LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Three new albums and fans of the late Whitney Houston were unable to oust Adele from her top spot on the Billboard 200 chart on Wednesday, as the British singer notched a 22nd week at Noclass='yshortcuts' id='l. 1 with her Grammy-winning record '21.'
The multi-platinum '21' has sold more than 7.6 million copies in the U.She bottom,' the singer said cheekily, r. since its release in February 2012 and continued strong sales with 296,000 copies snapped up by listeners last week.
The last album to sit at Nodia,zenfs,com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-02-10T00. 1 for more than 22 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart was Prince & The Revolution's 'Purple Rain,' which topped the chart between 1984 and 1985.
The highest new entry came from New York alternative-pop band Fun., whose sophomore album 'Some Nights' debuted at Nowas an impossible thing to happen, But he. 3, selling 69,000 copies in its first weektcuts' id='lw_1328835504_1'George Harrison/span a. The band also scored the No span class='yshortcuts' i. 1 spot on the digital songs chart with 'We Are Young' featuring Janelle Monae, which was featured in a Chevrolet commercial during this year's Superbowl.
Rapper Tyga came in at Noalign:left;float:left;padding:0 . 4 with his debut album 'Careless World,' while hip-hop duo Chiddy Bang landed at No McCartney's star was placed outside t. 8 with debut album 'Breakfast.'
Late singer Whitney Houston's greatest hits compilation retained the Noespectively, while Starr got his in 2010,. 2 slot, selling 173,000 copies, while the 'Bodyguard' soundtrack featuring one of her biggest hits, 'I Will Always Love You,' hit Noatlemania for hits like. 6 with 46,000 copies and her self-titled album claimed the Nod, clutching memorabilia, to see McCartney h. 9 spot, selling 29,000 copies.
The surge in Houston's other albums this week comes after stores rolled out copies of her records following her sudden death on February 11 in a Beverly Hills hotel.
Digital sales of the late singer's tracks fell, however, as none of her songs featured in the top 10 of the Digital Songs chart this week.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
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Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Former Monkee Davy Jones dies at age 66 in Florida
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Davy Jones, a onetime teen heartthrob as a member of the 1960s made-for-television pop band The Monkees, died on Wednesday after suffering a heart attack near his home in Florida, according to his longtime publicistied at age 83, His death wa. He was 66.
Jones was stricken while attending to horses he kept in Indiantown, Florida, about halfway between the Atlantic coast and Lake Okeechobee, spokeswoman Helen Kensick said, but she had no further detailsn Friday after a long illness, . Jones had lived with his third wife, Jessica Pacheco-Jones, in Hollywood, Florida, in recent years, she said.
Born in Manchester, England, Jones was the lone British member and principal teen idol of the rock quartet featured for two seasons on the NBC comedy series 'The Monkees.' The prime-time hit was inspired in part by the Beatles film 'A Hard Day's Night' and ran from the fall of 1966 to August 1968.
Although not allowed to play their own instruments on their early records, Jones and his three cohorts -- Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork -- had several hits that sold millions of copies, including 'Last Train to Clarksville' and 'I'm a Believer.'
Jones sang lead vocals on the hit single 'Daydream Believer,' as well as such songs as 'A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You,' and 'Valleri.'
Jones got his start as an 11-year-old actor on the still-running British soap opera 'Coronation Street' before landing a role as the Artful Dodger in a West End production of 'Oliver!' He went on to originate that role for the Broadway production and earned a Tony nomination.
But Jones gained wider stardom after answering a casting call for a TV series being created about the zany misadventures of four Beatles-like rock musicians called the Monkees_1328730848_7'genetic mat. Two members of the group, Nesmith and Tork, were musicians with performing and recording experience, while Jones and Dolenz were primarily actors who more or less dabbled in music.
According to Jones, the four were selected largely on the basis of their physical chemistry.
'We looked for different types of guys to be part of this idea,' he recalled in an account posted on his website/span, he discovered that viruses could transfer. 'Micky, Peter, Mike and I were put together in one scene and everyone said, 'That's it .. Zinder was born in New York Cit. magic! We'll use you four.'
ADEPT PERFORMERS
Although disparaged by critics as the 'Pre-Fab Four' for the manufactured way in which the band came together, the group proved to be adept performers who were eventually given control over their own recordings.
Veteran label executive Don Kirshner, the show's musical coordinator, was ultimately fired from the series when producers sided with the stars in a standoff over their musical autonomy.
The TV series, introduced by its catchy theme, 'Hey, Hey, We're the Monkees,' debuted as an immediate ratings hit weeks after the group's first single, 'Last Train to Clarksville,' had topped the pop charts.
The group collaborated early on with some of the major songwriters and session musicians of the day, including Neil Diamond, Carole King, Glen Campbell and Hal Blaine.
The Monkees' self-titled first LP topped the album charts that October, and the popularity of the group generated a wave of merchandising, including toys, games and lunchboxestional Cancer Institu. But their only feature film, 'Head,' was a box-office flop.
After their fifth album, the group began to splinter, releasing two more albums as a trio without Tork and one last LP as a duo following Nesmith's exit in 1969.
Jones went on to pursue a less-heralded solo career and appeared as himself in a popular 1971 episode of the hit sitcom 'The Brady Bunch, in which the show's character, Marcia Brady, was president of a Davy Jones fan club and tried to get the singer to perform at her school prom.
He made another cameo as himself in the 1995 'The Brady Bunch Movie.'
Three members of the Monkees -- Jones, Tork and Dolenz -- teamed up for a 20th anniversary reunion tour in 1986 and regrouped again for a tour three years later research into the sp. A final reunion album by all four original Monkees, 'Justus,' was released in 1996, in conjunction with a TV special.
A 45th anniversary tour, again without Nesmith, was launched last year.
In addition to his wife, Jones is survived for four daughters from two previous marriages.
(Additional reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy and Christine Kearney; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Greg McCune and Cynthia Johnston)
This article is brought to you by ONLINE DATING.
Jones was stricken while attending to horses he kept in Indiantown, Florida, about halfway between the Atlantic coast and Lake Okeechobee, spokeswoman Helen Kensick said, but she had no further detailsn Friday after a long illness, . Jones had lived with his third wife, Jessica Pacheco-Jones, in Hollywood, Florida, in recent years, she said.
Born in Manchester, England, Jones was the lone British member and principal teen idol of the rock quartet featured for two seasons on the NBC comedy series 'The Monkees.' The prime-time hit was inspired in part by the Beatles film 'A Hard Day's Night' and ran from the fall of 1966 to August 1968.
Although not allowed to play their own instruments on their early records, Jones and his three cohorts -- Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork -- had several hits that sold millions of copies, including 'Last Train to Clarksville' and 'I'm a Believer.'
Jones sang lead vocals on the hit single 'Daydream Believer,' as well as such songs as 'A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You,' and 'Valleri.'
Jones got his start as an 11-year-old actor on the still-running British soap opera 'Coronation Street' before landing a role as the Artful Dodger in a West End production of 'Oliver!' He went on to originate that role for the Broadway production and earned a Tony nomination.
But Jones gained wider stardom after answering a casting call for a TV series being created about the zany misadventures of four Beatles-like rock musicians called the Monkees_1328730848_7'genetic mat. Two members of the group, Nesmith and Tork, were musicians with performing and recording experience, while Jones and Dolenz were primarily actors who more or less dabbled in music.
According to Jones, the four were selected largely on the basis of their physical chemistry.
'We looked for different types of guys to be part of this idea,' he recalled in an account posted on his website/span, he discovered that viruses could transfer. 'Micky, Peter, Mike and I were put together in one scene and everyone said, 'That's it .. Zinder was born in New York Cit. magic! We'll use you four.'
ADEPT PERFORMERS
Although disparaged by critics as the 'Pre-Fab Four' for the manufactured way in which the band came together, the group proved to be adept performers who were eventually given control over their own recordings.
Veteran label executive Don Kirshner, the show's musical coordinator, was ultimately fired from the series when producers sided with the stars in a standoff over their musical autonomy.
The TV series, introduced by its catchy theme, 'Hey, Hey, We're the Monkees,' debuted as an immediate ratings hit weeks after the group's first single, 'Last Train to Clarksville,' had topped the pop charts.
The group collaborated early on with some of the major songwriters and session musicians of the day, including Neil Diamond, Carole King, Glen Campbell and Hal Blaine.
The Monkees' self-titled first LP topped the album charts that October, and the popularity of the group generated a wave of merchandising, including toys, games and lunchboxestional Cancer Institu. But their only feature film, 'Head,' was a box-office flop.
After their fifth album, the group began to splinter, releasing two more albums as a trio without Tork and one last LP as a duo following Nesmith's exit in 1969.
Jones went on to pursue a less-heralded solo career and appeared as himself in a popular 1971 episode of the hit sitcom 'The Brady Bunch, in which the show's character, Marcia Brady, was president of a Davy Jones fan club and tried to get the singer to perform at her school prom.
He made another cameo as himself in the 1995 'The Brady Bunch Movie.'
Three members of the Monkees -- Jones, Tork and Dolenz -- teamed up for a 20th anniversary reunion tour in 1986 and regrouped again for a tour three years later research into the sp. A final reunion album by all four original Monkees, 'Justus,' was released in 1996, in conjunction with a TV special.
A 45th anniversary tour, again without Nesmith, was launched last year.
In addition to his wife, Jones is survived for four daughters from two previous marriages.
(Additional reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy and Christine Kearney; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Greg McCune and Cynthia Johnston)
This article is brought to you by ONLINE DATING.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
"Dancing With the Stars" avoids conflict with new cast
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Television ballroom contest 'Dancing With the Stars' took a step back from controversy with its new cast unveiled on Tuesday, including tennis champ Martina Navratilova, several TV actors, an opera singer and Gladys Knight without her 'Pips.'
'Dancing With the Stars' annually is among the top-rated U.Sd the whole world,' . TV shows with a formula that pairs B-list celebrities, sports stars and singers with professional dancers performing sambas, cha-cha-chas and waltzes across a ballroom floor.
Last year the show courted controversy when it cast Chaz Bono, the transgender child of pop superstar Cher, resulting in protests from some conservative groupseir tumultuous 14 years togethe. But this season there appears little in the lineup to fuss about.
The cast of 12 celebrities includes Navratilova, one of the most celebrated women tennis champions of all time, and Gladys Knight, who along with her backup band the Pips, scored hits such as 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine' and 'Midnight Train to Georgia.'
