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Kelly Clarkson Confirms: I'm Not Judging "American Idol"

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:00:40 +0000

Courtesy Cosmopolitan MagazineEveryone can stop hoping that Kelly Clarkson will return to American Idol in season 13 as a judge. It's not happening, and that's straight from Kelly herself.

On Twitter, Kelly confirmed that she wouldn't be taking on that role on the show that made her a star. When a fan asked her on Twitter, "Are you going to judge idol? I'm hoping for you and Adam [Lambert]! Would be so much fun!," she replied, "I can't because I'm touring this summer w/Maroon 5."

But, Kelly added, "I hope they get some great people though. I'd hate to see my beginning end."

There has been rampant speculation that American Idol producers planned to stock the judges' panel with show alumni like Kelly, Adam, Clay Aiken and Jennifer Hudson. There were even rumors that Hudson had been all but signed to a contract. However, now that several new executives have been put in place to oversee the show, those plans may be abandoned.

In other Kelly Clarkson news, her new wedding-themed country single, "Tie It Up," is now available for streaming online. "I love the ring of your name/You're the ying to my yang/Oh baby let's give it a shot/Every wall needs a frame, every ball needs a chain/I'm talking 'bout tying the knot," sings Kelly, who'll wed her fiance Brandon Blackstock later this year.

Cher Indicates Lady Gaga Duet Won't Appear on Her Album

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:00:48 +0000

Cher.com

Cher has been talking on Twitter for more than a year about a duet that she and Lady Gaga recorded for her new album, but now it appears as though the duet, called "The Greatest Thing," won't appear on the disc after all.

During a special LiveStream chat Cher did Tuesday night, she said, "I did a song with Gaga and I think it's brilliant, and I thought her performance was great, but she didn't like it, so...I'll play it for friends." That seems to indicate that the song isn't going to be publicly released.

Cher did confirm, though, that the album, which is titled Closer to the Truth, will include a song written by Pink called "Lie to Me." Overall, Cher says, "I'm really proud of [this album] and I'm not a Cher fan...I never listen to my albums."

In other Cher news, on June 30, the Oscar-winning diva will perform at Dance on the Pier, a major New York City Gay Pride event. She'll be performing her new single, "Woman's World," as well as her other hits.

Dance on the Pier, now in its 27th year, raises funds for local LGBT charities, as well as New York's annual Gay Pride events. Among the stars who've performed at the event in the past are Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Hudson and Cyndi Lauper. For tickets, visit NYCPride.showclix.com.

Cher's new album is due September 24.

Why Everyone Thinks John Mayer's New Song Is About Taylor Swift

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:01:04 +0000

Facebook.com/JohnMayer; ABC/Lou RoccoJohn Mayer's new single "Paper Doll" was released on Tuesday, and immediately, speculation began that the song was John's response to Taylor Swift's alleged song about him, "Dear John." Why? Let's look at the evidence.

First of all, people are pointing to the line in "Paper Doll" where John sings "Here's a dress of gold and blue/sure was fun being good to you." This is significant, they say, because in "Dear John," Taylor referred to herself as "the girl in the dress."

Next, in the chorus, John sings, "You're like 22 girls in one/ And none of them know what they're running from." Not only did Taylor release a song called "22" not long ago, but in "Dear John," she sings, "I'll look back and regret how I ignored when they said run as fast as you can."

Finally, in "Paper Doll," John sings, "And if those angel wings don't fly/ Someone's gonna paint you another sky." People say this is an answer to Taylor's line in "Dear John" where she sings, "You paint me a blue sky and go back and turn it to rain."

Of course, all of this is pure guesswork. Taylor herself won't even admit that "Dear John" is about John, and called him "presumptuous" in Glamour magazine for thinking that it was. Last year, John told Rolling Stone that "Dear John" "humiliated" him.

"It made me feel terrible," he said at the time. "Because I didn't deserve it. I'm pretty good at taking accountability now, and I never did anything to deserve that. It was a really lousy thing for her to do." He added, "It's abusing your talent to rub your hands together and go, 'Wait till he gets a load of this!'"

Backstreet Boys Debut New Single, "In a World Like This" Album Track List

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Facebook.com/BackstreetBoysThe Backstreet Boys' new album In a World Like This will be in stores July 30, but the group has just made the title track, an upbeat pop song, available for streaming online.

