Celebrity Bug
8/31/2009
0
Drake and Trey Songz roam the streets in the Jake Davis-directed video "Successful", which hails from their albums So Far Gone and Ready.
Nice video.
“We shot her last week while she was working on a record in the studio. She was a ‘You Oughtta Know’ artist for VH1 when she first came out. She’s an amazing vocalist, and her new song goes to radio a day or two after the show airs. They’re using ‘Divas’ and some other stuff to launch the single. And it’s an amazing song”.
“My YRB magazine shoot just came out and I am loving the results!” Kim writes on her website. “I really love the transformation and the clothes were amazing!!! This has got to be one of the most unique shoots I’ve ever done! Not sure I’ll ever go for a permanent short cut, but it definitely works for this shoot.”
DJ AM has been found dead in his New York City apartment.
Det. Brian Sessa tells PEOPLE that at 5:20 p.m. on Friday New York Police Department officers entered an apartment on Lafayette Street in response to a 911 call about a man who hadn't been seen for two days. Inside, they found the body of a white male in his 30s. Another police source confirmed to PEOPLE that the dead man was DJ AM.
The cause of death has not been released by the medical examiner, although N.Y.P.D. Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne said there was no apparent evidence of foul play. A police source said prescription drugs were found in the apartment.
Goldstein's publicist released a statement Friday confirming the news of his death. "The circumstances surrounding his death are unclear. Out of respect for his family and loved ones, please respect their privacy at this time," the statement says.
DJ AM (real name: Adam Michael Goldstein) was 36. He had a near brush with death in a 2008 jet crash with Blink 182's Travis Barker.
"There's no reason why I lived and they didn't," DJ AM said last month at the Television Critics Association summer press tour, referring to the others who died in the crash. "It's something that I struggle with every day, you know, kind of wondering. But I’ve just realized I'm never really going to know. I'm alive, and I'm here, and I have another chance. So I have to do something better with my life this time."
[Source]
The honor, given to a female recording artist that has inspired the music business with her success, leadership and new ideas, will be awarded to the singer for her accomplishments over the past 12 months.
In the last year, Beyoncé kicked off her world tour "I Am..." in support of her third solo album "I Am...Sasha Fierce," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in November and features the hit singles "If I Were A Boy," "Single Ladies," "Halo," "Ego" and "Sweet Dreams."
The tour also showcased Beyoncé's philanthropic side as she gave 2,500 tickets to families affected by the auto industry crisis in Detroit and joined forces with General Mills Hamburger Helper and Feeding America to deliver 3.5 million meals to local food banks.
"Beyoncé is a multi-platinum artist and a multi-talented woman who clearly embodies the qualities of excellence and achievement that the Billboard Woman Of The Year Award was created to honor," said Bill Werde, Billboard's Editorial Director, about Beyoncé, who is the only performer in the 51-year history of the Billboard Hot 100 to top the chart for 10 weeks or more with a group and as a solo artist. "She has not only influenced pop culture with her hit songs and signature dance moves, but has inspired women everywhere with her unique style, business savvy and dedication to charitable causes."
The Billboard Women in Music Event celebrates the most powerful and talented women in the music business and is also held in conjunction with the Women In Music Power Players List issue, which recognizes the top female music executives who are leading the industry with their artistic and business vision.
[Source]
Chris Brown will spend 1,400 hours removing graffiti and washing cars for assaulting Rihanna.
Brown, 20, was formally sentenced in a Los Angeles courtroom Tuesday to six months of community labor in Virginia after he pleaded guilty in June to one count of felony assault against Rihanna, 21.
Brown's six-month labor sentence will be supervised by the chief of police in Richmond, Va., who wrote to the judge that Brown would perform graffiti removal, cleaning and maintaining grounds, and washing cars. "Brown's labor hours will be flexible to accommodate his entertainment career," according to DA spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons.
The singer, who looked solemn and wore a black pinstripe suit and matching tie, was also sentenced to five years of probation, a year of domestic violence classes, and was ordered to pay fines. He was accompanied in the courtroom by his mother and at least one bodyguard.
As part of his plea bargain with prosecutors, a second felony charge of making criminal threats was dropped. Rihanna was not present for the hearing.