Melissa Gilbert found fame in 1970s TV western 'Little House on the Prairie,' and Jaleel White's character Steve Urkel on 'Family Matters' became a TV icon of the 1990smarred by drug abuse and domestic vi. Both will compete on the show alongside Welsh mezzo soprano Katherine Jenkins and pop singer Gavin DeGraw.
Others on the new season, which premieres March 19 on the ABC network, are professional football player Donald Driver, Disney channel actor Roshon Fegan, Cuban-born Telemundo star William Levy, TV show hosts Maria Menounos and Sherri Shepherd, and Jack Wagner, star of 1990s hit show 'Melrose Place.'
(Reporting By Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Jill Serjeant)
(This story was corrected in the final paragraph to change name to Jack Wagner)
This article is brought to you by MATCH.
'Dancing With the Stars' annually is among the top-rated U.Sd the whole world,' . TV shows with a formula that pairs B-list celebrities, sports stars and singers with professional dancers performing sambas, cha-cha-chas and waltzes across a ballroom floor.
Last year the show courted controversy when it cast Chaz Bono, the transgender child of pop superstar Cher, resulting in protests from some conservative groupseir tumultuous 14 years togethe. But this season there appears little in the lineup to fuss about.
The cast of 12 celebrities includes Navratilova, one of the most celebrated women tennis champions of all time, and Gladys Knight, who along with her backup band the Pips, scored hits such as 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine' and 'Midnight Train to Georgia.'
Melissa Gilbert found fame in 1970s TV western 'Little House on the Prairie,' and Jaleel White's character Steve Urkel on 'Family Matters' became a TV icon of the 1990smarred by drug abuse and domestic vi. Both will compete on the show alongside Welsh mezzo soprano Katherine Jenkins and pop singer Gavin DeGraw.
Others on the new season, which premieres March 19 on the ABC network, are professional football player Donald Driver, Disney channel actor Roshon Fegan, Cuban-born Telemundo star William Levy, TV show hosts Maria Menounos and Sherri Shepherd, and Jack Wagner, star of 1990s hit show 'Melrose Place.'
(Reporting By Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Jill Serjeant)
(This story was corrected in the final paragraph to change name to Jack Wagner)
This article is brought to you by MATCH.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Meryl Streep takes third career Oscar
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Meryl Streep, who holds the record with 17 for the most Academy Award nominations by any actor, won the Oscar for best lead actress on Sunday for her portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 'The Iron Lady.'
It was Streep's third Academy Award, but her first since winning the Oscar for 'Sophie's Choice' in 1982nd behaving erratically in the three or. She was also honored for the 1979 film 'Kramer vsstances that may have been in. Kramer,' and had long been considered overdue for another Academy Award.
Accepting her award, Streep sounded less like a winning actress than a star who had just received a lifetime achievement award.
'I really understand that I'll never be up here again,' she said in an emotional speech in which she congratulated Roy Helland, her hair stylist for 37 years and who shared this year's Oscar for makeup with Mark Coulier for 'The Iron Lady.'
'I look out there and I see my life before my eyes,' said Streep, addressing an audience packed with the biggest names in the movie industry .
'When they called my name,' said StreepS ANGELES (Reuters) - Officials inve. 'I had the feeling I could hear half of America going, 'oh, no Radio reports from Comayagua s. Come on.''
Streep, 62, is widely regarded as the best living movie actress, and most critics said she turned in her best performance ever as Thatcher.
She won her first Oscar at the age of 30 for 'Kramer vss, Houston h. Kramer,' her fourth feature, according to the movie website IMDB.
'I was a kid when I received the first nomination,' she said in comments to reporters backstageear-old daughter span cl. 'Two of the nominees (tonight) weren't even conceived.'
In 'The Iron Lady,' she plays the feisty British leader both as a woman at the height of her powers in the 1980s, and as an old and lonely woman suffering from dementia in the present day.
Streep first appeared on screen in 1977 in 'Julia' after having honed her craft at the Yale School of Drama and on stage.
She quickly became known for the depth and breadth of her characterizations, and for her gift with accents such as the Polish Holocaust survivor she played in 'Sophie's Choice'.
Dozens of other movies followed, ranging from romantic fare like 'Out of Africa' and 'The Bridges of Madison County' to biographical movies such as 'Silkwood', and dramas like 'Doubt' and the HBO television series 'Angels in America' for which Streep won an Emmy.
She was presented the Oscar by Colin Firth, who won a statue for best actor last year for 'The King's Speech' and who starred with Streep in the 2008 film 'Mamma Mia!'
'Mamma Mia,' joked Colin Firthgnition and the prison was destroyed b. 'We were in Greece, I was gay, I probably fathered her daughter.'
In 2006, Streep changed direction to comedy, playing a ferocious fashion boss in 'The Devil Wears Prada' and then camping it up in her first musical 'Mamma Mia!'.
She followed up with a dead-on impersonation of TV cook Julia Child in 'Julie & Julia' and showed her flair for romantic comedy with 'It's Complicated' opposite Alec Baldwin.
'You are unreasonably good,' Firth said to Streep in his introduction before announcing the name of the winner.' 'Whatever role you play you raise the bar, making it a little more difficult for the rest of us.'
(Reporting by Chris Michaud; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Sandra Maler)
This article is brought to you by DATING ADVICE.
It was Streep's third Academy Award, but her first since winning the Oscar for 'Sophie's Choice' in 1982nd behaving erratically in the three or. She was also honored for the 1979 film 'Kramer vsstances that may have been in. Kramer,' and had long been considered overdue for another Academy Award.
Accepting her award, Streep sounded less like a winning actress than a star who had just received a lifetime achievement award.
'I really understand that I'll never be up here again,' she said in an emotional speech in which she congratulated Roy Helland, her hair stylist for 37 years and who shared this year's Oscar for makeup with Mark Coulier for 'The Iron Lady.'
'I look out there and I see my life before my eyes,' said Streep, addressing an audience packed with the biggest names in the movie industry .
'When they called my name,' said StreepS ANGELES (Reuters) - Officials inve. 'I had the feeling I could hear half of America going, 'oh, no Radio reports from Comayagua s. Come on.''
Streep, 62, is widely regarded as the best living movie actress, and most critics said she turned in her best performance ever as Thatcher.
She won her first Oscar at the age of 30 for 'Kramer vss, Houston h. Kramer,' her fourth feature, according to the movie website IMDB.
'I was a kid when I received the first nomination,' she said in comments to reporters backstageear-old daughter span cl. 'Two of the nominees (tonight) weren't even conceived.'
In 'The Iron Lady,' she plays the feisty British leader both as a woman at the height of her powers in the 1980s, and as an old and lonely woman suffering from dementia in the present day.
Streep first appeared on screen in 1977 in 'Julia' after having honed her craft at the Yale School of Drama and on stage.
She quickly became known for the depth and breadth of her characterizations, and for her gift with accents such as the Polish Holocaust survivor she played in 'Sophie's Choice'.
Dozens of other movies followed, ranging from romantic fare like 'Out of Africa' and 'The Bridges of Madison County' to biographical movies such as 'Silkwood', and dramas like 'Doubt' and the HBO television series 'Angels in America' for which Streep won an Emmy.
She was presented the Oscar by Colin Firth, who won a statue for best actor last year for 'The King's Speech' and who starred with Streep in the 2008 film 'Mamma Mia!'
'Mamma Mia,' joked Colin Firthgnition and the prison was destroyed b. 'We were in Greece, I was gay, I probably fathered her daughter.'
In 2006, Streep changed direction to comedy, playing a ferocious fashion boss in 'The Devil Wears Prada' and then camping it up in her first musical 'Mamma Mia!'.
She followed up with a dead-on impersonation of TV cook Julia Child in 'Julie & Julia' and showed her flair for romantic comedy with 'It's Complicated' opposite Alec Baldwin.
'You are unreasonably good,' Firth said to Streep in his introduction before announcing the name of the winner.' 'Whatever role you play you raise the bar, making it a little more difficult for the rest of us.'
(Reporting by Chris Michaud; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Sandra Maler)
This article is brought to you by DATING ADVICE.
Meryl Streep wins best actress Oscar for "The Iron Lady"
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Meryl Streep won the Oscar for best lead actress on Sunday for her portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 'The Iron Lady.'
It was Streep's third Oscar, and her first in 30 years, although she has a record 17 nominations for the most coveted prize in the movie industry.
Streep's previous Oscars were for the 1979 film 'Kramer vsy, who was not in court . Kramer' and 1982's 'Sophie's Choice'sician admitted giving Jackson sedatives an. She had long been considered overdue for another Academy Award.
'When they called my name, I had the feeling I could hear half of America going, 'oh, come on,'' Streep said span class='yshortcuts' id='lw_133010968. 'Oh, her again?'
'I look out there, and I see my life before my eyes, my old friend, my new friends,' she said to the audience that had given her a standing ovation.
Streep, 62, is widely regarded as the best living movie actress, and most critics said she turned in her best performance ever as Thatcher.
She plays the feisty British leader both as a woman at the height of her powers in the 1980s, and as an old and lonely woman suffering from dementia in the present day.
Streep first appeared on screen in 1977 in 'Julia' after having honed her craft at the Yale School of Drama and on stage.
She quickly became known for the depth and breadth of her characterizations, and for her gift with accents such as the Polish Holocaust survivor she played in 'Sophie's Choice'.
Dozens of other movies followed, ranging from romantic fare like 'Out of Africa' and 'The Bridges of Madison County' to biographical movies such as 'Silkwood', and dramas like 'Doubt' and the HBO television series 'Angels in America' for which Streep won an Emmy.
'Mamma Mia!' joked Colin Firth, her co-star in the 2008 film 'Mamma Mia!' who presented the awardDr, span class='yshortcuts. 'We were in Greece, I was gay, I probably fathered her daughtererior Court judge Michael Pastor/spa. '
'You are unreasonably good,' Firth addeday, 59, began serving a fou. 'Whatever role you play you raise the bar, making it a little more difficult for the rest of us.'
In 2006, Streep changed direction to comedy, playing a ferocious fashion boss in 'The Devil Wears Prada' and then camping it up in her first musical 'Mamma Mia!'.
She followed up with a dead-on impersonation of TV cook Julia Child in 'Julie & Julia' and showed her flair for romantic comedy with 'It's Complicated' opposite Alec Baldwin.
(Reporting by Chris Michaud; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Sandra Maler)
This article is brought to you by DATING SERVICE.
It was Streep's third Oscar, and her first in 30 years, although she has a record 17 nominations for the most coveted prize in the movie industry.