Speaking to MTV about the significance of the title In a World Like This, AJ McLean explained, "I think...both in a pop world that we've been living in for the past 20 years, and just the world that we live in, with all the different things, positive things [and] negative things going on in this entire world, we're still here 20 years later, living in this world that we've created. And I think it's positive actually. It does kind of sound a little dark, but I think it's positive."

The group also revealed the track listing for the new disc on their official website.

"In A World Like This"
"Permanent Stain"
"Breathe"
"Madeleine"
"Show 'Em (What You're Made Of)"
"Make Believe"
"Try"
"Trust Me"
"Love Somebody"
"One Phone Call"
"Feels Like Home"
"Soldier"

On August 2, Backstreet will kick off a summer tour in support of the new album. Joining them on the road will be Jesse McCartney and DJ Pauly D.

"The Voice" Recap: Danielle Bradbery Wins Season Four

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:05:16 +0000

Trae Patton/NBCDanielle Bradbery was named the fourth-season winner of the NBC singing competition The Voice on Tuesday night.

The 16-year-old country artist from Texas, who was coached by Blake Shelton, received more votes than runner-up Michelle Chamuel, the eclectic, bespectacled pop contestant who was a member of Team Usher.

In a brief speech after host Carson Daly made the announcement, Danielle said she was "so thankful" for the experience.

With her victory, Danielle earns a recording contract. She'll also appear on NBC's The Tonight Show on Wednesday night.

This marks the third consecutive season of The Voice in which Blake coached the winning artist.

Danielle was a stand-out in the competition from the moment she auditioned for Blake, Usher, Adam Levine and Shakira. She shocked them all by telling them she'd never had a vocal lesson and had never performed publicly before.

Danielle wasn't the only success story for Blake on The Voice this season. Blake, who turned 37 on Tuesday, also guided Oklahoma country duo The Swon Brothers to a third-place finish.

Daly said at the start of the telecast that the results were determined via what he described as "unprecedented voting."

Michelle and The Swon Brothers did not leave the finals empty-handed. In a prerecorded segment, Daly surprised Danielle, Michelle, and the Swons with new cars from Kia Motors.

Each of the three remaining acts performed multiple times during the two-hour results show. Danielle joined young country star Hunter Hayes for a rendition of his song "I Want Crazy." She also invited eliminated contestants Amber Carrington, Caroline Glaser and Sarah Simmons onto the stage for a cover of Carrie Underwood's "All-American Girl."

After she was named the new champ, Danielle reprised her performance of Sara Evans' "Born To Fly" from Monday night.

Michelle teamed up with one of her favorite bands, OneRepublic, for a live version of the group's tune "Counting Stars." She also sang Stevie Wonder's version of the Beatles song "We Can Work It Out," alongside eliminated artists Cathia, Josiah Hawley, and Vedo.

The Swon Brothers shared the spotlight with Bob Seger for Seger's "Night Moves." You may recall the Swons played Seger's "Turn the Page" on the show earlier this month. The brothers were also joined by eliminated artists Amber Carrington, Holly Tucker and Justin Rivers on "Stars Tonight," by Lady Antebellum.

Aside from the aforementioned collaborations, the musical guests included Cher, who performed her new single, "Woman's World"; Bruno Mars, who sang "Treasure"; Pitbull and the soon-to-be-returning Voice coach Christina Aguilera, who duetted on their hit "Feel This Moment"; and Florida Georgia Line and Nelly, who performed "Cruise."

This season of The Voice marked the first for Usher and Shakira, who filled in for Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green. Christina and Cee Lo will return to The Voice this fall, though Shakira and Usher will be back for the spring 2014 season.

Lady Gaga's Dad Fuming After His Restaurant Gets Downgraded by NYC Health Dept.

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:00:13 +0000

Lester Cohen/WireImageLady Gaga's been uncharacteristically quiet online over the past few months, but the same can't be said for her dad, Joe Germanotta. He's fuming because his New York City restaurant, Joanne Trattoria, has been downgraded by New York City Health Department inspectors for violations that he feels are unwarranted -- and he's venting about it on Twitter.

Among the violations that Germanotta particularly disagrees with: a "bad potato" in a bin with "40 good ones."

