest, Hands All Over, also saw a bump thanks to singer Adam Levine's gig on "Voice," jumping 47 spots to #26 as sales went up 139 percent to 18,000. Judge Christina Aguilera saw a more modest uptick, with her 2008 greatest-hits album, Keeps Gettin' Better, re-entering the charts at #46 on sales of 12,000.
Fans also welcomed back beloved dusty folk singer Gillian Welch, whose first album in eight years, The Harrow & the Harvest, hits #20 (23,000).
Also charting: rapper Curren$y with Weekend at Burnie's (#22, 23,000), "Idol" season 10 runner-up Lauren Alaina with her debut EP (#24, 20,000) and third-place finisher Haley Reinhart with hers (#37, 14,000).
Over on the iTunes charts, Beyoncé rules the albums list, followed by Sean, Adele, Gomez, Shelton's greatest hits, Bon Iver, the resurgent Maroon 5, Cook, Eminem and Royce and Mumford & Sons' Sigh No More. In an indication of why her sales might be less than impressive, Bey doesn't have a single song on the iTunes singles chart, which is led by LMFAO's "Party Rock," which beats out Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)," Pitbull's "Give Me Everything," Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" and "Voice" winner Javier Colon's "Stitch by Stitch."
Adele holds on to the #6 slot with "Rolling in the Deep," with "Voice" runner-up Dia Frampton just behind with "Inventing Shadows." She is followed by Hot Chelle Rae's "Tonight Tonight," Lil Wayne's "How to Love" and Lady Gaga's "The Edge of Glory."
With no major releases hitting stores this week, look for Beyoncé and Adele to duke it out for the top slot in the next cycle.
Related Videos Related ArtistsAmy Winehouse's Death: Family Suspects Alcohol Withdrawal
Unnamed family sources tell English tabloid The Sun that singer quit drinking cold turkey.
By Gil Kaufman
Amy Winehouse
Photo: Marc Broussely/ Redferns
There have been many conflicting reports of what caused Amy Winehouse's death on Saturday. While initial autopsy results were inconclusive and the outcome of further toxicology tests will not be available for several more weeks, a report out of England is raising new questions about what might have killed the troubled singer.
Winehouse, who famously struggled with drugs and alcohol during her rocket ride to fame in 2006-2007, was drug-free for the past three years, according to statements from her father, Mitch Winehouse. But the 27-year-old star appeared to still be struggling with alcohol, and unnamed family sources told English tabloid The Sun that it might have been Amy's cold-turkey approach to quitting drinking that did her in.
The sources said Winehouse's decision to give up drinking entirely for three weeks might have given a lethal "shock" to her system. "Abstinence gave her body such a fright they thought it was eventually the cause of her death," the source said.
Click for photos of Amy Winehouse's life and career.
"[Amy's father, Mitch] said doctors had told Amy to gradually reduce her intake of alcohol and to avoid bingeing at all costs. Amy told him she couldn't do that. It was all or nothing, and she gave up completely ... Mitch said the shock of giving up, after everything she had been through over a bad few years, was just too much for her to take."
The family has reportedly speculated that Winehouse died as a result of a seizure because her small frame could not withstand such a dramatic withdrawal. People magazine reported that it had confirmed the family's speculation about the cause of death.
On Sunday, the singer's U.K. representative, Chris Goodman, told TMZ that Winehouse was found alone in her bed by a bodyguard who had been hired to keep an eye on her. "She was in her bedroom after saying she wanted to sleep, and when he went to wake her he found she wasn't breathing," Goodman said. "He called the emergency services straight away. He was very shocked. At this stage no one knows how she died. She died alone in bed."
MTV News asked Dr. Sam Zakhari, director of the Division of Metabolism and Health Effects at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, if it's possible for someone to have this kind of reaction to stopping alcohol intake. Dr. Zakhari, who did not treat Winehouse and has no firsthand knowledge of her case, spoke in general terms about the scenario described by the unnamed source.