Streep's previous Oscars were for the 1979 film 'Kramer vsy, who was not in court . Kramer' and 1982's 'Sophie's Choice'sician admitted giving Jackson sedatives an. She had long been considered overdue for another Academy Award.
'When they called my name, I had the feeling I could hear half of America going, 'oh, come on,'' Streep said span class='yshortcuts' id='lw_133010968. 'Oh, her again?'
'I look out there, and I see my life before my eyes, my old friend, my new friends,' she said to the audience that had given her a standing ovation.
Streep, 62, is widely regarded as the best living movie actress, and most critics said she turned in her best performance ever as Thatcher.
She plays the feisty British leader both as a woman at the height of her powers in the 1980s, and as an old and lonely woman suffering from dementia in the present day.
Streep first appeared on screen in 1977 in 'Julia' after having honed her craft at the Yale School of Drama and on stage.
She quickly became known for the depth and breadth of her characterizations, and for her gift with accents such as the Polish Holocaust survivor she played in 'Sophie's Choice'.
Dozens of other movies followed, ranging from romantic fare like 'Out of Africa' and 'The Bridges of Madison County' to biographical movies such as 'Silkwood', and dramas like 'Doubt' and the HBO television series 'Angels in America' for which Streep won an Emmy.
'Mamma Mia!' joked Colin Firth, her co-star in the 2008 film 'Mamma Mia!' who presented the awardDr, span class='yshortcuts. 'We were in Greece, I was gay, I probably fathered her daughtererior Court judge Michael Pastor/spa. '
'You are unreasonably good,' Firth addeday, 59, began serving a fou. 'Whatever role you play you raise the bar, making it a little more difficult for the rest of us.'
In 2006, Streep changed direction to comedy, playing a ferocious fashion boss in 'The Devil Wears Prada' and then camping it up in her first musical 'Mamma Mia!'.
She followed up with a dead-on impersonation of TV cook Julia Child in 'Julie & Julia' and showed her flair for romantic comedy with 'It's Complicated' opposite Alec Baldwin.
(Reporting by Chris Michaud; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Sandra Maler)
This article is brought to you by DATING SERVICE.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Adam Sandler sets Razzie record for worst movies
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comic actor Adam Sandler may not be in the running for an Oscar this year, but on Saturday he set a new record for another award -- the most Razzie nominations for the worst films and performances of 2011.
The producer, actor and writer received a leading 11 Razzie nods, including worst actor, actress, screenplay and film, in a contest created as an antidote to the love-fest that engulfs Hollywood during Oscar season.
Sandler's cross-dressing comedy 'Jack & Jill' in which he played both the male and female roles, led the pack of poor movies with 12 nodsrate on the planned bo. His romantic comedy 'Just Go With It' got 5, and 'Bucky Larson: Born to be a Star', for which Sandler wrote the screenplay, notched up 6 nominations.
But Sandler, who ironically was voted People's Choice best movie comedy actor in January, was in excellent company.
Al Pacino, regarded as one of the best living film actors, got a dishonorable mention for his cameo in 'Jack & Jill's='yshortcuts' id='lw_1329422051_2'Harper Col. Oscar winner Nicole Kidman, got a nod for her supporting role in 'Just Go With It', and Nicolas Cage was nominated worst actor for his performances in three 2011 movies -- 'Trespass', 'Season of the Witch' and 'Drive Angry 3-D'.
And the first installment in the finale of vampire romance 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1' -- a favorite Razzie target -- got eight nods, including worst movie and worst acting nods for stars Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart.
The winners will be determined by 600-plus voters of the Golden Raspberry Foundation and announced on April Fool's Day, April 1.
That's a change in tradition that for years saw the Razzies handed out on the eve of the annual Academy Awards, sometimes making for a bizarre weekend.
The group, which was created in 1980 by California movie buff John Wilson, gave Sandra Bullock a Razzie for comedy 'All About Steve' in 2010, the same year she won the best actress Oscar the following day for her role in 'The Blind Side'.
Other notable 2012 Razzie nominations went to Britain's Russell Brand for worst actor in worst remake contender 'Arthur'; action movie 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon' and its director Michael Bay; and romantic comedy 'New Year's Eve' which Wilson said 'wasted more than 20 major stars on a plot almost as sophisticated as an episode of 'The Love Boat'.'
Tea Party favorite Sarah Palin got a tongue in cheek worst actress nod, for playing herself in her political documentary film 'The Undefeated.'
The full list of nominations can be found at http://www.razzies.com/
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING.
The producer, actor and writer received a leading 11 Razzie nods, including worst actor, actress, screenplay and film, in a contest created as an antidote to the love-fest that engulfs Hollywood during Oscar season.
Sandler's cross-dressing comedy 'Jack & Jill' in which he played both the male and female roles, led the pack of poor movies with 12 nodsrate on the planned bo. His romantic comedy 'Just Go With It' got 5, and 'Bucky Larson: Born to be a Star', for which Sandler wrote the screenplay, notched up 6 nominations.
But Sandler, who ironically was voted People's Choice best movie comedy actor in January, was in excellent company.
Al Pacino, regarded as one of the best living film actors, got a dishonorable mention for his cameo in 'Jack & Jill's='yshortcuts' id='lw_1329422051_2'Harper Col. Oscar winner Nicole Kidman, got a nod for her supporting role in 'Just Go With It', and Nicolas Cage was nominated worst actor for his performances in three 2011 movies -- 'Trespass', 'Season of the Witch' and 'Drive Angry 3-D'.
And the first installment in the finale of vampire romance 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1' -- a favorite Razzie target -- got eight nods, including worst movie and worst acting nods for stars Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart.
The winners will be determined by 600-plus voters of the Golden Raspberry Foundation and announced on April Fool's Day, April 1.
That's a change in tradition that for years saw the Razzies handed out on the eve of the annual Academy Awards, sometimes making for a bizarre weekend.
The group, which was created in 1980 by California movie buff John Wilson, gave Sandra Bullock a Razzie for comedy 'All About Steve' in 2010, the same year she won the best actress Oscar the following day for her role in 'The Blind Side'.
Other notable 2012 Razzie nominations went to Britain's Russell Brand for worst actor in worst remake contender 'Arthur'; action movie 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon' and its director Michael Bay; and romantic comedy 'New Year's Eve' which Wilson said 'wasted more than 20 major stars on a plot almost as sophisticated as an episode of 'The Love Boat'.'
Tea Party favorite Sarah Palin got a tongue in cheek worst actress nod, for playing herself in her political documentary film 'The Undefeated.'
The full list of nominations can be found at http://www.razzies.com/
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Martin Lawrence cops out in CBS comedy pilot
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Martin Lawrence is returning to the small screen with a starring role in an upcoming CBS comedy pilot.
The as-yet-untitled project will star Lawrence as a widowed father of two who enrolls in the police academy to become a cop at the age of 46 after losing his construction job.
The project, which will be produced by CBS Television Studios, is being written and executive-produced by Mike Lisbe and Nate Reger, who recently worked on the networks' short-lived offerings 'S#*! My Dad Says' and 'How to Be a Gentleman.' Lawrence's managers from the Collective, Michael Green and Sam Maydew, will also executive-produce.
Lawrence, known for his starring turns in theatrical offerings such as the 'Big Momma's House' and 'Bad Boys' film series, starred in the Fox sitcom 'Martin' from 1992 to 1997.
Deadline first reported the news.
(Editing By Zorianna Kit)
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The as-yet-untitled project will star Lawrence as a widowed father of two who enrolls in the police academy to become a cop at the age of 46 after losing his construction job.
The project, which will be produced by CBS Television Studios, is being written and executive-produced by Mike Lisbe and Nate Reger, who recently worked on the networks' short-lived offerings 'S#*! My Dad Says' and 'How to Be a Gentleman.' Lawrence's managers from the Collective, Michael Green and Sam Maydew, will also executive-produce.
Lawrence, known for his starring turns in theatrical offerings such as the 'Big Momma's House' and 'Bad Boys' film series, starred in the Fox sitcom 'Martin' from 1992 to 1997.
Deadline first reported the news.
(Editing By Zorianna Kit)
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Judge denies bail for Michael Jackson's killer doctor
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The doctor convicted of killing Michael Jackson must stay in jail pending his appeal because he might flee if allowed out on bail, a Los Angeles judge ruled on Friday.
Los Angeles Superior Court judge Michael Pastor turned down Dr class='yshortcuts' id='lw_1328730. Conrad Murray's request to be released until his involuntary manslaughter conviction appeal is heard.
Pastor said on Friday he believed Murray, who was born in Grenada and worked in both Las Vegas and Texas before being hired to care for the pop singer in 2009, is a flight risk.
Murray, 59, began serving a four-year jail term in November last year after being convicted by a jury of the involuntary manslaughter of the 'Thriller' singer.
The physician admitted giving Jackson sedatives and a dose of the powerful anesthetic propofol to help him sleep on the morning of his June 25, 2009 death, but the doctor denied criminal negligence.
Murray, who was not in court for Friday's hearing, had asked for bail, house arrest or electronic monitoring pending his appeal, which he said could take more than a year to be heard.
But prosecutors argued that he could flee California, was a danger to the community and had shown no remorse for his part in Jackson's death.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
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Los Angeles Superior Court judge Michael Pastor turned down Dr class='yshortcuts' id='lw_1328730. Conrad Murray's request to be released until his involuntary manslaughter conviction appeal is heard.
Pastor said on Friday he believed Murray, who was born in Grenada and worked in both Las Vegas and Texas before being hired to care for the pop singer in 2009, is a flight risk.
Murray, 59, began serving a four-year jail term in November last year after being convicted by a jury of the involuntary manslaughter of the 'Thriller' singer.
The physician admitted giving Jackson sedatives and a dose of the powerful anesthetic propofol to help him sleep on the morning of his June 25, 2009 death, but the doctor denied criminal negligence.
Murray, who was not in court for Friday's hearing, had asked for bail, house arrest or electronic monitoring pending his appeal, which he said could take more than a year to be heard.
But prosecutors argued that he could flee California, was a danger to the community and had shown no remorse for his part in Jackson's death.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
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Thursday, February 23, 2012
Charlie Sheen escort scandal may lead to lawsuit
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A former District of Columbia police commander whose unit escorted actor Charlie Sheen has said he plans to file a whistleblower lawsuit, alleging he was demoted because he said such escorts were common.
The officer, Hilton Burton, was demoted in August 2011 as commander of the special operations division and transferred to the medical services branch.