"It wasn't being served to a customer, it was raw, and when the inspector pointed it out we threw it away. How many bad veggies do you toss," he wrote on Twitter. "The inspector gave us 7 points for a bad potato in a storage bin on our health department inspection, that shifted us from an A to a B or Grade Pending...he took our A and left B or Grade Pending sign, our choice to display. Seems a little harsh."

Germanotta also added that he was cited for an ice cream scoop not in a storage holder -- "it was in the dish machine," he says -- and the lack of a "wash hands" sign at a waiters' station. "I'll put one up tomorrow, but we use this as a water station, not a hand sink," he points out.

Gaga's dad then turned his attention to the inspector, the inspector's boss, the Health Department in general -- which he called "corrupt" -- and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who he says he's "met several times." He also invited fans to tweet Bloomberg with their thoughts on the matter.

"Sorry guys and gals, Mister G is angry," he tweeted. No comment yet from Mr. G's his daughter.

Brad Pitt's Response to Melissa Etheridge's Comments on Angelina: "I'm Sure We'll Talk"

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:00:00 +0000

Paul Warner/Getty ImagesBreast cancer survivor Melissa Etheridge raised some eyebrows with her recent interview in the Washington Blade, in which she stated that Angelina Jolie had made the "most fearful" choice, and not the "brave" choice, by having a double mastectomy. Now, Angelina's partner Brad Pitt has responded to Melissa's comments. Sorta.

When asked by US Weekly magazine what he thought about Melissa's comments, Pitt said, "I don't know. Somebody just said that." He added, "Melissa's an old friend of mine. I'm sure we'll talk on the phone. I don't know what it is."

When Pitt says he and Melissa are old friends, he's not kidding: he invited Melissa to perform at his wedding to Jennifer Aniston, and for a while, he was even rumored to be the biological father of Melissa's two oldest children with her ex-partner, Julie Cypher.

In the meantime, Melissa has issued a statement clarifying her remarks. "I don't have any opinion of what she 'should have' done. All are free to choose," she said. "I only objected to the term 'brave' describing it."

Mariah Carey Album Title Confirmed as "The Art of Letting Go"

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:06:21 +0000

Facebook.com/MariahCareyWalmart.com seemed to have inadvertently revealed the title of Mariah Carey's new album a few days ago when it listed the disc for sale under the name The Art of Letting Go. Turns out that is indeed the album's title, as confirmed by Mariah's longtime collaborator and producer, Jermaine Dupri.

On Monday, Jermaine tweeted, "Mariah Carey, July 23: The Art of Letting Go. The new album will be available for all the lambs on July 23."

The Art of Letting Go, Mariah's 11th studio album, will be her first since 2009's Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. Not many details are known about it, other than it features production work from Jermaine, as well as Bryan-Michael Cox, The-Dream and producer of the moment Hit-Boy.

According to her latest tweet, Mariah is now on her way back home from a vacation in Italy.

Could $231 million in additional revenue break the budget stalemate?

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:48:41 +0000

Budget writers got good news today in the form of a revised revenue forecast that shows Washington state will collect an extra $231 million dollars in revenue over the next two years.

Two bills passed into law following late night floor action

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 19:01:03 +0000

The Senate passed a bill that fixes a state Supreme Court ruling on the estate tax just before midnight on Thursday, sending the bill to Gov. Jay Inslee's desk in the early hours of the morning to be signed into law. The House approved the same measure earlier in the day.

Gov. Inslee cancels trip as state agencies prepare for possible shutdown

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:30:52 +0000

Gov. Jay Inslee has cancelled his upcoming trip to the Paris Air Show amid concerns about a possible state government shutdown.

House and Senate leaders talk about special session on ‘The Impact’

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 17:08:20 +0000

On tonight's edition of The Impact, leaders from all four corners of the Legislature talk about why the body was unable to complete its work during the first special session -- and what their expectations are for the second special session.

Gov. Inslee calls second special session as government shutdown looms

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 19:58:29 +0000

Gov. Jay Inslee called for a second special session to begin Wednesday as his advisers prepare for what could be an unprecedented government shutdown if the Legislature doesn't adopt a budget by July 1.