"People who drink heavily or who are alcoholics and stop all of a sudden may have withdrawal symptoms that range from agitation to intense anxiety to tremors, seizures, convulsions and delusions," said Dr. Zakhari. "In rare cases, it can affect the heart and cause cardiac standstill (heart stoppage), but that's in very rare cases."
Dr. Zakhari said it's difficult to say with any certainty if quitting cold turkey could cause a collapse, because there are many factors that play into that scenario. "You have to look at their nutritional status, family history of heart problems, whether they are using other medications that can interact with alcohol, whether they abuse other substances," he said. "The accurate answer is that we don't know if something like this is due to stopping drinking alcohol because the result depends on such a multitude of factors."
Dr. Dan Hall-Slavin, a psychiatrist and a consultant in addiction at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, agreed that it's possible, but not common for someone who quits drinking to have such drastic health effects. "There is a phenomenon called 'kindling,' where withdrawals from alcohol can get worse and worse over time," said Dr. Hall-Slavin, who also had no firsthand knowledge of the Winehouse case and was speaking in general terms.
"From a clinical standpoint, you never tell anyone who has been actively drinking to just stop until they get into a monitored setting because alcohol is a central nervous system depressant and while some can stop and not experience problems, others with a previous history of alcohol withdrawal can experience very serious symptoms like seizures and a severe withdrawal called Delirium Tremens, where your temperature goes up, you become dehydrated, and you can die in that state."
Sometimes, people who suffer a seizure in private can aspirate the contents of their stomach and die, but different factors can also play in, such as other health issues that result from daily drinking at high volumes and the short and longer-term consequences to the cardiovascular system from use of stimulants such as cocaine.
"The other factor is that alcohol is more toxic for women at lower doses over a shorter period of time than for men," Hall-Slavin noted. "It's partly how alcohol is distributed and metabolized in the body."
Will You Remember Winehouse More For Her Music Or Troubles? Tell Us on Facebook.
Related Videos Related Photos Related ArtistsRobert Plant And Alison Krauss Win Grammy Album Of The Year
Raising Sand, from Led Zeppelin vet and bluegrass superstar, wins five Grammys on Sunday night.
By James Montgomery with MTV News staff
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant accept the award for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards on Sunday
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images
"I'm bewildered," Robert Plant said onstage as he accepted the Grammy Album of the Year award with Alison Krauss on Sunday night. "In the old days we would have called this selling out, but it's a good way to spend a Sunday."
He was probably one of the few who were surprised, because Raising Sand, which won five trophies at Sunday night's show, is in many ways the perfect Grammy album. It features two respected veterans, a critically lauded producer, some sandpaper-and-velvet vocals and a baker's dozen of time-tested standards.
You're probably familiar with Robert Plant from his Led Zeppelin days, and you might be aware of producer T-Bone Burnett's work on the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack (it won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2002). And if you don't know who Alison Krauss is, she possesses a haunting set of pipes and is one of the meanest fiddle players in the world. Oh, and she's won 21 Grammys, more than any other female artist and the seventh-most in history.
Really, she's the key to Sand's success, and not just because of her voice (or her fiddle playing). She and Plant first met in 2004, at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute to legendary bluesman Leadbelly, and the former Zeppelin man was amazed by her knowledge of American Roots music — so much so that they began kicking around the idea of recording an album together. Three years later, Sand was released.
And while Plant possesses the more famous voice, the album's finest moments radiate from Krauss. Whether she's getting bluesy on Little Milton's "Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson" or entwining with Plant's husky voice on songs like "Please Read the Letter" and Roly Salley's winsome "Killing the Blues," she more than carries her end of the bargain.
And perhaps that's also due to producer Burnett, who handpicked the 13 songs the duo cover on Sand. His arrangements are sparse — giving the two voices ample room to breathe — yet dense, warm and crackling at the same time. It's a testament to his work that he's often given just as much billing as Plant and Krauss on the project ... and it's certainly justified.
To date, Sand has sold more than 1 million copies, heaped tons of acclaim and actually earned a Grammy last year — "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" took home the award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.