In a whistleblower notice filed with the city this month, Burton alleges the two-rank demotion to captain was punishment for testifying before the city council there was nothing inappropriate about the escort provided Sheen in April 2011.
Officers from the special operations division escorted Sheen from Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia to a stand-up performance at Constitution Hall in Washington.
The escort attracted wide media attention when Sheen posted on it on Twittere and domestic violence, . According to a city inspector general's report in July 2011, he tweeted: 'n car with Police escort in front and rear! driving like someone's about to deliver a baby! Cop car lights #Spinning!'
The former star of the TV series 'Two and a Half Men' also posted a photo purportedly showing the speedometer of the SUV he was in reading about 80 mph, the report said.
BAD PUBLICITY CITED
The event's promoter was billed $445.68 for the escort service, the report said hearing Houston sing, . The unit's duties include providing escorts for dignitaries visiting Washington.
Burton said in the notice he was punished because Police Chief Cathy Lanier was unhappy 'with the negative publicity that the Charlie Sheen escort had created.'
She also was upset by his contention celebrity escorts had been provided during the years she headed the special operations division, he said.
Burton is seeking restoration of his former rank and payment of damages along with back pay and benefits.
Lanier said in a statement on Thursday Burton's demotion was based on 'a review of command decisions, including several critical incidents' and a recommendation from his supervisor.
The inspector general's report last year said the Sheen escort was routineback door to avoid the crush of media set up to c. It faulted the officers for failing to coordinate with Virginia police and called for tighter procedures in providing escorts.
(Editing by Daniel Trotta)
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The officer, Hilton Burton, was demoted in August 2011 as commander of the special operations division and transferred to the medical services branch.
In a whistleblower notice filed with the city this month, Burton alleges the two-rank demotion to captain was punishment for testifying before the city council there was nothing inappropriate about the escort provided Sheen in April 2011.
Officers from the special operations division escorted Sheen from Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia to a stand-up performance at Constitution Hall in Washington.
The escort attracted wide media attention when Sheen posted on it on Twittere and domestic violence, . According to a city inspector general's report in July 2011, he tweeted: 'n car with Police escort in front and rear! driving like someone's about to deliver a baby! Cop car lights #Spinning!'
The former star of the TV series 'Two and a Half Men' also posted a photo purportedly showing the speedometer of the SUV he was in reading about 80 mph, the report said.
BAD PUBLICITY CITED
The event's promoter was billed $445.68 for the escort service, the report said hearing Houston sing, . The unit's duties include providing escorts for dignitaries visiting Washington.
Burton said in the notice he was punished because Police Chief Cathy Lanier was unhappy 'with the negative publicity that the Charlie Sheen escort had created.'
She also was upset by his contention celebrity escorts had been provided during the years she headed the special operations division, he said.
Burton is seeking restoration of his former rank and payment of damages along with back pay and benefits.
Lanier said in a statement on Thursday Burton's demotion was based on 'a review of command decisions, including several critical incidents' and a recommendation from his supervisor.
The inspector general's report last year said the Sheen escort was routineback door to avoid the crush of media set up to c. It faulted the officers for failing to coordinate with Virginia police and called for tighter procedures in providing escorts.
(Editing by Daniel Trotta)
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Thursday, February 16, 2012
New York Times reporter Anthony Shadid dies in Syria
(Reuters) - Pulitzer-prize winning New York Times foreign correspondent Anthony Shadid died on Thursday in Syria of an apparent asthma attack, the newspaper reported.
Shadid, 43, was on a reporting assignment in eastern Syria when he died, according to an obituary posted on the Times web site This is the second movie fo. It said Shadid was carried across the border into Turkey by Times photographer Tyler Hicks.
The paper said Shadid, who was the paper's Beirut bureau chief, had been reporting inside the country for about a week without the knowledge of the Syrian government, which attempts to tightly control foreign press coverage.
Shadid twice won the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting, once in 2004 and again in 2010, both for his coverage of the Iraq War.
In 2011, Shadid was captured by Libyan government forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi along with three of his Times colleagues while covering the uprising there, but he was released about a week later.
(Reporting By Mary Slosson; Editing by Dan Whitcomb and Peter Bohan)
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Shadid, 43, was on a reporting assignment in eastern Syria when he died, according to an obituary posted on the Times web site This is the second movie fo. It said Shadid was carried across the border into Turkey by Times photographer Tyler Hicks.
The paper said Shadid, who was the paper's Beirut bureau chief, had been reporting inside the country for about a week without the knowledge of the Syrian government, which attempts to tightly control foreign press coverage.
Shadid twice won the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting, once in 2004 and again in 2010, both for his coverage of the Iraq War.
In 2011, Shadid was captured by Libyan government forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi along with three of his Times colleagues while covering the uprising there, but he was released about a week later.
(Reporting By Mary Slosson; Editing by Dan Whitcomb and Peter Bohan)
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Amanda Knox signs book deal with Harper Collins
The spokeswoman declined to comment on financial terms of the deal or elaborate on the planned book, saying further details would be released in a statement on Friday.
Representatives for Knox, 24, declined to comment.
A bidding war broke out between U.Sonal History Day, a program aimed at incr. publishers over the rights to any memoir written by Knox with a price tag tipped at around one million dollars, according to book industry insiders.
The book was considered a hot property because the world has yet to hear all the details from Knox on her imprisonment and murder trial since she was freed from an Italian jail last year.
An Italian court in October overturned Knox's 2009 conviction on a charge of killing her British housemate, 21-year-old Meredith Kercher.
Also cleared was Knox's boyfriend, Rafaele Sollecito, leaving Ivorian drifter Rudy Guede as the only person convicted in a killing investigators believe was carried out by more than one person.
Kercher's half-naked body was found with stab wounds and a deep gash in her throat, in the apartment she shared with Knox in Perugia, Italy.
Knox, a former University of Washington student, was released from custody following the ruling and returned home to Seattle, where she has largely avoided the public eye.
(Writing and additional reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
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Colbert Report abruptly suspends production
Comedy Central said the show aired a repeat episode on Wednesday and would again on Thursday due to 'unforeseen circumstances,' but did not elaborateaid his friendship with Lawrence made . A spokesman for the cable network, owned by Viacom Inc., was not immediately available to comment.
The break comes during a crucial stretch for Stephen Colbert's show, with the Republican primary season in full swings' id='lw_1328902454_0'Lenny Kravitz/span is t. Last month, Colbert took his political shtick to South Carolina before its primary, staging a mock campaign rally and urging fans to vote for former Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain.
The comedian also has a super PAC - 'Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow' - that had raised more than $1 million by late January.
(Reporting by Paul Thomasch; Editing by Daniel Trotta)
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Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Whitney Houston's medical records sought after mystery death
. 15, 2012 title='The star of Br. Radio reports from Comayagua said dozens of prisoners were burned beyond recognition and the prison was destroyed by the flames was unveiled on the W. The fire claimed the lives of at least 272 inmatesf band members span class='yshor. (AP Photo/Fernando Antonio)' title='' class='lzbg'>The Los Angeles Coroner's office said on Wednesday the move was standard procedure in such casesles to get the honor, . Houston, 48, who had a history of addiction to cocaine and alcohol, was found unconscious and underwater in a bathtub late last week on the eve of the annual Grammy Awards show.
A private funeral is planned for her in her Newark, New Jersey hometown this coming Saturdayely, while Starr got his in 20. NBC and CBS television networks reported on Wednesday that Aretha Franklin, Houston's godmother, has been asked to sing at the service.
The coroner's office has declined to release details of an initial autopsy on the 'I Will Always Love You' pop star, and is awaiting results of tests for drugs, alcohol and other substances that may have been in her system.
'It is just standard protocol to find out who were the deceased's doctors and what the person was being treated for,' said Ltthe Fab Four gathere. Fred Corral, of the Los Angeles Coroner's office.
'We do that all the time when we find drugs or alcohol at the scene,' he added, referring to the subpoenas.
Celebrity website TMZ.com obtained a copy of Houston's death certificate on Wednesday, which showed the cause of death as 'deferred.' The certificate said Houston would be buried at a Westfield, New Jersey cemetery, and TMZ quoted sources close to the family as saying she would be laid to rest next to the grave of her father John.
Officials have said they found some prescription drugs in Houston's hotel room but they declined to give detailsortcuts' id='lw_1328835504_1'Ge. TMZ said the amount was small, but included the anti-anxiety drug Xanax, over the counter painkillers and some antibiotics.
Houston had a well-chronicled addiction to cocaine, marijuana, prescription drugs and alcoholcCartney as a singer and songwrit. She was last in rehab in May 2011.
Celebrity media have reported that Houston was seen drinking heavily and behaving erratically in the three or four days before her death.
Us Weekly, in a cover story for its Friday edition, quoted an unnamed insider as saying she would mix different substances2001 respectively, while Starr. 'The alcohol would lower her inhibitions, then she'd think it was no big deal to take a sleeping pill or two and smoke some weed,' the source told the magazine.
Houston leaves behind ex-husband Bobby Brown and the couple's 18 year-old daughter Bobbi Kristina, who was hospitalized twice over the weekend for anxiety.
Brown, who was married to Houston for 15 tumultuous years, said in a statement on Wednesday, that the teen was improving.
'My daughter Bobbi Kristina is doing much better,' Brown saidritish singer Paul McCartney is pic. 'We continue to provide love and support to Bobbi Kristinaf his game,' . She is dealing with the tragedy of her mother's death and would prefer to do it outside of the public eyetransparent-95031,png' style='background-im. I ask again that our privacy be respected.'
Sales and downloads of Houston's best-known songs have soared since Saturdayd cheekily, referring to his l. Single digital track downloads surpassed 887,000 in the 24 hours after her death and her greatest hit album re-entered the Billboard music charts at No.6.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
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Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Oliver Stone's son converts to Islam
NEW YORK, Feb 14 (TheWrap.com) - Sean Stone, the son of Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone and a defender of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, converted to Islam on Tuesday while filming a documentary in Iran, he told Agence France Presse.
'The conversion to Islam is not abandoning Christianity or Judaism, which I was born with;float:left;padding:0 5px 5p. It means I have accepted Mohammad and other prophets,' Stone, whose famous father is Jewish and mother is Christian, told AFPthe feature film 'The Body. He underwent the ceremony in the city of Isfahan.
The 27-year-old did not say why he convertedyshortcuts' id='lw_1329015372_0'Whitney Houston/sp. Iran's Fars news agency said he had become a Shiite and taken the Muslim first name Ali.
