Elton John and Partner David Furnish Fell in Love 'Very Quickly'

If guests at Elton John's legendary Oscar bash need some juicy fodder to prep for this year's party, they've got it – straight from the host himself.

In the most recent issue of Parade magazine, the British singer shares intimate details about his love life before and after he met his longtime partner, David Furnish.

John, 62, says his previous romances, always with "someone younger," were lopsided. He confesses he would "smother them with love," exotic trips and expensive gifts like Cartier watches and sports cars.

"They didn't have jobs. They were reliant on me. I did this repeatedly," he says of his former flames. "In six months they were bored and hated my guts because I'd taken their lives and self-worth away. I hadn't intended to."

But he's in a much better place with Furnish, his partner since 1993.

"He was very well dressed, very shy," John says of their first meeting. Noting that he was "instantly" attracted to Furnish, the singer says their relationship took off from there. "The next night we had dinner. After it, we consummated our relationship. We fell in love very quickly."

RELATED: Elton John Falls in Love Again – with America

Still, the pair works to keep their relationship strong. "Every Saturday for 16 years, we've sent each other a card," he says, "no matter where we are in the world, to say how much we love each other.


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Lady Gaga top winner at BRITs

Pop star Lady Gaga was the top winner at the BRIT awards this year scooping three trophies.
The Pokerface hitmaker won in the categories International Female Solo Artist, International Breakthrough Act and International Album for her The Fame, reported The Telegraph.

 

The 24-year-old singer was moved to tears when she went up to accept her third award.

"I was really excited about winning the first two awards, but this one means more because I worked so hard on this album for so long, and when I think about all that I went through and all the years of struggling and my fans - they were the first ones to recognise my abilities," said Gaga.

She later donned a white wig and mask and performed Telephone on the piano saying, "This is for Alexander McQueen" in tribute to the fashion designer who died last week.

Other winners at the February 16 event were singer Lily Allen for British Female Solo Artist and rapper Dizzee Rascal who bagged the Best British male solo artist award. Former pop group Spice Girls' rendition of Wannabe/Who Do You Think You Are in 1997 was named as the Best Brits performance of the last 30 years.

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John Mayer's Racist Comment

The Black and the White are still the two major existing racist difference in the World. Adding on to it is John Mayer's statement that he does not open up to Black women as his manhood is white supremacist.

For john Mayer, white is beautiful. When it comes to friendship he opens his hearts to all but about intimate relation, it's only the white skin which is invited. A racist practice which is confirmed by him itself.

He had recently been heard referring to a Black Women as Napalm. It is a dark coloured thickening agent, which might have it's own use but is ugly to look at. So, is it Mayer tactful use of words, to refer the Black beauties as ugly?

While on one hand, other celebrities are looking down on such a comment, there are others who are respecting his honesty.

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Linkin Park's New Album in Mike Shinoda Blogs

After explaining to MTV about the possibility of releasing Linkin Park's next studio album "toward the end of the year", Mike Shinoda posted on his blog a math equation regarding when is actually the right time to drop a new effort.

He started it by pointing out that music fans have flooded his web with comments following the album delay. He wrote, "The 200+ comments and peripheral noise got me thinking: what does it all mean? I decided to figure it out. The most obvious way to create logic out of it? Algebra has always seemed very logical to me..."

"A lot of you seemed to want us to take our time in the studio, stressing that quality (Q) is more important than release date (D). Others disagreed, arguing that releasing sooner (D) should be put above the other (Q). Next, some argued that Linkin Park quality is multiplied by time (so time is 'T'). Others argued time doesn't affect the quality (no 'T'). I guessed that the soonest this year we could get an album out would be March(3). The latest this year would be December(12)..."

"So I believe that makes the equation: Q(T)/D(12) = D(3)/Q. On the left, quantity and time over the latest possible 2010 release (12th month); on the right the soonest possible release (3, meaning March) over quantity times the LP quality 'X' factor. What I really wanted to know was how much time you wanted us to take (T)."

"Balancing this equation out (and crossing the reoccurring variables)...you get T/12=3. That means T=36. So it looks like you guys figured it out for us. What you're telling us is that you want a new album out in December 2012. That gives us a ton of time. Thanks for the help, guys."

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Kelly Clarkson Wades Into Taylor Swift Controversy

Four days after what critics described as Taylor Swift's "pitch-challenged" performance at the Grammy Awards, Kelly Clarkson has weighed in on the controversy after Swift’s record label CEO criticized American Idol.

In a blog post, Clarkson responded to recent comments by Big Machine Records’s Scott Borchetta, who told the Associated Press that the four-time Grammy winner "is the voice of this generation. She speaks directly to [her fans], and they speak directly back to her."

He added, "This is not American Idol. This is not a competition of getting up and seeing who can sing the highest note. This is about a true artist and writer and communicator."

In a letter addressed to Borchetta, Clarkson wrote that she understood why he would defend Swift – he said, "We had a volume problem in the ear ... She couldn't hear herself like she had in rehearsal" – but said she found it "upsetting" that he attacked the star-making TV show.

"We not only hit the high notes, you forgot to mention we generally hit the 'right' notes as well," the American Idol winner wrote.

Clarkson admitted that she, too, has had "shaky" performances, "and what my manager or label executives say to me and the public is 'I'll kick butt next time' or 'every performance isn't going to be perfect.' … I bring this up because you should take a lesson from these people and instead of lashing out at other artists (that in your 'humble' opinion lack true artistry), you should simply take a breath and realize that sometimes things won't go according to plan or work out and that's okay."

She signed the post, "One of those contestants from American Idol who only made it because of her high notes" – and added a winking smiley face.

Clarkson later Tweeted an assurance that she wasn't "dissing Taylor," and noted, "I buy her albums and cover her songs, obviously I'm a fan."

(Her rendition of Swift's "White Horse" can be heard on YouTube. She's also covered her song "Cold As You.")

Swift, who is currently on tour in Australia, has yet to join the public discussion, but Clarkson's fellow Idol winner David Cook seemed to appreciate the sentiments.

He Tweeted, "Kudos, @kelly_clarkson. Love it."

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Rihanna and Chris: One year later

(CNN) -- It's been 12 months since the private lives of Chris Brown and Rihanna spilled out into the Los Angeles streets following a violent argument while driving home from a pre-Grammy party.
According to a sworn statement by Los Angeles Police Detective DeShon Andrews, Brown punched her in the face numerous times, put her in a headlock, bit her fingers and ear and threatened to kill her.

Brown pleaded guilty to felony assault in June and lost several public endorsements. In August, he was sentenced to five years' probation in addition to 1,400 labor-oriented community service hours.
One leaked photo, a few soul-baring interviews and two questionable album covers later, both of the young singers now find themselves at uniquely different points in their careers.

Rihanna steered clear of the spotlight for several months, re-emerging in New York City last spring, boldly walking the red carpet at the Costume Institute Ball, with a new look and a new album to begin promoting.
"There's no restriction on Rihanna, but he [likely] can't go anywhere without his judge's permission," said RollingStone.com deputy editor Caryn Ganz. "He has to appear for court appearances to prove that he's doing his community service," noting that the legal issues don't make it any easier for the star to move forward with his career.

Brown did release a pop-inflected album, "Graffiti," on December 7, which has sold a little more than 250,000 copies. He also sold out stops on his fans' appreciation tour, but those performances were in smaller venues than he'd played previously.

"In the immediate aftermath of the incident, there was all of this 'dead' talk -- nobody will work with him, he'll never be able to sell another record -- and that's turned out to not be true," she said. But, Ganz noted, "Rihanna is clearly doing better than he is, both in sales figures and public reception."

To date, Rihanna's literal take on being "Rated R" has sold more than a half-million since it dropped November 23. She's also taken to the stage again, performing everywhere from NBC's "New Year's Eve with Carson Daly" to the "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon. "Rated R" is her fourth studio release; it entered the Billboard Hot 200 chart at No. 4, and sold more in its first week than "Good Girl Gone Bad."
Brown's last album, "Evolution," sold more in its first week at 294,000 than "Graffiti" has in its seven weeks on the shelves, Ganz said.

FULL STORY

New Marilyn Monroe photos go on sale

NEW YORK (AFP) – Previously unpublished black and white photos of a laughing, stylishly dressed Marilyn Monroe visiting the poet Carl Sandburg in New York almost half a century ago went on sale Friday.
The pictures, shot by photographer Len Steckler at his apartment in December 1961, had spent 45 years in a private archive.

They show Monroe, aged 35 and only nine months from death, relaxing with Sandburg, a Pulitzer-prize wining poet.
The four single images and two triptychs -- a series of three pictures each -- are listed for sale at between 1,999 dollars and 3,999 dollars.

"On a wintry afternoon, Sandburg and Steckler patiently awaited Monroe, who arrived three hours later than planned, claiming she was at the hairdresser's trying to get her hair white to match Sandburg's," dealers Eagle National Mint said.

"The two spent the rest of the afternoon bonding over conversation and cocktails, fostering a new friendship while Steckler quietly observed, his Nikon loaded with black and white film, nothing more than natural Northern light pouring through the windows."

Each print is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and is signed by Steckler.
The sale is online at www.thevisitseries.com and by phone.


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Kurt Cobain's daughter to make singing debut

Courtesy of NME -- Frances Bean Cobain sings as part of a "gang" on Dresden Dolls side-project Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love's daughter Frances Bean is to make her singing debut on a track also featuring My Chemical Romance's Gerard Way, Andrew WK, and Weird Al Yankovic.

Seventeen-year-old Cobain sings on "My Space," which will appear on the eponymous debut album by Evelyn Evelyn, who are made up of Dresden Dolls frontwoman Amanda Palmer and Seattle musician Jason Webley.

Other acts on the track include Tegan & Sara, ex-Hold Steady keyboardist Franz Nicolay, Margaret Cho, Eugene Mirman, and various members of Mindless Self-Indulgence, reports Twentyfourbit.com.
The album Evelyn Evelyn is due to be released on March 30.
In December, Courtney Love lost custody of Frances Bean Cobain.

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Style Star: Lady Gaga

The 2010 Grammy Awards had its highest ratings in six years, and many would argue that Lady Gaga's fashion was a big reason why.
Lady Gaga was the talk of the red carpet. She arrived in a three-dimensional spiraling silvery dress that was developed in collaboration with Giorgio Armani. The orbital dress was encrusted in Swarovski crystals, and was paired with silver wedges, a blonde wig, and a star-like ornament that she carried in her hand.

"We hear Lady Gaga's music everywhere we go. It is like a soundtrack of our times," Giorgio Armani explained in a press release. "In addition to her formidable songwriting skills, she is a modern fashion phenomenon. I am delighted to be creating these outfits on such an important night for her, the Grammys, and I wish her the best of luck."
"I am honored to be wearing Armani this evening," Gaga wrote in the statement. "The series of pieces Mr. Armani created for me are truly iconic; they represent not only beautiful fashion, but my spirit and essence as an artist. Mr. Armani is a fashion legend, and tonight would not have been the same without his touch, and his wonderful team," Gaga continued.


Giorgio Armani Prive dressed Lady Gaga exclusively for the night. Her looks included a silver lightning bolt silver number while she was seated in the audience and her outfit for her special live stage performance duet with Elton John, which consisted of a sparkling green bodysuit with oversized shoulders.
"I'm just so happy, I can't say enough and Elton was so amazing and the performance was really truly magical," Gaga told Access Hollywood's Billy Bush backstage after the Grammys. "I had been fantasizing about this performance piece for a while and we got to do it... and I'm just really truly floored."
Lady Gaga walked away with two Grammy wins - which brought the singer to tears.


"I'm so... I can't believe it, we won two Grammys earlier today... I'm just completely floored. And I've ruined all of my make up right before the show," Lady Gaga told Billy.
"How?" Billy asked.
"Crying... I was just so happy... this is not an award for me, it's for my fans. And I love my fans so much. And I wanted them to know that they should believe in themselves. And I wanted to be everything that they hoped I would be tonight, and that's what we got to do," she added.
With such stylish performances as this one, we're very excited to see what Gaga has up her sleeve for the rest of 2010!


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Beyonce makes Grammys history but SuBo looms large

It began with a outrageous duet by Lady Gaga and Elton John — the former wearing a sequined green leotard and giant shoulder pads, the latter dressed in black and covered in ash — but it didn't take long for the host of last night's Grammy Awards to acknowledge that the real star of the American music industry in 2009 had been a rather more dour figure.
Susan Boyle, in other words.

Or as the comedian Stephen Colbert described her, "a 48-year-old Scottish cat lady with sensible shoes".
Indeed, even though Lady Gaga dominated the red carpet and Beyonce cleaned up during the event with no fewer than six trophies — a new record for most wins by a female performer — it was SuBo who loomed large over the Grammys, a feat she somehow managed in spite of not showing up (her mega-selling album was released too late for consideration).

Not that the attention was always flattering. "Justin Timberlake may have brought the sexy back," deadpanned Colbert in his comic opening monologue, "But Susan Boyle sent it away again."
No such jokes are likely to be made if Boyle dominates the nominations next year.

One British singer, 32-year-old Imogen Heap, threatened to steal Lady Gaga’s reputation for wearing the most outrageous outfit when she arrived on the red carpet.
Singer-songwriter Heap, who won a Grammy for Best Engineered Album, wore what was dubbed a “twit dress” - a huge necklace with a live Twitter feed and a “TV” purse to display videos her fans were sending to her account.

Meanwhile, aside from Beyonce's multiple triumphs, including Song of the Year and Songwriter of the Year for Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It), it was the Kings of Leon who took home one of the biggest awards of last night when their song Use Somebody defied expectations by winning Record of the Year, beating everyone from Lady Gaga to Taylor Swift.

"I'm not going to lie, we're all a little drunk. But we're happy drunks," said the band's singer, Caleb Followill.
As for top honour of Album of the Year, it went to Swift, the 20-year-old country singer who had eight nominations for Fearless, second only to Beyonce's ten nods. Swift, the youngest artist to prevail in the greatly-coveted Album of the Year category, won a total of four prizes during the evening, including Best Country Album.



FULL STORY

La Toya hits out at Jackson's doctor

MICHAEL Jackson's sister La Toya hit out at the apparent decision to charge his doctor with involuntary manslaughter, Sky News reported today. She said Dr Conrad Murray should face the more serious charge of premeditated manslaughter, which carries a heftier sentence.

Talking to reporters outside Mr. Chow's restaurant in Beverly Hills, Jackson said, "He should have been charged with premeditated."
She was then asked if she thought more people were involved in her brother's death, to which she replied, "absolutely."

The singer was speaking as the authorities prepared to charge Murray following a lengthy police investigation.
According to reports in the US he was expected to present himself to Los Angeles police tomorrow morning.
He was then due to be charged with involuntary manslaughter before being taken to court to appear before a judge, reports said.

A spokesman for the Los Angeles attorney's office said she could "neither confirm nor deny" the reports.
Jackson died suddenly last June aged 50 as he was preparing for a series of sell-out concerts at the O2 arena in London.
Murray, who was treating the star, told detectives he had given him the general anesthetic propofol and two other sedatives to help him sleep.


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Taylor Swift Backlash: Readers Weigh In

On Tuesday, MTV News published an article titled "Why You Shouldn't Hate On Taylor Swift" in response to what appears to be a budding backlash against the singer, judging from various articles and comments on our articles in the wake of four wins at the Grammy Awards and her uneven performance on the show. Unsurprisingly, that article has also gotten a lot of comments, many of them in defense of hating on Taylor Swift.

Judging from the comments, it appears that there are a whole lot of folks out there who feel Swift didn't deserve to win her Album of the Year Grammy on Sunday night for a whole lot of reasons, most of which opine that Swift's live performances can't match the majesty of Gaga's Warholian exploits or Beyoncé's otherworldly contortions. Or, conversely, she only won because of industry-wide sympathy for her ... or even due to an apparent conspiracy against Gaga. We got comments in support of Swift as well.

Below are some of the most interesting comments, lightly edited for grammar and content, and please note that the opinions expressed therein are those of the commenters, not MTV News. But don't think the debate has to end here. If you want to have your voice heard, sound off in the comments below.
And now, we turn the floor over to you:

"This article is exactly what annoys me the most about Taylor Swift, she is portrayed as a victim we are supposed to feel sorry for. Her boyfriend broke up with her; poor Taylor. Kanye interrupted her; poor Taylor. She has an awful performance on TV and people criticize her, how dare they; poor Taylor. She is an adult worth millions of dollars, with buckets of awards, she doesn't need my sympathy." (Anne)

"Personally I agree with this article. What artist doesn't have a bad performance? If I recall, Fergie did much worse than Taylor. Listen to some of her other live performances, they are astounding, people need to get over their jealousy just because she is a living a dream everybody else desires. I would take an awful singer who writes their own lyrics over a dip who couldn't be creative." (Aaron)

FULL STORY

Jacksons claim Grammys snub

Michael Jackson’s family are furious after being snubbed by the Grammy Awards. 

The late ‘Thriller’ star – who died from an acute Propofol intoxication last June – was honoured with a special musical tribute to mark being given a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award but organisers failed to invite his siblings, including those who performed in The Jackson 5 with him, to the star-studded music awards show in Los Angeles. 

His brother and former bandmate Randy tweeted: "So proud, my brother being honoured tonight with the Lifetime Achievement Award. My family would love to be there but, truth is, we weren't invited.

"Do you want more truth? Let me be clear. When I said 'my family' I meant my brothers, sisters and parents."
Michael’s three children, Paris, 11, Prince Michael I, 12, and seven-year-old Prince Michael II – aka Blanket – were there to honour their father but Randy is convinced the children were only invited as an afterthought.
A source told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Randy was incandescent. He believed the Grammys only thought of including Michael's children at the 11th hour as dad Joe Jackson complained there was no family representation.
"The brothers were hoping to attend and wear their silver gloves and matching suits to honour their brother. They feel insulted and hurt that they have been snubbed in this way. Michael would've wanted them there.
"The Jackson 5 was where the magic began. They're a huge part of his story and felt they had been horribly overlooked."
The eldest children took to the stage wearing black suits with red armbands to accept the late ‘Thriller’ singer’s award – which he was given for his contribution to the music industry, while Blanket remained backstage with his grandmother Katherine Jackson.

A source said: “Michael’s children themselves decided just Prince Michael I and Paris would speak on stage and accept the award on behalf of their dad.”
Meanwhile, Michael’s older brother Tito – who along with the ‘Billie Jean’ star, Randy, and siblings Jermaine, Jackie, and Marlon had performed with The Jacksons - is being sued after allegedly failing to perform at a tribute show for his brother in the US.

Promoter Roy Isaac has told Tito to repay the £4,700 he was paid for the concert within 30 days or he could face legal action.


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Stars remake "We Are The World" for Haiti victims

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Star-struck singers, rappers and actors, including Barbra Streisand, Kanye West and Miley Cyrus, checked their egos at the door on Monday to record a new version of "We Are The World" for Haiti earthquake victims, 25 years after the song raised awareness of the famine in Africa.
None of the singers of the original song were invited to participate in the update, which was recorded at the same Hollywood studio once again under the oversight of Quincy Jones and the song's co-writer Lionel Richie.

In all, more than 70 stars lent their voices to the song, and they all seemed in awe of each other.
"As celebrities, we're fans of one another, so we're all looky-looing in there, and getting autographs and numbers," said Natalie Cole.

Streisand, Celine Dion and Tony Bennett appeared to inspire the most stares. Fifteen-year-old Canadian heartthrob Justin Bieber, who sang the opening line originally performed by Richie, joked that he would ask his new friend, R&B singer Akon, to get the telephone number of Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls.
Streisand, a noted perfectionist, ran through multiple takes of the line originally sung by Diana Ross, each one seemingly better than the previous one. Jazz singer Patti Austin came into her recording booth to coach her.
Guitar virtuoso Carlos Santana sang along, even though he is not a singer. Two members of the Beach Boys, Brian Wilson and Al Jardine, appeared to ignore each other.
'INSPIRED CHAOS'

Classical crossover tenor Josh Groban described the event as "inspired chaos."
"Everybody left their ego at the door," he said, referring to a sign that Jones hung in the studio during the original session on the old A&M Records lot on January 28, 1985.

"To be smack-dab in the middle of a sandwich between Barbra Streisand and Weezy (rapper Lil Wayne) was personally a creative experience I don't think I'll ever have the pleasure of having again," Groban added.
For his part, Lil Wayne said his mother asked him to get a photo of Gladys Knight.
He was among a heavy quotient of hip-hop stars, including Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, Drake, LL Cool J, and will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas as well as West.



FULL STORY

Grammys pay tribute to Jackson

The Grammys rode the 3D wave today with a special effects laden tribute to the late Michael Jackson.

Carrie Underwood, Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Smokey Robinson and Usher performed in the tribute, mingling their voices with the voice of the late King of Pop against the backdrop of a 3D film featuring Jackson's 1995 eco-friendly Earth Song.

Free 3D glasses were distributed across the US so viewers could watch the show in 3D from their living rooms.
The Grammys' 3D effort follows the huge success of James Cameron's Avatar, which recently became the highest-grossing movie worldwide.

Jackson's children - Prince Michael, 12, and Paris, 11 - appeared after the tribute to accept a lifetime achievement award for the singer, who died in June of a prescription drug overdose.
"We are proud to accept this award on behalf of our father," Prince said.

There were plenty of other spectacular moments during the Grammys telecast, which opened with the flamboyant Lady Gaga performing her hit Poker Face in a glittery green butterfly outfit, falling prey to a faux kidnapping onstage and then materialising to perform opposite Elton John.
Multiple Grammy winner Beyonce belted out If I Were A Boy while Pink sang Glitter In The Air scantily clad and suspended from the air on a rope above the audience.


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Beyoncé, Swift score key Grammy Awards

It's turning out to be ladies night at the Grammy Awards as chart-toppers Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga dominated the stage at popular music's biggest night.

Coming into Sunday with a leading 10 nominations, pop diva Beyoncé proved a dominant force as she picked up four trophies at the non-televised Los Angeles gala Sunday afternoon: contemporary R&B album for I am...Sacha Fierce, best R&B song and best female R&B vocal performance for Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) and traditional R&B performance for At Last, from the film Cadillac Records.

She then earned the televised show's first award of the night — song of the year for Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) — and turned in a spirited performance of her song If I Were a Boy and Alanis Morissette's You Outta Know. Country ingenue Swift was honoured with the best country album Grammy for her bestselling release, Fearless.

"This is my first time walking up those stairs to accept a Grammy on national television!" she exclaimed. "I just feel like I'm standing here accepting an impossible dream."
She showed as much enthusiasm as when she accepted a pair of trophies (female country vocal performance and country song for White Horse) at the pre-show ceremony and declared, "This is my first Grammy, you guys!"

Outrageous dance-pop artist Lady Gaga kicked off Sunday night's broadcast with a fiery, eye-popping performance that segued into a duet with British icon Elton John. She too started the gala with a pair of Grammys already under her belt: dance recording for Poker Face and electronic/dance album for The Fame.
The Black Eyed Peas, another top contender this year, came into the broadcast having already won a trio of Grammys: for their album The E.N.D. (pop vocal album) and their hit songs I Gotta Feeling (pop performance by a duo or group with vocals) and Boom Boom Pow (short-form music video).

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Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga lead the way at 52nd Grammys

Divas and dance pop will rule the 52nd Grammy Awards Sunday. Whether their prominence says something about the need for escapism after a year in which reality TV shows were better than brutal reality or about the music industry's glomming onto pop success in an attempt to shore up its ever-shrinking bottom line, is anyone's guess.

At this year's popular-music celebration -- airing live from L.A.'s Staples Center at 8 p.m. on WFOR-CBS 4 -- Beyoncé, with 10 nods for I Am . . . Sasha Fierce, tops the nominations the way she has topped the charts and pop consciousness. Country-pop teen queen Taylor Swift follows with eight for Fearless, and Lady Gaga, who makes drag queens look demure, has five for The Fame. All three are up for the big categories of Album, Record and Song of the Year.

Ruling urban dance tribe Black Eyed Peas (with trademark femme Fergie) has six nods, including Album and Record of the Year, for The E.N.D. So does misbehaving rapper Kanye West, but his nominations are mostly for rap collaborations rather than for the major categories he has dominated in the past. No rap artists are nominated in the big, general categories, in contrast to recent years when Lil Wayne and West were widely lauded.

Most of the top nominees will perform Sunday night: Beyoncé, the Peas, Swift and Gaga. Dave Matthews Band, the lone rockers up for Album of the Year, will also play, as will Southern rock newbies Zac Brown Band, the token Best New Artist nominee.

A tribute to Michael Jackson features Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Smokey Robinson, Carrie Underwood and Usher and will include the premiere of a 3-D mini-movie for Earth Song that Jackson created for his This Is It tour. And the Recording Academy, in a bid for relevance and digital visibility, will let fans follow the awards on Facebook and Twitter.

Full STORY
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Taylor Swift & Kanye West To Team Up

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Kanye West will have the chance to let Taylor Swift finish on Monday.
A source has exclusively confirmed to Access Hollywood that the two musicians - who faced off in an infamous incident at last year's MTV Video Music Awards -- will be among those participating in Quincy Jones' remake of the 1985 charity anthem, "We Are The World," at a recording session the day after the Grammys.

Celine Dion, Wyclef Jean, Miley Cyrus and Sugarland will also join the all-star production, the source told Access.
Quincy, himself, recently spoke out on the re-recording to E! Online, stating, "It's the 25th anniversary and it's perfect timing...It's not an accident, man. That's God. It will be 'We Are The World' for Haiti."


The 1985 track, recorded to provide humanitarian aid to Africa, was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and also featured performances by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Tina Turner and Diana Ross, among others.
The news of a possible remake was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter's Showbiz 411 earlier this month.

According to E!, other potential performers on the track include Jennifer Hudson, Will Smith, Jason Mraz, Sheryl Crow, Mya and Justin Bieber, though Quincy said it's still in the works.


"I want to get a final list before I put it out," Quincy said.
And with Michael Jackson in mind, Quincy told the site he plans to discuss his relationship with the late King of Pop in a CNN special, though he is not participating in the planned Grammy tribute to the singer.
A number of musicians have contributed to Haiti relief already, with the "Hope For Haiti Now" digital album hitting No. 1 on the Billboard charts this week - the first digital-only compilation to do so.

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Rihanna Going to Grammys Alone

Rihanna says she won't be bringing baseball player Matt Kemp to Sunday's Grammys.
"I'm going to the Grammys alone, as always!" she said Thursday on 104.3 MY FM's Valentine in the Morning show in Los Angeles. "Even when I was in a relationship, I always have gone alone."

She then blurted out, "I'm still single, if that's what you really want to ask!"
What about those photos of her and Kemp, 25, frolicking in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico?
The singer, 21, played coy. "It was a blast!" she said of the trip.

As for the Grammys, she said she is "excited."
She is nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration with Jay-Z and Kanye West for the hit "Run This Town."


"This was actually the first piece of music we did since the last Grammys," she said. "It's exciting that it's nominated."
Added Rihanna, "We cannot wait. We hope we bring home the bacon, but if not, it's great that it was nominated."

Rihanna's appearance at the Feb. 8, 2009 Grammy Awards was cancelled last-minute, following a violent incident with then-boyfriend Chris Brown. Brown later pleaded guilty to felony assault, and was sentenced to five years of probation.



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JON BON JOVI FEELS 18

JON BON JOVI struggles to believe he's nearing 50 - because he still feels like a teenager.
The Living On A Prayer hitmaker, 47, regularly treats his receding hairline so he doesn't end up bald and often laments on what will happen to Bon Jovi as he ages. 

And the star admits he's unsure whether he will continue with his career in to his 60s, like Rolling Stones rocker Mick Jagger. 

He tells Germany's Reader's Digest magazine, "Let me tell you, I am so worried. I look at guys like Sting and think, 'Well, he's cool about losing his hair,' but I'm already losing a bit and I'm so aware of it. Someone told me that you have to regularly massage your scalp so I do that all the time. You look like a jerk but it's got to be worth a shot. 

"I find it hard to believe I'm 47 already, because I still feel like 18. I don't plan on being the next Mick Jagger and to keep on going till my late 60s. But at the moment I don't see a reason why I should stop."



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