One expert was surprised not by the album's success, but by the fact that it's actually quite a good album.
"At first, the album seemed like a vanity project. ... Two names, clearly a one-off record, didn't have to be any good, you know?" New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica said. "Led Zeppelin fans would buy it because of Robert Plant, Alison Krauss would get a check. But it actually turned out to be a really thoughtful, really good record. So when you combine all that with the fact that the Grammys love to lionize one of their own, I could really see it taking home some awards."
Related Videos Related ArtistsThose Aliens Sunk Our Battleship (Trailer)!
You would have thought Transformers 3: Dark Side Of The Moon would have satisfied America’s thirst for robot warfare, but surprisingly the new Battleship teaser trailer has us wanting more. Starring Friday Night Light‘s Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgard and Brooklyn Decker, Battleship seems to offer a neat spin on the traditional board game set-up: since [...]
Friday, July 29, 2011
Glam Slam: Summer-Proof Your Hair
Talk about a star-packed resume! I was checking out the list of celebrities hair stylist Oribe has worked with and it?s so many that it fills an entire page!
There are more than 100 stars on that list? everyone from Beyonce to Jennifer Lopez, Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry, Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson. He did January Jones? hair for her May W Magazine cover and Penelope Cruz for her June Vogue cover. Phew! He?s one busy guy!
Nicky Hilton and David Katzenberg: It's Over!
It's all over for Nicky Hilton and David Katzenberg. Due to conflicting, hectic schedules, the couple has split after four years of dating, insiders confirm to The New York Post.
"The main reason was that they have been busy with their work, and it has made it difficult to spend time together," a source tells the newspaper. "Nicky has been back and forth traveling overseas a lot with her business. She has recently been in Asia promoting her jewelry line, and David is starting a new production company."
Katzenberg created MTV's The Hard Times of RJ Berger, while Nicky actually does seem involved in the family business. She'll be leaning on one of those family members in the face of this break up.
"Paris and I are going to go to the South of France next week for some business and pleasure," Nicky told Us Weekly on Wednesday.
[Photo: WENN.com]
Britney Spears Adds DJ Pauly D To Femme Fatale Tour
'Britney is one of my favorite performers and certainly one of this generation's most influential artists,' 'Jersey Shore' star says.
By Jocelyn Vena
"Jersey Shore" star DJ Pauly D
Photo: Tom Briglia/ FilmMagic
A while back, there was a rumor that "Jersey Shore" star DJ Pauly D would be an opening act on Britney Spears' Femme Fatale tour. That rumor can now be confirmed as true. Pauly D will open for the singer on six of her August tour dates.
He's set to hit the road with Spears on August 17 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, before his jaunt with her wraps on August 25 in Charlotte, South Carolina. "I am so excited to be performing on the Britney Spears Femme Fatale tour," he said in a statement. "Britney is one of my favorite performers and certainly one of this generation's most influential artists. It's an amazing platform to connect with my fans around the country."
Spears currently has several artists opening for her, including Jessie and the Toy Boys, Nervo and Nicki Minaj. Pauly D served as Spears' warm-up act at her gig in Las Vegas in March, where he spoke to MTV News about her influence on pop music.
"What it means to DJ a concert like a Britney Spears concert or something like that, it's an association with monsters like Britney Spears and it just legitimizes your career," he explained at the Palms Hotel and Casino, where Spears electrified the stage just days before she dropped her album. "And it's just fun being onstage with Britney Spears performing like she's performing. I love it. I couldn't ask for more."
And if fans are expecting Pauly to DJ some of the singer's greatest hits, they'd better think again. "A DJ should not play the artist's songs at her concert 'cause she has to perform these songs," he said. "I'm not going to be playing any Britney before she performs; maybe after. I'll let her perform, let her shine 'cause it's her night."
DJ Pauly D will join Britney Spears' Femme Fatale tour on the following dates:
»August 17 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
»August 19 - Pittsburgh, PA @ CONSOL Energy Center
»August 20 - Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena
»August 22 - Indianapolis, IN @ Conseco Fieldhouse
»August 24 - Raleigh, NC @ RBC Center
»August 25 - Charlotte, SC @ Time Warner Cable Center
Thursday, July 28, 2011
It's a Royal Affair...
... in Brooklyn!
Bev has decided to wear an asymmetrical fascinator to celebrate Kate and Wills' big day, while Mary opted for a hat with a little tropical flavor.
Cheerio!
(By the way, this wasn't an easy photo to get:)
Lauryn Hill Admits Rohan Marley Isn't the Father of Sixth Child
Singer Lauryn Hill is tired of the false rumors about her new baby boy (born July 23) and her relationship -- so she decided to clear things up by dropping a bombshell on Twitter. For days, gossip columns have been buzzing that Hill's longtime partner Rohan Marley dumped her while she was pregnant with their sixth child. Now Hill, 36, reveals that this isn't the case -- because Marley is not the father of her new baby boy.
"Contrary to the numerous reports, Mr. Marley did not abandon me while pregnant with his child," writes the former Fugees frontwoman. "We have had long periods of separation over the years but our five children together remain a joy to both of us." If you read between the lines there, Hill is saying that her sixth child is not Marley's.
Earlier in the week, Marley implied the very same thing, telling Twitter congratulators that he was "forwarding all well wishes to Ms. Hill on the birth of her new son" -- the operative phrase there being "her new son." On Tuesday, he tweeted about the gossip, saying, "People would rather listen to gossip, than hear from the actual individuals. Some people just don't want the truth."
Both Marley and Hill are urging their fans not to judge them based on rumors and misinformation.
"Mr. Marley and I have a long and complex history about which MANY inaccuracies have been reported since the beginning," writes Hill in her statement. "To speculate without the facts can only cause people to form the WRONG conclusions. We both value privacy and for that reason on defend and preserve our right to it."
"The Truth Maybe An Offense, But Its Not A Sin," adds Marley on his Twitter. "Learn To Live And Let Love."
Rohan, the fourth son of reggae legend Bob Marley, recently has been linked to Victoria's Secret model Isabeli Fontana. Though he and Fontana spend a lot of time tweeting back and forth, Marley also took to Twitter to deny that he would cheat on Hill with another woman.
"Ms. Hill is the mother of my children, whom I have a tremendous amount of love and respect for," Marley tweeted on Saturday. "I would never do that."
Marley and Hill are the parents of Zion, 14, Selah, 13, Johsua, 9, John, 8, and Sarah, 3. Hill has not released the name of her newborn son -- or dropped any clues as to the identity of his father.
Joe Pesci Suing ?Gotti? Producers For $3 Million!
Joe Pesci Suing “Gotti” Producers For $3 Million!
Actor Joe Pesci is suing production company Fiore Films for $3 million, claiming they reneged on their plans for his role in the mobster film”Gotti: [...]
Joe Pesci Suing “Gotti” Producers For $3 Million! Stupid Celebrities GossipStupid Celebrities Gossip News
World s Very Best Luxury Products For 2010
High end internet based mag VERYBEST COM recently disclosed the list of prize winners for 2010 in the Products section
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Celebrity Pictures With Nicolette Sheridan
Wow Nicolette Sheridan is looking fab here! The former Desperate Housewives actress was spotted at the Hallmark Movie Channel Summer 2011 TV Critics Association press tour panel in LA today. We haven?t seen much of Nicolette lately, but whatever she?s … Continue reading
Michael Jackson's Legacy, Two Years Later, By the Numbers
Legendary singer's impact continues to blossom in the two years since his death; MTV News breaks down the figures.
By Gil Kaufman
Michael Jackson
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage
Like Elvis, Bob Marley, Notorious B.I.G. and Frank Sinatra before him, Michael Jackson's influence has continued, and grown, since his untimely death on June 25, 2009.
On the second anniversary of the King of Pop's passing, MTV News took a look at the enduring appeal of MJ's music, videos and imagery, which continue to fascinate and attract fans across the globe thanks to a series of posthumous albums, a movie, video games and two upcoming Cirque du Soleil live shows.
Where Were You Two Years Ago When You Heard the News? Tell Us on Facebook
$72 million: According to Box Office Mojo, Jackson's posthumous concert film, "This Is It," has grossed more than $72 million to date domestically and $189 million in foreign markets for a worldwide take over more than $261 million. It ranks as the #2 music documentary of all-time behind Justin Bieber's "Never Say Never." The film has also generated nearly $45 million in DVD sales in the U.S.
16: In May, Jackson lodged his first #1 on the Billboard magazine Dance/ Club Play Songs chart in 16 years with the latest single from his posthumous Michael album, "Hollywood Tonight."
2: Number of posthumous albums that have been released since Michael's death in June 2009. Last year's Michael has sold just over 510,000 copies to date, while the This Is It collection has moved nearly 1 million copies to date in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.
15,000: The number of videos submitted by fans since March for the crowdsourced video for "Behind the Mask." After they were edited down by a five-person team over two months, the resulting clip used submissions from more than 1,600 participants from 103 countries.
3 million: The amount of copies sold of the Ubisoft "Michael Jackson: The Experience" video game worldwide.
$57 million: The reported cost of Cirque du Soleil's traveling MJ show, "The Immortal World Tour, which is slated to kick off on October 2.
$1 billion: That gaudy figure is the reported amount the Jackson estate had generated by last June on the first anniversary of the singer's death. According to Billboard, the revenue was generated by a combination of music sales ($429 million), film/TV revenue ($392 million), music publishing ($130 million), licensing ($35 million) and a $31 million recording contract. (A spokesperson for Jackson's estate declined to provide updated figures for this story.)
$310 million: The amount of gross earnings reported by the executors of the estate in a December 2010 court filing detailing the progress made in paying off the $400 million in debt run up by the spendthrift singer during his lifetime.
16.1 million: MJ was always a big singles artist. Yes, Thriller is one of the best-selling albums of all time, but even in death, fans can't resist cherry-picking some of Michael's best songs. That explains why he's sold more than 16 million digital tracks since June 28, 2009, the first sales week following his passing, according to Nielsen SoundScan. To put that in perspective, from the time Nielsen began counting digital tracks in 2004 until the week before Jackson's death, the singer had sold just over 8.1 million digital tracks, a figure that has doubled in just the past two years.
2013: The projected launch for a second, non-touring Cirque show celebrating Jackson. The yet-untitled show is slated to open in the spring of 2013 at a new theater being built at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
$25 million to $50 million: That's how much Jackson's estate takes in on an annual basis thanks to his stake in the half-million-song Sony/ATV catalog, which includes titles by Elvis, Lady Gaga, Eminem, Beyoncé and Bob Dylan.
Share your memories of Michael Jackson in the comments.
Related Photos Related ArtistsTuesday, July 26, 2011
Blake Lively and Selena Gomez to Anchor Sex and the City Prequel?
The rumor of Selena Gomez portraying Charlotte York in a Sex and the City prequel evoked many responses earlier this month. So let's see what readers think of this intriguing follow-up story:
Sources say that Selena is still in the running for that character, while leading contenders have also emerged for the other key roles:
- Elizabeth Olsen as Carrie Bradshaw.
- Emma Roberts as Miranda Hobbs.
- Blake Lively as Samantha Jones.
No deals are in place with any of these actresses, or even for the movie itself.
But Candace Bushnell has penned two novels about Carrie's early life - The Carrie Diaries and Summer And The City - and it seems unlikely a studio would pass on the possibility to create a new franchise based off a best-selling author.
What do you think of these casting choices?
Lady Gaga's YouTube Account Suspended
Gaga's page reportedly suspended due to copyright complaint over a Japanese TV show clip.
By Gil Kaufman
Lady Gaga
Photo: Cool Kids Club/ WireImage
Lady Gaga has long been the Queen of YouTube. Her videos have racked up more than a billion views on the site and fans have flocked to it in droves to post their home-brewed takes on her outfits, fashion, music and videos.
But little monsters who were looking for their daily fix of Gaga on Thursday (July 14) were likely disappointed when they went to Mother Monster's YouTube account and found the following message, "This account has been suspended due to multiple or severe violations of YouTube's Copyright Policy."
What gives?
According to Time Out Tokyo, Gaga's official YouTube account was suspended because she posted footage from her recent appearance on the Japanese show "SMAP x SMAP," on the Fuji TV network. The widely-circulated video of the 10-minute performance in which Gaga sang a medley of songs from Born This Way resulted in a takedown request from Media Interactive Inc. on Tuesday.
The video features Gaga performing on a fog-enshrouded set with the popular Japanese boy band SMAP, and the issue appears to involve Gaga's failure to secure the digital rights to display their performance on her YouTube account. In the clip, Gaga emerges from an ornate box wearing a an elaborate black dust mask and sings "The Edge of Glory" before sitting down at a piano housed in a giant bejeweled hand sculpture for a solo take on "You and I" that morphs into the album's title track.
The "Born This Way" performance features the members of SMAP standing and posing behind Gaga, joining her dancers in some high-energy choreography and singing light backup duties on the hit track.
Spokespeople for Gaga and YouTube could not be reached for comment at press time.
On Monday, Gaga tweeted her excitement about the SMAP performance, writing, "My performance+cooking show appearance on SMAP SMAP is airing now in Japan. Kawaii Monsters!" A week earlier, she Twitpic'd a sepia-toned photo of her with the group as well.
Related ArtistsActor David Nelson Of Famous Tv Family Dies At 74
David Nelson, who starred upon his parents' renouned air wave uncover "The Adventures of Ozzie as well as Harriet," has died, the family orator said He was 74
Britney Spears - I Wanna Go
- Artist: Britney Spears
- Label: Jive, Zomba Label Group
- Director: Chris Marrs Pillero
- Album: Femme Fatale
Monday, July 25, 2011
Lady Gaga Dishes On Sex, Drugs, Born This Way On Howard Stern
Gaga sang 'Edge of Glory' and talked about her difficult early years.
By Gil Kaufman
Lady Gaga visits SiriusXM July 18, 2011
Photo: Maro Hagopian/SiriusXM
For months, Sirius radio host Howard Stern has been bellyaching about how Lady Gaga seemed to be talking to everyone except him. So, when the singer stopped in to chat on Monday morning (July 18), the notorious radio host made sure to make the most of it, indulging in one of his show's longest celebrity chats in recent memory, a nearly 90-minute ramble in which he got Gaga to talk about fame, fashion, sex, drugs and rock and roll.
For the most part, the interview hit many of the highlights of Gaga's now-legendary rise to superstardom: her childhood fascination with piano, the first song she ever wrote, her move to Manhattan as a teenager and the one-year ultimatum her dad gave her after she dropped out of college. But she also revealed a bit more about her offstage self and the inspirations behind some of her most beloved tunes.
"I really don't give a f--- about money at all," Gaga said when Stern tried to get the singer to dish on how much money her album sales and tours have grossed. In fact, she said she still lives in a tiny Brooklyn apartment and has only bought two things with her newfound riches: heart surgery and a car for her dad. "The Monster Ball was really expensive and the next show will be really expensive and I will pay for it," she said of the 2012 extravaganza that she's planning.
There was, however, one topic even the famously prying Stern couldn't goad Gaga could into talking about: her love life.
"What boyfriend? ... Who's Jean Luc?" she joked when Stern asked about what her closest friends call her offstage. (Even her parents call her Gaga at this point, she said, especially when they're mad at her.) "It's hard to find a boyfriend who doesn't mind a good tuck," she added, throwing more fuel on the fire of the absurdly tenacious Internet rumors about her gender.
"My first love is music," she explained, though when Stern asked whether she had been intimate with anyone recently, she laughed, "I got laid last night ... the guys who are here are my best friends in the whole world. You're talking about Luc Carl; he's been my best friend since I was 19."
Gaga stressed that Carl is still her best friend, sidestepping the boyfriend issue once again — and that he's going to launch a Sirius satellite radio show soon.
One of the stories Stern was predictably fascinated with was the fact that Gaga's first piano teacher was a stripper who danced at one of the radio host's favorite New York gentleman's clubs, Scores, leading him to wonder if he'd ever gotten a lap dance from Gaga's instructor.
Back in the day, in fact, before she was famous, Gaga said she used to dance on fire escapes and pretend she was a star, an image she re-created for her "The Edge of Glory" video. But those pre-fame days were also difficult, as she toiled at waitressing jobs and turned to drugs when she felt lonely, something she now really regrets. "To any little sweethearts that are listening ... don't touch [cocaine], it's the devil."
Though she's best known for writing her own songs, Gaga discussed the two tracks she's written for Britney Spears, "Quicksand" (which appeared on the Circus album), and "Telephone," which Spears recorded, but never released. Asked if it bummed her out that "Telephone" was rejected by Spears, Gaga said, "Hell no! Frickin' Britney Spears sang my record! I was doing back flips and ordering drinks!"
After describing how she came up with "Born This Way" while in the shower, Gaga pulled out her BlackBerry and played a number of early demos of her songs, including the first, vocals-only take on "Highway Unicorn," her first pass on the chorus to "Judas" and a snippet of a bouncy new song she wasn't ready to unleash yet. She also described how "Marry the Night" was inspired by the moment when she decided that she was not willing to become another one of those California club people after spending some time on the Left Coast early in her career trying to fit in. " 'No thanks ... see you later, it's been nice in the sun,' and I went back to New York and I married the night," she said of why she would never move to Cali, preferring the divey, shots-and-pool-table bars in her native city.
"Do I feel like a powerful person in show business? Yeah," she said when Stern wondered if she will use her newfound powers in the industry for good or evil.
The appearance also featured a performance of "Glory," with Gaga prefacing with a story about how it was inspired by her grandfather's passing, the first death of a close family member she'd ever experienced. "When my grandma was saying goodbye [to my grandfather], there was something so intense that happened for me that I saw ... as sad as the moment was, they both were acknowledging that they had really won in life because they had each other," she said of the 60-year marriage of her grandparents.
On the day her grandpa died, Gaga said she and her father sat down at the piano in their home and traded shots of tequila and she told her pops, "Grandpa's about to cross over into his glorious moment. It's hard now because he's on the edge." Right then, Gaga said she began playing piano and the song just tumbled out of her. She recorded it and played the emerging tune for her grandfather that day over the phone, and she's convinced he could hear it. He passed just hours later.
"It's about also knowing in your heart that you may never reach that glorious moment until you die, so live life on the edge — halfway between heaven and hell — and let's all dance in the middle in purgatory," she said before playing an affecting solo piano version of the tune.
And, in honor of Stern's notoriously luxurious locks, she also performed the Born This Way tune "Hair," explaining that it was inspired by her rebellious teenage Grateful Dead phase, when her mother would sneak in and chop off her gross, dread-y hair in her sleep to keep her looking neat and clean.
Related Photos Related ArtistsNew Balance x DJ Mars x Don Cannon x Rich Medina Web Series
“Where are you running to next”, this web series takes a behind the scenes look at the lives of me and some of my closest friends (all of whom happen to be great�dj’s). The first web series features Philly natives�Rich Medina�and�Don Cannon. Viewers get an inside glimpse of what a day is like for globetrotting�dj’s. [...]
Did Kristin Cavallari And Jay Cutler Break Up??
Say it ain't so!
Kristin Cavallari and NFL Quarterback Jay Cutler may have split up, according to Billy Bush.
The entertainment reporter tweeted:
Kristin cavallari and jay cutler engagement is off. Source super tight.
We hope this isn't true. Kristin and Jay seem like they're really in love and they were just spotted out together a couple weeks [...]
Kristin Cavallari and NFL Quarterback Jay Cutler may have split up, according to Billy Bush.
The entertainment reporter tweeted:
Kristin cavallari and jay cutler engagement is off. Source super tight.
We hope this isn't true. Kristin and Jay seem like they're really in love and they were just spotted out together a couple weeks [...]
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Amy Winehouse's Family: "Bereft By the Loss"
Making their first comments since the tragic revelation of their daughter's passing, the family of Amy Winehouse released a statement on Sunday (July 24) addressing their loss.
The Winehouse's, which include Amy's mother Janis, her father Mitch and her brother Alex, said in their press release, "Our family has been left bereft by the loss of Amy, a wonderful daughter, sister, niece. She leaves a gaping hole in our lives."
The Winehouse family statement continued, "We are coming together to remember her and we would appreciate some privacy and space at this terrible time."
As previously reported by GossipCenter, the "Rehab" singer was found at her London home on Saturday (July 23) - with reports telling that she had "signs of life" at the time but passed away before medical personnel were able to transport her to the hospital.
While early speculation points to the unfortunate case of an overdose, the cause of death is still pending an autopsy scheduled to take place tomorrow, July 25th.
Prince Ordered To Pay $700,000 To Attorneys
Prince Ordered To Pay $700,000 To Attorneys
Singer Prince has been ordered to fork over $700,000 to his former lawyer for unpaid legal fees. Prince was sued by the lawyers at Patterson, [...]
Prince Ordered To Pay $700,000 To Attorneys Stupid Celebrities GossipStupid Celebrities Gossip News
Kevin Federline Kid Rock Kiss\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'n\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Tells
Robert Plant And Alison Krauss Win Grammy Album Of The Year
Raising Sand, from Led Zeppelin vet and bluegrass superstar, wins five Grammys on Sunday night.
By James Montgomery with MTV News staff
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant accept the award for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards on Sunday
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images
"I'm bewildered," Robert Plant said onstage as he accepted the Grammy Album of the Year award with Alison Krauss on Sunday night. "In the old days we would have called this selling out, but it's a good way to spend a Sunday."
He was probably one of the few who were surprised, because Raising Sand, which won five trophies at Sunday night's show, is in many ways the perfect Grammy album. It features two respected veterans, a critically lauded producer, some sandpaper-and-velvet vocals and a baker's dozen of time-tested standards.
You're probably familiar with Robert Plant from his Led Zeppelin days, and you might be aware of producer T-Bone Burnett's work on the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack (it won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2002). And if you don't know who Alison Krauss is, she possesses a haunting set of pipes and is one of the meanest fiddle players in the world. Oh, and she's won 21 Grammys, more than any other female artist and the seventh-most in history.
Really, she's the key to Sand's success, and not just because of her voice (or her fiddle playing). She and Plant first met in 2004, at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute to legendary bluesman Leadbelly, and the former Zeppelin man was amazed by her knowledge of American Roots music — so much so that they began kicking around the idea of recording an album together. Three years later, Sand was released.
And while Plant possesses the more famous voice, the album's finest moments radiate from Krauss. Whether she's getting bluesy on Little Milton's "Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson" or entwining with Plant's husky voice on songs like "Please Read the Letter" and Roly Salley's winsome "Killing the Blues," she more than carries her end of the bargain.
And perhaps that's also due to producer Burnett, who handpicked the 13 songs the duo cover on Sand. His arrangements are sparse — giving the two voices ample room to breathe — yet dense, warm and crackling at the same time. It's a testament to his work that he's often given just as much billing as Plant and Krauss on the project ... and it's certainly justified.
To date, Sand has sold more than 1 million copies, heaped tons of acclaim and actually earned a Grammy last year — "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" took home the award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.
One expert was surprised not by the album's success, but by the fact that it's actually quite a good album.
"At first, the album seemed like a vanity project. ... Two names, clearly a one-off record, didn't have to be any good, you know?" New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica said. "Led Zeppelin fans would buy it because of Robert Plant, Alison Krauss would get a check. But it actually turned out to be a really thoughtful, really good record. So when you combine all that with the fact that the Grammys love to lionize one of their own, I could really see it taking home some awards."
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