In an interview with TheWrap at the Toronto Film Festival in September, he supported Iran's right to a nuclear program as a defense against threats from Israel00_RTROPTP_2_JAPAN-DISASTER-. He said criticizing the Iranian government is 'like someone coming to your house and saying the father shouldn't hit the kids,' he said15372_0'Whitney Houston/span, winne. 'Who are we to tell them how to rule their country?'
'Iran is ruled by law,' said Stone style='background-im. 'People don't like Ahmadinejad, but that doesn't warrant a war or an uprising.'
Stone, who studied history at Princeton, has launched a co-production company to make movies based on Iranian history and cultureriends and family that were with her. He said in September that he wants to make films in Iran, 'because they're the biggest filmmakers in the Middle East, I'm very international-minded.'
His father has also happily taken political positions often seen as outside the American mainstream, by defending Cuban leader Fidel Castro and anti-American Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez.
Besides directing, Stone has acted in several films, including his father's 'Unfortunately it is true,' said . His small roles in Oliver Stone films included a fraternity pledge in 'W' and the young Jim Morrison in 'The Doors.'
(Editing By Zorianna Kit)
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'The conversion to Islam is not abandoning Christianity or Judaism, which I was born with;float:left;padding:0 5px 5p. It means I have accepted Mohammad and other prophets,' Stone, whose famous father is Jewish and mother is Christian, told AFPthe feature film 'The Body. He underwent the ceremony in the city of Isfahan.
The 27-year-old did not say why he convertedyshortcuts' id='lw_1329015372_0'Whitney Houston/sp. Iran's Fars news agency said he had become a Shiite and taken the Muslim first name Ali.
In an interview with TheWrap at the Toronto Film Festival in September, he supported Iran's right to a nuclear program as a defense against threats from Israel00_RTROPTP_2_JAPAN-DISASTER-. He said criticizing the Iranian government is 'like someone coming to your house and saying the father shouldn't hit the kids,' he said15372_0'Whitney Houston/span, winne. 'Who are we to tell them how to rule their country?'
'Iran is ruled by law,' said Stone style='background-im. 'People don't like Ahmadinejad, but that doesn't warrant a war or an uprising.'
Stone, who studied history at Princeton, has launched a co-production company to make movies based on Iranian history and cultureriends and family that were with her. He said in September that he wants to make films in Iran, 'because they're the biggest filmmakers in the Middle East, I'm very international-minded.'
His father has also happily taken political positions often seen as outside the American mainstream, by defending Cuban leader Fidel Castro and anti-American Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez.
Besides directing, Stone has acted in several films, including his father's 'Unfortunately it is true,' said . His small roles in Oliver Stone films included a fraternity pledge in 'W' and the young Jim Morrison in 'The Doors.'
(Editing By Zorianna Kit)
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Private funeral planned for Whitney Houston
. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz' title='A vehicle believed to be carrying the body of pop singer Whitney Houston arrives at the Whigham funeral home in Newark, New Jersey February 13, 2012 using marijuana, cocaine, alcohol and. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz' class='lzbg'>A spokeswoman for the Whigham Funeral Home told reporters on Tuesday that a private funeral service will be held Saturday at the New Hope Baptist Church, the New Jersey church where Houston once sang growing up, Los Angeles Coun. There will not be a wake, the spokeswoman said.
The body of the beloved singer, one of the biggest stars of her generation, was flown to New Jersey late on Monday from Los Angeles.
Fans had gathered outside the funeral home to greet a golden hearse carrying Houston that arrived just before midnight on Monday night under tight security.
Her death on Saturday in a Beverly Hills hotel stunned the music world, her fans and her familyrs,' (Additional re. She had been found unconscious and underwater in a bathtub in a Beverly Hills hotel, according to policeinal and a talent beyond . They have declined to speculate on the cause of her death at age 48.
An autopsy was completed on Sunday, and a final death report is pending completion of an official investigation and toxicology reports that may take weeks.
Houston, hails from music royalty and counts many stars who will likely attend the funeral serviceA dramatic scene unfolded at the span class='ysh. She is the cousin of Dionne Warwick and the daughter of Cissy Houston, who backed up Aretha Franklinential singers of her time, Houston won s. The 69-year-old Franklin is her godmother.
The singer rose to fame on early hits such as 'Saving All My Love For You' and 'How Will I Know.' Her powerful, soaring voice was later marred by battles with cocaine and alcohol.
STRONG-WILLED
Houston died on the eve of the music industry's Grammy Awardsned several hits including 'How Will I Know,'. Because of her admitted drug and alcohol abuse with stints in rehab as recently as May 2011, speculation arose that she might have died of a drug overdose.
'Msng the best-selling soundtracks in mov. Houston was apparently discovered in the bathtub by a member of her personal staff,' who called hotel security, Beverly Hills Police Lieutenant Mark Rosen said on Mondaylass='yshortcuts' id='lw_1329074412_6'Beverl. She was pulled from the bathtub, but when paramedics arrived 'she was unconscious and unresponsive,' he said.
Rosen declined comment on whether prescription drugs were in the room or the condition of Houston's bodyve already been notified,' Lieutenant Mark Rosen . Detectives have sealed their inquiry, he said.
Meanwhile, the singer's brother-in-law, Billy Watson, has dismissed talk the singer may have committed suicide, saying 'She wouldn't have done that to her daughter.'
Houston's daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, 18, was in Los Angeles when her mother died.
The singer was photographed partying in Los Angeles leading up to her death and had planned to attend an annual pre-award party hosted by record producer and mentor Clive Davis on the night she died.
Her personal troubles, including a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown, contradicted the innocent, fun-loving image that propelled her to stardom in the mid-1980s with early hits such as 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me).'
Her friend and singer Chaka Khan told CNN late on Monday that Houston was aware of her addictions: 'She was a strong-minded girl and I can't say it was anybody's fault .. years of drug use, d. If you want to get high, you get high.' Houston once worked for Khan as a studio backup singer in the 1970s and 1980s,
Houston won six Grammys and more than 400 other awards in a 25-year career that also saw her star in such blockbuster films as 'The Bodyguard'G');' width='190' height='129. Her 1992 hit cover single of Dolly Parton's 'I Will Always Love You' from 'The Bodyguard' soundtrack capped a career highlight between 1985 and 1992.
As with the 2009 death of pop superstar Michael Jackson, Internet sales of Houston's songs have surged after her death poured in from around the world for . 'I Will Always Love You,' was the No'background-image:url(. 1 download on iTunes on Tuesday, just ahead of Grammy winner Adele's 'Rolling in the Deep.'
Her albums, 'Whitney Houston -- The Greatest Hits', 'The Bodyguard' and 'Whitney Houston' were also all among the top 20 selling albums on iTunes.
(Additional reporting by Eduardo Munoz, Editing by Jackie Frank)
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Monday, February 13, 2012
Pacino, Tillis among arts honorees at White House
Saying they had 'left an indelible mark on American culture,' President Barack Obama awarded the honorees the 2011 National Medal of Arts and the National Humanities Medal in a glittering ceremony in the White House's East Room.
'We are told we are divided as a people, then suddenly the arts have the power to bring us together,' said the president, who was joined by first lady Michelle Obama.
'You .. A dramatic scene unfolded at the. bring new possibilities to all of user's van exits th. That's a special trait,' Obama saidtp://l,yimg,com/os/mit/media/m/base/images/t. He drew applause when he said that the arts and humanities would remain a priority while he was president.
Pacino, the 71-year-old star of such movies as 'The Godfather' and 'Dog Day Afternoon,' was awarded the National Medal of Arts, with Obama citing his 'signature intensity as an actor.'
Tillis, whose hits include 'Coca-Cola Cowboy' and 'Good Woman Blues,' won the arts award for his contributions to country musice lifted her to the top of the pop music world bu. Tillis, 79, overcame a stutter to record more than 60 albums and has written more than 1,000 songs.
The other arts honorees were:
-- painter and printmaker Will Barnet
-- author and former U.S the eve of the span class='yshortcuts' id='lw_1. poet laureate Rita Dove
-- art curator and philanthropist Emily Rauh Pulitzer
-- sculptor Martin Puryear
-- military morale-boosting non-profit United Service Organizations
-- pianist and teacher Andre Watts
The winners of the National Humanities Medal were:
-- Princeton University philosophy professor Kwame Anthony Appiah
-- Pulitzer Prize-winning poet John Ashbery
-- historian Robert Darnton, an expert on 18th century France
-- Andrew Delbanco, a professor of American literature at Columbia University
-- National History Day, a program aimed at increasing U.Sbeen notified,' Lieutenant. students' interest in history
-- pianist and author Charles Rosen
-- Teofilo Ruiz, a University of California Los Angeles history professor specializing in medieval Spain
-- Stanford University literature professor Ramon SaldÃvar
-- Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen, who has focused on the causes of poverty and famine.
(Reporting By Ian Simpson; Editing by Greg McCune)
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Whitney Houston's body ready to be released to family
Houston, 48, a pop singer who battled drug addiction during her life, was found dead in the bathtub of her Beverly Hills hotel room on Saturday on the eve of music's Grammy Awards, shocking family and fans, and prompting questions about what might have caused the death of the wealthy superstar.
Some reports, citing unnamed sources close to Beverly Hills police and Los Angeles County coroners, have cited a possible accidental drowning and others have highlighted her past drug use, but officials have declined to provide much detail pending toxicology tests that could take six to eight weeks to complete.
Funeral and memorial services have yet to be announced, and her family's representatives were not immediately available to comment.
Houston's brother-in-law, Billy Watson, on Monday vehemently denied to ABCNews.com that the singer had had any intention of committing suicide.
'Oh, no, this is accidental,' Billy told ABCNews.comted in Los Angeles in November 2010 and has main. 'She wouldn't have left her daughter like thats allege that Beresford-Redman dumped his . She wouldn't have done that to her daughter,' he said, referring to 18-year-old Bobby Kristina, who is said to be distraught over her mother's death.
Watson, whose sister is married to Houston's brother, Gary, said the family is flying back to New Jersey from California today and Tuesday, but there was no word on funeral plans.
'There is no reason it (the body) couldn't be released to the family today,' Los Angeles coroner's spokesman Lieutenant Joe Bale told reporters on Monday.
Ed Winter, the assistant chief coroner for Los Angeles County, declined comment on media reports that Houston had not drowned, but likely died from a combination of alcohol and prescription drugs including anti-anxiety medications.
'You can look at a body and not know what the cause of death is,' Winter told reporters50_5'reality TV/span show 'span class='ys. 'You might have a suspicion, but the person could have suffered a heart attack, or an embolism or something; and no matter what medications they're taking, until we run (toxicological tests) and see the level, and what's in the system, we're not going to speculate.'
Houston, best known for her hit single 'I Will Always Love You,' the theme song of 'The Bodyguard' film in which she starred, had a long history of addiction to alcohol, cocaine and marijuana and had been in rehab as recently as May 2011.
She had been preparing to appear at a pre-Grammy party in Beverly Hills on the night she died.
Celebrity website TMZ said on Monday that Houston's mother, singer Cissy Houston, had arranged to have her daughter's body flown to Atlanta, Georgia, as early as Tuesday was a co-creator of the MTV sh. Houston lived just outside Atlanta for several years with her husband of 14 years, singer Bobby Brown.
But NBC, quoting sources working with the family, said she was expected to be flown to New Jersey as early as Monday eveningspan class='yshortcuts' id. Houston was born in Newark and got her start as a gospel singer in the New Hope Baptist Church.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
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Sunday, February 12, 2012
Adele triumphs at Grammys with six wins
As joyous as the show was for Adele, it was equally as serious with tributes to late pop star Whitney Houston, who died suddenly on Saturdaynne Warwick and the . She was remembered by fellow artists in acceptance speeches and songs Her popularity soared in the 1980s a. Jennifer Hudson sang Houston's signature hit 'I Will Always Love You,' and Grammy host LL Cool J offered a prayer for Houston's family, friends and fans.
But it was Adele who stole the showve already been notified,' span clas. The 23-year-old, who has taken the music world by storm, underwent surgery on her vocal cords late last year and had been resting her voice on doctor's orders until music's biggest nighting had the opportunity to work. The British singer took the stage to belt out 'Rolling In the Deep,' and finished to a standing ovation.
Adele claimed three of the music industry's top awards, album, record and song of the year, and added best pop solo performance, pop vocal and short video to her stack of trophies.
'Thank you so muchatement, ',,, I always regretted n. This is ridiculous,' she said upon accepting the record of the year GrammyDee Warwick/span, as well as her godmo. 'I want to say thank you to every radio programmer and broadcaster that has been playing 'Rolling in the Deep' ..pan class='yshortcuts' . because I know it's not really a pop record.' She flashed a big smile and a thumbs up.
Rockers Foo Fighters were the other big winners, picking up five Grammys including best rock performance for the hit 'Walk.'
'This is a great honor because this record was a special record for our bandrtcuts' id='lw_1329015372_0'Whitney Houston/spa. Rather than go to the best studio .. biggest honors program that w. we made this one in my garage with some microphones and a tape machine,' said frontman Dave GrohlBob Tourtellotte and Mary Sloss. 'It shows that the human element of making music is what's most important.'
But as jubilant as the audience was for Adele and as much as Foo Fighters rocked the house, Grammy organizers were equally as serious about the death of Houston, whose body was found in the bathtub of her Beverly Hills hotel room You,' from the soundtrack of the feature film. The cause is still unknown.
Host LL Cool J took the stage and offered a prayer for Houston, her fans and her family 'No words, just tears,' a. 'Although she is gone too soon, we remain truly blessed by her musical spirit,' he said.
Other highlights included a Beach Boys reunion and a lifetime award for Glen Campbell, who sang 'Rhinestone Cowboy.'
Rousing performances came from Taylor Swift singing her hit 'Mean,' Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Chris Brown, Coldplay and Rihanna/span at around 3:20 p,m, PST, and the singer wa. Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt sang 'A Sunday Kind of Love' from Etta James, who also died in 2012.
(Reporting By Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Eric Beech)
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Coroner confirms Whitney Houston found in bathtub
. REUTERS/Jonathan Alcorn' title='A Los Angeles County Coroner's van exits the Beverly Hilton Hotel with the body of Whitney Houston, who died in a hotel room there on Saturday, in Beverly Hills, California February 12, 2012iences/span on Friday as she sang an . REUTERS/Jonathan Alcorn' class='lzbg'>Ed Winter, assistant chief coroner for Los Angeles County, revealed little about the autopsy at a news conference, but said medical examiners found no visible signs of trauma or foul play.
He declined to comment on various media reports that Houston, 48, had drowned in her hotel bathtub, possibly after succumbing to drugs or alcoholboundaries, has fully recovered, . He added, 'I'm not going to comment on any of the meds or prescriptions that were obtained.'
'I'd just comment that she was found in the bathtub profile will be shown b. ..1328887750_6'television. I believe somebody removed her from the bathtub and the paramedics did CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on her.'
He said toxicology tests, which would take six to eight weeks to conduct, would be necessary to determine what factor, if any, drugs or alcohol might have played in Houston's death.
He also said a 'security hold' had been placed on the case, as has been done in previous high-profile investigations, to keep further details from being divulged.
The coroner's briefing came as the Grammy Awards opened a few miles away at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where rapper-actor LL Cool J paid tribute to the late pop star just after the start of the star-studded music show.
'We've had a death in our family and so at least for me ..o station and, 'It felt like something. the only thing that feels right is to begin with a prayer for a woman we loved, for our fallen sister, Whitney Houston,' he said.
His brief prayer was followed by a clip of Houston singing her hit, 'I Will Always Love You,' as the crowd responded with a standing ovation.
Houston, who enjoyed tremendous professional success but struggled with drug abuse for years, died on Saturday afternoon in a fourth-floor room at the Beverly Hilton Hoteloat:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;'img src='http://l. She was at the hotel to attend an annual pre-Grammy gala held that evening by her mentor, record mogul Clive Davis.
The Grammy salute Sunday capped an emotional day for those closest to the pop diva and those who admired her as an entertainering off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape C. From the New Jersey church where Houston's singing career first took flight to the hotel where her life abruptly ended, family and fans expressed their grief on Sunday with prayer, tears and raw anguish.
Houston's only child, daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown, 18, was taken by paramedics from the hotel to nearby Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Sunday suffering from anxiety, Beverly Hills police and fire officials said.
A fire department spokeswoman declined to disclose any information about the daughter's medical condition but said she was 'awake and talking' at the time she was transported.
Brown, who was reported by celebrity news website TMZ.com as being enraged at authorities for not being allowed into the hotel room where her mother's body was found, was treated at the hospital for stress and released, a source close to the family told Reutersfull '60 Minutes' profile will be shown bef. A hospital spokeswoman declined comment.
CNN reported that Houston's ex-husband, R&B singer Bobby Brown, canceled a long-scheduled performance in Nashville, Tennessee, with his former band, New Edition, to fly back to Los Angeles and attend to the couple's daughter.
TEARS AND PRAYERS
At the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey, Houston's hometown, fans and admirers gathered to celebrate her life during three Sunday services, portions of which were devoted to the singer and her family.
Cards and flowers were tied to the railings of the church, where congregants hugged and cried at the entrancea, (AP Photo/Bruce Weav. Among those paying their respects was the Reverend Jesse Jackson, the civil rights activist.
'The suddenness of it all leaves us traumatized,' said Jackson, who watched Houston grow up and sing at New Hopeg, 'span class='yshortcuts' id='lw_1328887750_1. It was in that red brick church on a quiet backstreet near downtown Newark where Houston's career began as a soloist in a gospel choir in the 1970s.
While the cause of Houston's death remained undetermined, media reports on Sunday focused on her public behavior in the hours before her death.
The Los Angeles Times said Houston, disheveled, sweaty and smelling of alcohol, was behaving erratically when she stopped by the Hilton two days earlier, accompanied by her daughter, for rehearsalsince her span class='yshort. She was seen flailing her hands frenetically, skipping around the ballroom and wandering aimlessless through the lobby, the newspaper said.
Members of Houston's family expressed their grief in a brief statement saying they were 'devastated' by her loss.
'This is an unimaginable tragedy and we will miss her terribly,' it saiddele makes her live comeback at the Gramm. 'We appreciate the outpouring of love and support from her fans and friends.'
In a separate statement issued through People magazine, former husband Bobby Brown, with whom she had shared a long struggle with substance abuse, said, 'I am deeply saddened at the passing of my ex-wife, Whitney Houston.'
Brown was described by an unnamed relative as 'beside himself' with grief, according to the magazine.
On the West Coast, the First AME Church of Los Angeles, the city's oldest African-American congregation, held a special moment of silence in Houston's memory.
'Many of us were rooting and pulling for her because she has been a blessing to this generation with talent, with a special anointed voice,' Pastor John Hunter told parishionersd was placed on strict vocal rest, She said the . 'We will miss her_5'throat surgery/span late last year, the p. This world will miss her.'
Houston's songs were already dominating Internet music sales early on Sunday music industry has been e. Her album 'Whitney Houston - The Greatest Hits' was the top seller in the music category on Amazon.com, and her signature hit, 'I Will Always Love You,' was the Nob4eb2472fdf3102e30e6a706. 1 download at iTunes.
Over the course of a 30-year career in which she established herself as one of the most-admired and influential singers of her time, Houston won six Grammys, 30 Billboard awards and 22 American Music Awards.
The soundtrack for the hit movie in which she starred, 'The Bodyguard,' was among the best-selling film soundtracks ever.
By the early 1990s, Houston's success on stage was accompanied by an increasingly troubled personal lifee has told '60 Minutes'. In 1992 she married singer Bobby Brown and their tumultuous 14 years together were marred by drug abuse and domestic violence.
The last 10 years of Houston's life were dominated by drug use, rumors of relapses and trips to rehab.
(Additional reporting by R.Taged polyp on her vocal cords . Watson, Mary Slosson, Jill Serjeant, Dan Whitcomb and Piya Sinha-Roy.; Editing by Steve Gorman, Dan Burns and Stacey Joyce)
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING SITES.
Family, fans mourn Whitney Houston with tears, prayers
. REUTERS/Jonathan Alcorn' title='A Los Angeles County Coroner's van exits the Beverly Hilton Hotel with the body of Whitney Houston, who died in a hotel room there on Saturday, in Beverly Hills, California February 12, 2012star of British singer Paul McCartne. REUTERS/Jonathan Alcorn' class='lzbg'>Houston's only child, daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown, 18, was taken by paramedics from the hotel to nearby Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Sunday suffering from anxiety, Beverly Hills police and fire officials said.
A fire department spokeswoman declined to disclose any information about the daughter's medical condition but said she was 'awake and talking' at the time she was transported.