Tuesday final day of 30-day special session

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 00:23:13 +0000

Tuesday is the final day of the 30-day special session and without a budget deal in place, it is likely that lawmakers will have to go into a second special session to get the job done.

Senate passes revised budget, 25-23

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 23:15:51 +0000

The state Senate adopted a revised budget proposal on Saturday afternoon on 25-23 vote, with the mostly Republican Majority Coalition Caucus in support and Democrats opposed.

House passes revised budget proposal

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 19:04:30 +0000

The House passed a revised budget on Thursday evening, along with a bill that would raise $255 million dollars for education by closing several tax breaks.

Senate majority makes offer on budget, but releases no details

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 00:05:25 +0000

The Senate Majority Coalition Caucus announced at a 5-minute press conference on Thursday that they've made a counter-offer to the House on the budget. But they released no details about what's in that offer.

Statement from State Superintendent Randy Dorn on the House and Senate Budgets

06/14/2013 02:00:00 PM

The state House and Senate have begun a second special session. Below is a statement from State Superintendent Randy Dorn on the differences between the House and Senate budgets as they relate to the McCleary decision.

Dorn Urges Legislature to Pass Supplemental Budget

06/14/2013 10:00:00 AM

State Superintendent Randy Dorn today urged the state Legislature to pass a supplemental budget covering the 2012-13 fiscal year.

Dorn: Legislature Must Pass Estate Tax Fix or 1 Million Students Lose - If bill doesn’t pass, cost to education could be $160 million

06/13/2013 11:00:00 AM

A total of $160 million will likely be lost to education funding if the Legislature does not pass a bill being debated today, State Superintendent Randy Dorn said.

Statement from State Superintendent Randy Dorn on the end of the Legislature’s Special Session

06/11/2013 04:00:00 PM

Today, the state Legislature adjourned after failing to pass an operating budget. Gov. Jay Inslee has called all legislators back tomorrow for a second special session. Below is a statement from State Superintendent Randy Dorn on the first special session.

Statement from Randy Dorn on the House Budget

06/07/2013 1:00:00 PM

On Thursday, the state House passed its 2013-15 budget. Below is a statement from State Superintendent Randy Dorn on the budget.

OSPI-Microsoft IT Academy Passes 10,000 Technology Certifications Earned Statewide

06/04/2013 11:00:00 AM

The strategic relationship between the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and Microsoft Corp., has reached impressive milestones in only its second year, said Randy Dorn, state superintendent of public instruction.

Washington State High School Artists Honored

05/16/2013 01:00:00 PM

State Superintendent Randy Dorn will host the 40th Annual Superintendent’s High School Art Show tomorrow at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) in Olympia.

Dorn Announces ESD Board Elections

05/13/2013 09:00:00 AM

Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn will conduct an election in October for board positions in the state’s nine educational service districts.

2013 Green Ribbon Schools and District Sustainability Awardees Announced

04/22/2013 02:00:00 PM

The second annual U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools honorees and inaugural District Sustainability Awardees, nominated by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, were announced today by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, along with Chair of White House Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley and Acting Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Bob Persiacepe.

Easton Corbin and Dustin Lynch Help Raise $13,000 for Musicians on Call

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:00:04 +0000

Mercury NashvilleEaston Corbin and Dustin Lynch's performances at the Country Weekly CMA Music Festival Kick Off Party helped raise more than $13,000 for Musicians on Call Nashville. Greg Bates and newcomer Chris Janson were also on the bill for the show earlier this month.

The money raised goes to fund Musicians on Call's work to bring live music to the bedside of patients in healthcare facilities, and the fundraising isn't over yet. The 7th Annual Online Music Auction for Musicians on Call is still going on through Thursday. Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Reba, Blake Shelton and Eric Church are among the stars who have donated items or meet and greet experiences to the auction at MusiciansonCall.org/Auction.

Rascal Flatts Headlining Run of Shows in Europe Next Month

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:00:41 +0000

Big Machine RecordsRascal Flatts won't be lounging around the pool during the two-week break from their Live & Loud North American tour next month. Instead, they're playing a run of shows in Europe, including a two-night stand in London.

The Flatts will also deliver their first performances ever in Norway, Sweden and Ireland on this trek, kicking off July 5. They'll play seven shows in all on the European run. The dates:

7/5 -- