Donna Summer, best known as the Queen of Disco, died yesterday at the age of 63 after privately battling lung cancer. Summer was known for her iconic 1970's hit songs "Last Dance," "Hot Stuff" and "Bad Girls" and the 1980's tunes "She Works Hard for the Money" and "This Time I Know It's for Real." Summer was a five-time Grammy winner and she was the first musician to have three consecutive number-one double albums. She is survived by her husband, Bruce Sudano, and three children and four grandchildren.
T.I. BACKS PRESIDENT OBAMA'S SAME-SEX MARRIAGE SUPPORT
Following in the footsteps of Jay-Z, T.I. also supports President Obama's recent announcement of his support for states to legalize same-sex marriages. The controversial issue has sparked plenty of non-stop debates and for T.I., gay marriage is a matter of a personal choice and holds no bias on the hot-button topic. T.I. told RapFix Live, "Just to speak honestly and being frank, I don't care. I think that if a matter doesn't affect your daily life, you shouldn't take a hard stand on it. If it's not something that directly affects you, if it doesn't affect you, what difference does it make to you what other people are doing with their lives? I think that you should be able to do whatever you want to do. I don't see how it matters one way or another."
BOBBY BROWN DEBUTS SONG FOR WHITNEY
Bobby Brown has debuted his new song "Don't Let Me Die," about life since Whitney Houston's death. In the song, Brown admits he "messed up pretty bad" and pleads with his late ex-wife, don't let me die." Bobby performed the song on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, featuring the lyrics, "didn't realize that every breath I took was from you ... You were my air. I guess I messed up pretty bad ... I didn't know who you were ... I didn't know what we had. Now I'm stuck living in the past ... trying to get the pieces back ... but I guess now you're gone." Brown is releasing the track on his forthcoming album The Masterpiece, which hits in June, just four months after Whitney died in Beverly Hills. During an interview last month, Brown insisted he was not the person who led Whitney down the trail of drink and drugs that eventually killed her.
TAYLOR SWIFT DONATES $4 MILLION TO COUNTRY HALL OF FAME
Taylor Swift has donated $4 million to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum to make sure that music education continues. Her donation is the largest gift that has ever been given to the museum by an artist and is the second largest from an individual. It will fund the Taylor Swift Education Center, an exhibit and classroom space scheduled to open in 2014. The new education center is part of the museum's $75 million "Working on a Building" expansion project. The expansion is part of the new convention center project in downtown Nashville and will include a new concert theater, more room for exhibits and archives, and a shared entrance with a new hotel.
LADY GAGA'S INDONESIAN GIG MAY GO ON
Big Daddy Productions, the promoter of Lady Gaga's canceled June 3 gig in Jakarta, Indonesia, has tweeted that they are trying to get the permit for the show reinstated. The promoter thanked fans for their patience and claims they are doing everything they can to try and make the show go on. The national police say the local Jakarta police do not want to handle the show and cannot guarantee the security of Gaga or her fans, due to extremist Muslims protesting due to their belief that Gaga is a threat to their nation and its moral codes. The show is sold out at a 52,000-capacity venue.
BONO’S BONANZA TO MAKE HIM WORLD’S RICHEST ROCKER
Rocker/activist/entrepreneur Bono is about to become the world’s richest rock star. The U2 frontman owns 2.3 percent of the shares in Facebook which he obtained through his private equity firm Elevation Partners in 2009 for a reported $90 million. With this morning’s Facebook IPO and the company currently valued at over $100 billion, Bono stands to bank over $1.5 billion and puts his personal fortune well north of Paul McCartney, who is currently the world’s wealthiest musician. So the guy whose album titles include All That You Can’t Leave Behind will certainly be leaving plenty behind when his time comes.
WHITE TAKES NOTE OF SLIGHT BY GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS
Musician Jack White is still not over the fact that the Guinness Book of World Records refused to recognize his former band the White Stripes in their book. While interviewing astronaut Buzz Aldrin in the latest issue of Interview magazine, White recalled that in 2007, the White Stripes performed a one note “concert” in Newfoundland, Canada which he wanted the Guinness Book of World Records people to recognize as the shortest concert in history. White told Aldrin, “Ultimately they turned us down,” calling the Guinness powers that be “elitist” for not listing his accomplishment.
RHCP CAPTAIN MOVEMENT TO BLOCK ENVIRONMENTALIST’S EXTRADITION
As ardent champions of efforts to keep our oceans clean and protect marine wildlife, the Red Hot Chili Peppers yesterday issued the flowing statement: “For 31 years Captain Paul Watson has been at the helm of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and a leader in the fight for a clean environment and marine conservation. The arrest of Captain Watson in Germany we believe is in part due to the fact that he uncovered an illegal shark finning operation in Costa Rica. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are longtime supporters of Sea Shepherd, Captain Watson and the wonderful work they do to save our ocean and protecting marine wildlife globally. To our fans if you would like to learn more or find out how to support Captain Watson and Sea Shepherd please go to seashepherd.org or you can stop at the Sea Shepherd table at all of our North American concerts this year.”
2012 WARPED TOUR COMPILATION DUE JUNE 5
The official double-disc 2012 Warped Tour Compilation will be released on June 5 and will feature a veritable who’s who of punk, emo, hardcore and metal, just to name a few subgenres of music spotlighted on the collection and on the tour itself. SideOneDummy Records has assembled a whopping total of 50 tracks across the 2 CDs, including tunes from rock titans Rise Against, The Used, New Found Glory, All Time Low, Of Mice & Men and Blessthefall, just to scratch the surface. The 2012 Vans Warped Tour gets underway on June 16 in Salt Lake City and wraps on August 5 in Portland, OR.
NEW YORK STATE SENATE SALUTES BEASTIES BOYS’ MCA
The New York State Senate drafted, reported and adopted a resolution yesterday paying tribute to the late Beastie Boys member Adam “MCA” Yauch, who died on May 4 at the age of 47. The resolution established legislative time for senators to express their thoughts on the passing of Yauch, a musician and New Yorker the resolution described as a “man of colossal talent and charisma.”
VAN HALEN PULL A PILE OF SUMMER TOUR DATES
Without offering any explanation, Van Halen yesterday wiped away all tour dates past their June 26 in New Orleans. Over 30 scheduled concert dates were taken off the band’s website and again no information about rescheduled dates or refunds was posted. A source inside the tour told Rolling Stone that the band members “hate each other,” adding that “the band is arguing like mad. They are fighting.” When asked to comment about the cancellations, one local promoter told Rolling Stone, “You want to know the absolute f***in’ truth? I have no f***in’ idea.” Stay tuned.
BLACK SABBATH RELEASE STATEMENT FOLLOWING WARD’S STATEMENT
Three original members of Black Sabbath – Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler – yesterday issued a brief statement basically explaining that they would not be making a statement regarding drummer Bill Ward’s recent declaration officially announcing he would not be playing at any of the band’s three upcoming reunion shows. Yesterday’s complete Black Sabbath statement included the following: “We have decided not to make any detailed comments on Bill’s latest statement. There are two sides to every story. We have been working hard at rehearsals making excellent progress after Tony’s treatments and we have engaged a substitute drummer for the forthcoming shows. See you at Download.” Sabbath will headline the third day of UK’s Download festival on June 10.
LENNON’S MURDERER TRANSFERRED TO NEW PRISON
For the past 31 years, Mark David Chapman, the man who murdered John Lennon on December 8, 1980, has called the maximum security facility in Attica, NY home, according to the Buffalo News. On Tuesday, he was transferred to the Wende Correctional Facility in Alden, 20 miles east of Buffalo. A spokesperson for the state prison system says the agency does not disclose why prisoners are moved from one facility to another.
MATCHBOX TWENTY HEADS NORTH FOR FIRST STUDIO SET SINCE 2002
Rock foursome Matchbox Twenty has settled on North as the title to their first all-new studio album since 2002’s More Than You Think You Are. Multi-instrumentalist Paul Doucette tells Rolling Stone the album title “refers to us finding our way. We went into this record with a lot of material. Many different songs that could have taken us in many different directions. But, at a a certain point, we figured it out. We figured out where North was.”
SECOND TRAVOLTA ACCUSER DROPS LAWSUIT!
John Travolta got some good news yesterday. According to CNN, John Doe #2, who claimed Travolta sexually assaulted him at an Atlanta spa, has fired lawyer Okorie Okorocha and requested that his lawsuit be dismissed. The news comes just days after John Doe #1 also dropped his suit. And since everyone’s thinking it, Travolta’s lawyer Marty Singer insists neither accuser was paid off. “Not one penny has been paid nor do we have any intention to pay any money for these ridiculous and false claims,” Singer told TMZ. But Travolta may not be off the hook just yet. Radaronline reports that like John Doe #1, John Doe #2 has hired Gloria Allred to be his new lawyer, and she says she plans to re-file the suit in another court.
TRAVOLTA ACCUSED OF MAKING PASS AT GREASE CO-STAR?!
Meanwhile, the former fiancé of John Travolta’sGrease co-star Jeff Conaway claimed Travolta tried to give Conaway oral sex while he was sleeping. Vikki Lizzi told the National Enquirer the incident happened at Conaway’s home in the 90s and the Taxi star made the accusation in a note he wrote before a failed suicide attempt in 2006. Conaway, who died last May, was so upset over the incident he ended his friendship with Travolta. Lizzi also claimed Conaway told her the marriage between Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston was a sham. “Jeff told me that John and Kelly’s marriage was an arrangement,” she told Star magazine. “Jeff said that Kelly knows that John is gay, and that’s why she’s OK with it.”
RUSSELL STILL LOVES KATY!
Despite splitting from wife Katy Perry last year, Russell Brand tells Ellen DeGeneres that he still loves the pop star. "I still love her as a human being. But, sometimes when you’re in a relationship I suppose it doesn’t work out, does it? But that doesn’t mean I regret it or anything. I was very happy to be married with her,” he said in an interview yesterday. “She’s such a beautiful human being and I just have only love and positivity for her.” As for what went wrong with their 14 month marriage, Brand would only say, "You can’t absolutely make everything the way you want it to be in life. Sometimes things are just different and then you just move with that and try and remain in contact with what is beautiful about yourself and each other … with any situation.”
McCONAUGHEY SHOWS OFF HIS BODY OF WORK!
Matthew McConaughey stars as a male stripper in the new movie Magic Mike, opening June 29th, and he tells the gay magazine The Advocate he worked very hard to look good on screen. “That’s all me up there. I don’t need a stunt ass,” said McConaughey, who adds that he and his co-stars, including Channing Tatum and Joe Manganiello, spent quite a bit of time at the gym in preparation for their roles. "Everybody was pretty damn ripped already, but boy, if you really want to get men in great shape, just tell them they’re going to play male strippers in a movie and have their sh*t onscreen for the rest of time. Vanity, baby." McConaughey knows he has a big gay fan base, and he’s confident they will enjoy the movie. "I think they’ll come out more excited than they came in," he said. "I look forward to hearing the chatter of the gay community after they see it, including their answer to your question of, 'Who’s the hottest?'"
TATUM SAYS STRAIGHT MEN NEED TO SEE MAGIC MIKE!
Meanwhile, Matthew’s co-star Channing Tatum talked to the gay magazine Out, and he believes even heterosexual men will want to see his stripper movie Magic Mike. "With (True Blood’s) Joe Manganiello naked in a movie, I think even straight guys are going to be, 'Sh-t, I need to see that," Tatum tells the magazine. "That man is a specimen." Kidding aside, Tatum realizes getting a straight man to see the film is a tough sell. "It's risky,” he said. “People say that women and the gay community will go see it -- knock on wood -- but I know straight guys won't be like, 'Yo, what's up man? You wanna go see the stripping movie after the game tonight?' I doubt they'll have the balls to see it."
CW MAKES SOME MOVES!
The CW announced their fall schedule yesterday and they’re shifting around several of their big hits. 90210 will move from Tuesday to Monday at 8 pm, followed by the final season of Gossip Girl, which moves from 8 pm to 9 pm. Also moving is Hart of Dixie, which will air Tuesday at 8 pm; Supernatural shifts from Friday to Wednesday at 9 pm, and America’s Next Top Model moves to Friday at 8 pm, followed by Nikita at 9 pm. As for new shows, the Sex and the City prequel The Carrie Diaries will premiere in January, while a new version of Beauty and the Beast, starring Smallville’sKristin Kreuk, premieres on Friday at 9 pm.
CHANGES IN STORE FOR TOP MODEL!
Meanwhile, more than just the timeslot will be changing next season on America’s Next Top Model. After firing longtime judges Nigel Barker, Jay Manuel and Jay Alexander, the CW announced yesterday the new faces joining Tyra Banks for the show’s 19th cycle, which will reportedly be a “College Edition.” Fashion publicist Kelly Cutrone, who appeared on Cycle 18, will return as a judge, along with male model Rob Evans. In addition, stylist Johnny Wujek, who works with Katy Perry, is coming on board as “creative consultant,” who’ll assist contestants with their weekly challenges. There will also be a change when it comes to judging. For the first time viewers will be able to vote online for their favorites, with the results factored into the judges’ decision.
ENTIRE GLEE CAST TO RETURN!
Glee fans worried their favorite stars won’t be back next season can relax. In an interview with New York magazine, creator Ryan Murphy insists the show’s main stars will return next year. "We had a meeting, and you know we've become like a family, and I said to them, 'Anybody who wants to stay on the show will stay on the show,'" explained Murphy. “They're all coming back. Anyone who is a regular is coming back. Everyone said yes." (That includes the show’s adults, played by Matthew Morrison, Jane Lynch, and Jayma Mays.) Of course, there will be some changes next season. "It doesn't mean everyone will be doing 22 episodes, but everyone wants to stay in our family and our world," he said. "I wanted to make sure those actors know that if they want to have a home, they have a home. If they want to explore new and different things while also having a home that is also an option."
TV TIDBITS!
● Ashton Kutcher is returning to MTV’s Punk’d. The Two and a Half Men star, who created the show in 2003, will be back for a one-time-only appearance June 3rd, as part of the 2012 MTV Movie Awards pre-show.
● Tia Mowry won’t be back for the sixth season of The Game. The 33-year-old actress tweeted the news Tuesday, writing, “It was an incredible run and I had lots of fun along the way.”
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