Brown, who was reported by celebrity news website TMZ.com to have been enraged at authorities at not being allowed into the hotel room where her mother's body was found, was treated at the hospital for stress and released, a source close to the family told Reuterst='142' alt='The star of British. A hospital spokeswoman declined comment.
At the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey, Houston's hometown, fans and admirers gathered to celebrate her life during three Sunday services, portions of which were devoted to the singer and her family.
Cards and flowers were tied to the railings of the church, where congregants hugged and cried at the entrancews/Reuters/2012-02-10T005553Z_1_. Among those paying their respects was the Reverend Jesse Jackson, the civil rights activist.
'The suddenness of it all leaves us traumatized,' said Jackson, who watched Houston grow up and sing at New Hopean, span class='yshortcuts' id='lw. It was in that red brick church on a quiet backstreet near downtown Newark where Houston's career began as a soloist in a gospel choir in the 1970s.
'We must lean on our faithyshortcuts' id='lw_132883550. Our hearts are heavy today,' Jackson said.
CAUSE OF DEATH A MYSTERY
Houston, whose soaring voice lifted her to the top of the pop music world, but whose personal decline was fueled by years of drug abuse, died on Saturday afternoon in a fourth-floor room at the Beverly Hilton Hoteleiled on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, Califor. She was 48.
Police and the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office were continuing their investigation to determine a cause of death, which came on the eve of the Grammy Awards at the same hotel where Houston's mentor, record mogul Clive Davis, was holding an annual pre-event party.
Police said there was no immediate sign of foul play.
The Los Angeles Times, citing an unnamed source briefed on the case, reported that investigators were trying to discern whether she might have drowned in a bathtub shortly before she was set to attend the pre-Grammy gala.
The Times said Houston, disheveled, sweaty and smelling of alcohol, was behaving erratically when she stopped by the Hilton two days earlier, accompanied by her daughter, for rehearsalsng Academy's MusiCares per. She was seen flailing her hands frenetically, skipping around the ballroom and wandering aimlessless through the lobby, the newspaper said in its online editions.
Houston's death was expected to be a central focus of Sunday night's Grammys, and Jennifer Hudson was scheduled to sing a tribute during the program.
Houston's family expressed their grief in a brief statement issued on Sunday.
'We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Whitneyrrison were given their individual stars several. This is an unimaginable tragedy and we will miss her terribly,' it saidred after it was unv. 'We appreciate the outpouring of love and support from her fans and friends.'
EX-HUSBAND 'DEEPLY SADDENED'
In a separate statement issued through People magazine, Houston's former husband, R&B singer Bobby Brown, with whom she had shared a long struggle with substance abuse, said, 'I am deeply saddened at the passing of my ex-wife, Whitney Houston.'
Brown, who is Bobbi Kristina's father, was described by an unnamed relative as 'beside himself' with grief, according to the magazine.
On the West Coast, the First AME Church of Los Angeles, the city's oldest African-American congregation, held a special moment of silence in Houston's memory.
'Many of us were rooting and pulling for her because she has been a blessing to this generation with talent, with a special anointed voice,' Pastor John Hunter told parishionersy, while Starr got his in 2010, . 'We will miss her want to say thanks to. This world will miss her.'
Up to 200 people attended the Newark church's services, where Denise Dean, 57, recalled once hearing Houston singperform at Sunday's Grammy Awar. Dean said she still has her faded autograph on an old checkbook.
'We prayed for the family,' Dean said afterward.
Coroners removed Houston's body from the Beverly Hilton after midnight through a back door to avoid the crush of media set up to cover her death.
Typically, coroners conduct an autopsy within a day or two, at which point they might release some preliminary information about the deathmages/transparent-95031,. If drugs or alcohol are involved, however, an official cause of death would not be released until after toxicology tests, which could take six to eight weeks.
By late Sunday afternoon, neither police nor coroners officials had offered an updatebum, 'Kisses on the Bottom,' . But TMZ reported that the autopsy had been completed.
Houston's songs were already dominating Internet music sales early on Sundayt of the four Beatles to. Her album 'Whitney Houston - The Greatest Hits' was the top seller in the music category on Amazon.com, and her signature hit, 'I Will Always Love You,' was the No while Starr got his in 2010, . 1 download at iTunes.
Over the course of a 30-year career in which she established herself as one of the most-admired and influential singers of her time, Houston won six Grammys, 30 Billboard awards and 22 American Music Awards.
The soundtrack for the hit movie in which she starred, 'The Bodyguard,' was among the best-selling film soundtracks ever.
By the early 1990s, Houston's success on stage was accompanied by an increasingly troubled personal lifen 1980 and 2001 respectively, w. In 1992 she married singer Bobby Brown and their tumultuous 14 years together were marred by drug abuse and domestic violence.
The last 10 years of Houston's life were dominated by drug use, rumors of relapses and trips to rehab.
(Additional reporting by R.Twas an impossible thing to h. Watson, Mary Slosson, Jill Serjeant, Dan Whitcomb and Piya Sinha-Roy.; Editing by Steve Gorman, Dan Burns and Stacey Joyce)
Whitney Houston found dead in California hotel, age 48
The pop superstar died on the eve of the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles at the same hotel where her mentor, record mogul Clive Davis, was holding an annual pre-event party featuring scores of music industry celebrities.
A dramatic scene unfolded at the Beverly Hilton hotel as guests arriving for the party expressed shock at her death, while reporters swarmed the hotel, fans gathered outside to light candles in her memory and helicopters hovered overhead.
Beverly Hills police said they were called to the Beverly Hilton at around 3:43 p.mc industry, Star. PST, and fire department personnel who were already at the location responded immediatelyedia,zenfs,com/en_us/News/Reuters/. Houston was in her fourth-floor room but was unresponsive to CPR, and she was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m.
'She has been positively identified by friends and family (who) were with her at the hotel, and next of kin have already been notified,' Lieutenant Mark Rosen told reporters5504_7'Liverpool/span, when we were kids a. Police said there were no obvious signs of criminal intent.
Los Angeles County coroners removed Houston's body from the hotel after midnight through a backdoor to avoid the crush of media set up to cover her shocking death.
Typically, coroners conduct an autopsy within a day or two, at which point they might release some preliminary information about the deathGeorge Harrison/span and span clas. If drugs or alcohol are involved, however, an official cause of death would not be released until after toxicology tests, which could take six to eight weeks.
BRILLIANT CAREER
Tributes poured in from around the world for a singer whose remarkable vocal power and range produced some of the most memorable music of her generation, including her signature hit, 'I Will Always Love You.'
'I don't have to mask my emotion in front of a room full of so many dear friends,' Davis told a somber crowd at his gala dinner and party just hours after Houston's deathass='yshortcuts' id='lw_132883. 'I am personally devastated by the loss of someone who has meant so much to me for so many years.'
Neil Portnow, president of the Recording Academy, which runs the Grammys, told the audience at Davis's party that Jennifer Hudson would sing a tribute to Houston at Sunday night's Grammy Awards.
'We will do something appropriate tomorrow, and nothing could be more appropriate than having Jennifer Hudson sing on stage for Whitney,' Portnow said McCartney will receive the Record. 'In our community, we celebrate things ..e thing to happen, But here we are tod. let's celebrate Whitney Houston.'
Outside the hotel in the wealthy enclave of Beverly Hills, a phalanx of hotel security personnel guarded the perimeter to prevent reporters and fans from enterings/News/Reuters/2012-. Some of Houston's admirers gathered on the sidewalk, lighting candles and singing her songs.
Over the course of a 30-year career in which she established herself as one of the most-admired and influential singers of her time, Houston won six Grammys, 30 Billboard awards and 22 American Music Awardsr gathered, clutching memorabi. She released seven studio albums and sold some 170 million CDs, singles and videosclass='yshortcuts' i. The soundtrack for a hit movie in which she starred, 'The Bodyguard,' was among the best-selling soundtracks in movie history.
Her 1985 debut, 'Whitney Houston,' became the best-selling debut album by a female act at that time, and spawned several hits including 'How Will I Know.' Her second studio CD, 1987's 'Whitney,' became the first album by a female artist to debut at Nobum, 'Kisses on the Bottom. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
She crossed over from music success to TV and movies, appearing in 'The Bodyguard' (1992), as well as 'Waiting to Exhale' (1995) and 'The Preacher's Wife' (1996).
Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1963, Houston was inspired to perform as a child by soul singers in her family, including mother Cissy Houston and cousins Dionne Warwick and the late Dee Dee Warwickclass='yshortcuts' id='lw_1328835504_7'. Her godmother was Aretha Franklin.
'I just can't talk about it now,' Franklin said in a statementyshortcuts' id='lw_1328835504_2'. 'It's so stunning and unbelievablege:url('http://l,yimg,com/bt/api/res/1,2/autk. I couldn't believe what I was reading coming across the TV screenDI7cT04NTt3PTE5MA--/http://media,. My heart goes out to Cissy, her daughter Bobbi Kris, her family and Bobby (Brown).'
PERSONAL TURMOIL
By the early 1990s, Houston reigned as the queen of pop, but her critical and commercial success on stage was accompanied by an increasingly troubled personal lifeunveiled on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, Calif. In 1992 she married singer Bobby Brown, who had a bad-boy reputation, and their tumultuous 14 years together were marred by drug abuse and domestic violence.
In 2000, she and Brown were stopped at an airport in Hawaii and security guards discovered marijuana in their luggageo span class='yshortcuts' id=. In a 2002 TV interview, she admitted using marijuana, cocaine, alcohol and prescription drugs.
The pair also starred in a reality TV series, 'Being Bobby Brown,' which painted an often unflattering portrait of the couple.
The last 10 years of Houston's life were dominated by drug use, rumors of relapses and trips to rehab.
She launched a comeback tour in 2009, and in April 2010 she called media reports she was using drugs again 'ridiculous.' In May 2011, Houston enrolled in a drug and alcohol rehab program.
Despite her personal troubles, Houston commanded great affection among her music industry colleagues, and emotional tributes flooded the media in the hours after news broke of her death.
'I am absolutely heartbroken at the news of Whitney's passing,' legendary music producer Quincy Jones said in a statemento hailed from Liverpool, England, became . '.. those guys, John, George and Ringo,' he said, . I always regretted not having had the opportunity to work with herafter it was unveiled on the Walk of Fame in Holly. She was a true original and a talent beyond compare be getting a star on the Walk of Fame, I t. I will miss her terribly.'
Barbra Streisand said in a statement: 'She had everything, beauty, a magnificent voice,2/autkjDyZwS1WsXF93pnQYA--/YXBwaWQ9e. How sad her gifts could not bring her the same happiness they brought us.'
Pop star Rihanna posted on Twitter 'No words, just tears.'
(Additional reporting by Mary Slosson, Jill Serjeant, Dan Whitcomb, Piya Sinha-Roy and R.T a star as a group in 1998, more than 25 . Watson; Editing by Jonathan Weber and Eric Beech)
Whitney Houston mourned at New Jersey church of her youth
Cards and flowers were tied to the railings of the New Hope Baptist Church, and congregants hugged and cried at the entrancean show 'span class='yshortcuts' id='l. Among those paying their respects was the Reverend Jesse Jackson, the civil rights activist.
'The suddenness of it all leaves us traumatized,' said Jackson, who watched Houston grow up and sing at New Hope Beresford-Redm. It was this large but modest looking, red-brick house of worship on a quiet backstreet near downtown Newark where Houston's career began as a soloist in a gospel choir in the 1970s.
'We must lean on our faith'Carla Burgos (L) and her attorney Alsion Triess. Our hearts are heavy today,' Jackson said.
Houston, whose soaring voice lifted her to the top of the pop music world but whose personal decline was fueled by years of drug use, died on Saturday afternoon in a Beverly Hills hotel room span class='. She was 48.
Several cards left at the church extolled Houston's roots in Newark, where she was born in 1963was expected to arrive in. One read: 'Newark loves you and will always love you.'
'We are all heartbroken,' said Jacqueline Kimble, 45, who has been coming to the church all her life and remembers Houston thereg producer of reality TV's 'Su. 'She was our jewel5'reality TV/span show 'span class=. This is a sad day for Newark and the whole world.'
'This is a very sad day,' said Cynthia Williams, 47, who attended early morning worship at New Hope, held in memory of Houstonrd-Redman, sister of Burgos, in Los Angeles, Calif. 'It is a great loss to Newark.'
Up to 200 people attended the Newark church's three scheduled services, portions of which were devoted to Houston and her family.
'We prayed for the family, ' said Denise Dean, 57, who attended one of the services Mexico for allegedly killing Monica. Dean once heard Houston sing at the church and still has her faded autograph on an old check book.
Donna Thorn, who described herself as an ex-drug addict and Newark resident, placed flowers outside the church.'You can't mistake her voice for anything else,' she said, crying.
On Houston's drug problems, Thorn said: 'With that fast-track life in LA, everything is handed to youg Monica Beresford-Redman. You don't know what it's like until you've been there of Bruce Beresford-Redman to stand trial in Me. You have to live with it and try to beat it.'
'At the blink of an eye, things happen,' Thorn said.
DEATH EXPECTED TO DOMINATE GRAMMY SCENE
Houston died on the eve of the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles at the same hotel where her mentor, record mogul Clive Davis, was holding a pre-event party with music industry celebrities.
Beverly Hills police said they were called to the hotel where Houston's body was found in a fourth-floor roomshortcuts' id='lw_132. Police said there were no obvious signs of criminal intent.
Los Angeles County coroners removed Houston's body after midnight through a back door to avoid the crush of media set up to cover her death.
Typically, coroners conduct an autopsy within a day or two, at which point they might release some preliminary information about the death body after a violent fight and fl. If drugs or alcohol are involved, however, an official cause of death would not be released until after toxicology tests, which could take six to eight weeks.
Los Angeles police and coroners officials offered no update early Sunday.
Houston's death is now expected to be a central focus of Sunday night's Grammys, and Jennifer Hudson is scheduled to sing a tribute during the program.
Houston's songs were already dominating Internet music sales early on Sundayhe early hours of Thursday morning, If convict. Her album 'Whitney Houston - The Greatest Hits' was the top seller in the music category on Amazon.com and her signature hit, 'I Will Always Love You,' was the Noce for Monica,' 'Afte. 1 download at iTunes.
Over the course of a 30-year career in which she established herself as one of the most-admired and influential singers of her time, Houston won six Grammys, 30 Billboard awards and 22 American Music Awards.
The soundtrack for the hit movie in which she starred, 'The Bodyguard,' was among the best-selling soundtracks in movie history.
By the early 1990s, Houston's success on stage was accompanied by an increasingly troubled personal lifezFRgpM5rEw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Y2g9MzAwO2. In 1992 she married singer Bobby Brown and their tumultuous 14 years together were marred by drug abuse and domestic violence.
The last 10 years of Houston's life were dominated by drug use, rumors of relapses and trips to rehab.
(Additional reporting by Mary Slosson, Jill Serjeant, Dan Whitcomb, Piya Sinha-Roy and R.Td='lw_1328744650_0'Monica Bur. Watson; Editing by Dan Burns and Christopher Wilson)
Whitney Houston found dead in Calif. hotel, age 48
. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok' title='Members of the media keep watch behind the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California February 11, 2012ll as her godmother Aretha Franklin, became. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok' class='lzbg'>The cause of her death was under investigation Saturday night, the eve of the Grammy Awards in Los AngelesSTER-INVISIBLE,JPG');' width='93' height='57. Houston died at the same hotel where her mentor, record mogul Clive Davis, was holding an annual pre-event party featuring scores of music industry celebrities.
A dramatic scene unfolded at the Beverly Hilton hotel as guests arriving for the party expressed shock at her death, while reporters swarmed the hotel, fans gathered outside to light candles in her memory and helicopters hovered overhead.
Beverly Hills police said they were called to the Beverly Hilton at around 3:43 p.mhe year for 'The Bodyguard,' . PST, and fire department personnel who were already at the location responded immediately on Twitter 'No words, ju. Houston was in her fourth-floor room but was unresponsive to CPR, and she was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m.
'She has been positively identified by friends and family (who) were with her at the hotel, and next of kin have already been notified,' Lieutenant Mark Rosen told reportersammy and Billboard Music awar. Police said there were no obvious signs of criminal intent.
Tributes poured in from around the world for a singer whose remarkable vocal power and range produced some of the most memorable music of her generation, including her signature hit, 'I Will Always Love You.'
'I don't have to mask my emotion in front of a room full of so many dear friends,' Davis told a somber crowd at his gala dinner and party just hours after Houston's deathue original and a talent beyond compa. 'I am personally devastated by the loss of someone who has meant so much to me for so many years.'
Neil Portnow, president of the Recording Academy, which runs the Grammys, told Reuters that producers for the music industry's top honors were working on ways to pay tribute to the singer in front of the many fans and friends who will be in attendance or watching on television.
He later told the audience at Davis's party that Jennifer Hudson would sing a tribute to Houston at Sunday night's Grammy Awards.
'We will do something appropriate tomorrow, and nothing could be more appropriate than having Jennifer Hudson sing on stage for Whitney,' Portnow said posted on Twitter 'No words, just tears,' a. 'In our community, we celebrate things ..0 p,m, PST, and the singer was pronounc. let's celebrate Whitney Houston.
Outside the hotel in the wealthy enclave of Beverly Hills, a phalanx of hotel security personnel guarded the perimeter to prevent reporters and fans from entering the singer was pronounced dead at 3:. Some of Houston's admirers gathered on the sidewalk, lighting candles and singing her songs.
STELLAR CAREER
Over the course of a 30-year career in which she established herself as one of the most-admired and influential singers of her time, Houston won six Grammys, 30 Billboard awards and 22 American Music Awardsall time,' (Repor. She released seven studio albums and sold some 170 million CDs, singles and videoser godmother Aretha Fr. The soundtrack for a hit movie in which she starred, 'The Bodyguard,' was among the best-selling soundtracks in movie history.
Her 1985 debut, 'Whitney Houston,' became the best-selling debut album by a female act at that time, and spawned several hits including 'How Will I Know.' Her second studio CD, 1987's 'Whitney,' became the first album by a female artist to debut at No='yshortcuts' id='lw_1329015372_2'Beverl. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
She crossed over from music success to TV and movies, appearing in 'The Bodyguard' (1992), as well as 'Waiting to Exhale' (1995) and 'The Preacher's Wife' (1996).
Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1963, Houston was inspired to perform as a child by soul singers in her family, including mother Cissy Houston and cousins Dionne Warwick and the late Dee Dee Warwickckground-image:url('htt. Her godmother was Aretha Franklin.
'I just can't talk about it now,' Franklin said in a statementall from the span class='yshortcuts' id='l. 'It's so stunning and unbelievableed not having had the opportunity to . I couldn't believe what I was reading coming across the TV screene year for 'I Will Always Love You' an. My heart goes out to Cissy, her daughter Bobbi Kris, her family and Bobby (Brown).'
PERSONAL TURMOIL
By the early 1990s, Houston reigned as the queen of pop, but her critical and commercial success on stage was accompanied by an increasingly troubled personal life Pop star Rihanna posted on Twitter 'N. In 1992 she married singer Bobby Brown, who had a bad-boy reputation, and their tumultuous 14 years together were marred by drug abuse and domestic violence.
In 2000, she and Brown were stopped at an airport in Hawaii and security guards discovered marijuana in their luggagece received a call fro. In a 2002 TV interview, she admitted using marijuana, cocaine, alcohol and prescription drugs.
The pair also starred in a reality TV series, 'Being Bobby Brown,' which painted an often unflattering portrait of the couple.
The last 10 years of Houston's life were dominated by drug use, rumors of relapses and trips to rehab.
She launched a comeback tour in 2009, and in April 2010 she called media reports she was using drugs again 'ridiculous.' In May 2011, Houston enrolled in a drug and alcohol rehab program.
Despite her personal troubles, Houston commanded great affection among her music industry colleagues, and emotional tributes flooded the media in the hours after news broke of her death.
'I am absolutely heartbroken at the news of Whitney's passing,' legendary music producer Quincy Jones said in a statement is true,' said spokeswoman Jill . '.. opportunity to work with her, . I always regretted not having had the opportunity to work with herouston, Greatest of al. She was a true original and a talent beyond compareyle='background-image:url('http://l,yimg,co. I will miss her terribly.'
Barbra Streisand said in a statement: 'She had everything, beauty, a magnificent voiceed hours before she was ex. How sad her gifts could not bring her the same happiness they brought us.'
Pop star Rihanna posted on Twitter 'No words, just tears,' and rapper Nicki Minaj tweeted 'Jesus Christ, not Whitney Houstonshortcuts' id='lw_1329015372_1'Grammy Award. Greatest of all time.'
(Additional reporting by Mary Slosson; Editing by Eric Beech)
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