Donald Etra, an attorney for the "Umbrella" singer, had previously asked the judge for lesser restrictions on communication and contact between the two singers.
However, L.A. Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg ordered Brown not to have any communication with Rihanna for the next five years, which includes phone and email contact. Brown was also ordered not to come within 100 yards of Rihanna – 10 yards if they're both at the same event.
Toward the end of the hearing, Judge Schnegg warned Brown, in an apparent reference to reports that the two singers may have had contact against court order: "I'm not immune to any chatter on the airwaves. Do you understand, Mr. Brown, that any violation of this order is a violation of your probation and it comes with the possible penalty of prison?" Brown responded "Yes."
Asked if Rihanna was disappointed by the stay-away order, her lawyer stated: "There were no surprises today. The decision was up to the court, not Rihanna."
Etra added that Rihanna does have the option of asking the court to soften the stay-away order down the line, but he wouldn't say if she plans to do so. Etra added that while the order specifically forbids Brown from contacting Rihanna, she was also warned by the court back in June not to contact him.
Last month, Brown publicly apologized for the incident, saying, "I have told Rihanna countless times, and I am telling you today, that I am truly sorry and that I wasn't able to handle the situation both differently and better."
Asked if Rihanna has forgiven Brown for the incident, her lawyer replied, "I do not discuss her personal life in public."
Brown and his attorney, Mark Geragos, left the courthouse without making a comment.
[Source]
The Los Angeles County coroner has ruled Michael Jackson’s death a homicide and a combination of drugs was the cause, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press, a finding that makes it more likely criminal charges will be filed against the doctor who was with the pop star when he died.
Forensic tests found the powerful anesthetic propofol acted together with at least two sedatives to cause Jackson’s death June 25 in his rented Los Angeles mansion, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the findings have not been publicly released.
Dr. Conrad Murray, a Las Vegas cardiologist who became Jackson’s personal physician weeks before his death, is the target of a manslaughter investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department. A designation of homicide means that Jackson died at the hands of another, but does not necessarily mean a crime was committed.
A search warrant affidavit unsealed Monday in Houston includes a detailed account of what Murray told investigators.
According to the document, Murray said he’d been treating Jackson for insomnia for about six weeks with 50 milligrams of propofol every night via an intravenous drip. But he said he feared Jackson was forming an addiction to the anesthetic, which is normally used in hospitals only, and was attempting to wean his patient by lowering the dose to 25 milligrams and adding the sedatives lorazepam and midazolam.
That combination succeeded in helping Jackson sleep two days prior to his death, so the next day, Murray told detectives he cut off the propofol — and Jackson fell asleep with just the two sedatives.
Then around 1:30 a.m. on June 25, starting with a 10-milligram tab of Valium, Murray said he tried a series of drugs instead of propofol to make Jackson sleep. The injections included two milligrams of lorazepam around 2 a.m., two milligrams of midazolam around 3 a.m., and repeats of each at 5 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. respectively.
But they didn’t work.
Murray told detectives that around 10:40 a.m. he gave in to Jackson’s “repeated demands/requests” for propofol, which the singer referred to as his “milk.” He administered 25 milligrams of the white-colored liquid, — a relatively small dose — and finally, Jackson fell asleep.
Murray remained with the sedated Jackson for about 10 minutes, then left for the bathroom. No more than two minutes later, he returned — and found Jackson had stopped breathing.
“There’s no surprise there” that death could result from such a combination, said Dr. David Zvara, anesthesia chairman at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“All those drugs act in synergy with each other,” Zvara said. Adding propofol on top of all the other sedatives “tipped the balance.”
Besides the propofol and two sedatives, the coroner’s toxicology report found other substances in Jackson’s system but they were not believed to have been a factor in the singer’s death, the official told the AP.
When he died, Jackson was skinny but not overly emaciated, and his body had bed sores, the official said. The singer is believed to have developed bed sores in the months following his 2005 acquittal of child molestation charges, when he went into seclusion and spent long stretches in bed.
Murray has spoken to police and last week released a video saying he “told the truth and I have faith the truth will prevail.” Murray did not say anything about the drugs he gave to Jackson. Murray’s attorney, Edward Chernoff, had no immediate comment but has previously said Murray never administered anything that “should have” killed Jackson.
A call to the coroner’s office was not returned Monday.
Jackson’s family released a statement Monday, saying it has “full confidence” in the legal process and the efforts of investigators. It concludes: “The family looks forward to the day that justice can be served.”
The 25 milligrams of propofol Murray told police he gave Jackson the day he died “is not a whopping amount,” said Lee Cantrell, director of the San Diego division of the California Poison Control System. But by combining propofol with a cocktail of the other sedatives, known as benzodiazepines, it “may have been the trigger that pushed him over the edge,” Cantrell said.
Cantrell said it’s perplexing that someone would give various benzodiazepines if one was found not to be effective.
“This is horrible polypharmacy,” he said, referring to the interaction between the various drugs. “No one will treat an insomniac like this.”
The affidavit says Murray told investigators he didn’t order or buy any propofol and had found about eight bottles of it in Jackson’s home along with numerous other medications. But investigators served a search warrant Aug. 11 at a Las Vegas pharmacy and uncovered evidence showing Murray legally purchased from the store the propofol he gave Jackson the day he died.
Murray didn’t tell paramedics or doctors at UCLA hospital where Jackson was rushed June 25 about any drugs he administered other than lorazepam and flumazenil, according to the affidavit. The document says it was only during a subsequent interview with Los Angeles Police detectives that Murray gave a more full accounting of the events leading up to the 911 call.
The coroner’s office has not publicly released its autopsy findings, citing a request from police detectives to withhold results until their investigation is complete.
Homicide, or “death at the hands of another,” is one of several possible findings in a coroner’s death investigation. The designation does not necessarily mean a crime was committed though it is a useful starting point for prosecutors, said Dr. Michael Baden, the former chief medical examiner in New York City and a forensics expert involved in many high-profile murder cases.
“It is an easier prosecution when the medical examiner calls it a homicide,” said Baden, who is not involved in the Jackson investigation.
Additionally, in the search warrant, obtained by Access Hollywood, Murray reportedly told officials that he estimated Jackson was not breathing at 11 AM. According to the physicians cell phone records obtained by authorities, Murray made three calls between 1118 and 1205, which authorities claim he did not tell them about during interviews.
The warrant also revealed that a prescription pill bottle of Tizanidine (zanaflex), prescribed to Jackson by Dr. Arnold Klein, was found at the pop star’s bedside.
According to the warrant, an unidentified female caller spoke to authorities and claimed Jackson used a host of aliases including Omar Arnold, Fernand Diaz, Peter Madonie and Josephine Baker as aliases when he visited Dr. Klein.
Additionally, detectives recovered a prescription at Jackson’s home prescribed by Klein and in the name of Omar Arnold.
Although authorities subpoenaed medical records from Klein, he only provided records dating back to March 2009, according to the warrant.
On Monday evening, an attorney for Murray issued a statement about the report.
“Much of what was in the search warrant affidavit is factual. However, unfortunately, much is police theory,” the statement read. “Most egregiously, the timeline reported by law enforcement was not obtained through interviews with Dr. Murray, as was implied by the affidavit. Dr. Murray simply never told investigators that he found Michael Jackson at 11:00 am not breathing. He also never said that he waited a mere ten minutes before leaving to make several phone calls. In fact, Dr. Murray never said that he left Michael Jackson’s room to make phone calls at all.
“We will not comment on the ‘anonymous’ law enforcement source that claims that Michael Jackson’s death will be ruled a homicide. Most of the reports by ‘anonymous’ sources have been proven wrong,” the statement continued. “We will be happy to address the Coroner’s report when it is officially released.”
[Source]
Simon Cowell protégée Leona Lewis has decided on a title and release date for her new album. Echo, the follow-up to Lewis' platinum-plus 2008 debut, Spirit, is due Nov. 17.
"An echo describes a big, organic sound," Lewis says of her choice.
Lewis is recording in various cities, including New York and Los Angeles. Though one track called Don't Let Me Down has
leaked online, neither the lineup of songs nor the list of contributors has been finalized. "I'm working with incredible songwriters and producers, and my music has really evolved," Lewis says.
Ryan Tedder, who co-wrote and produced Lewis' chart-topping breakthrough hit, Bleeding Love, is one confirmed collaborator, and a number of top artists have joined her in the studio, including Justin Timberlake, Ne-Yo and producer Timbaland.
[Source]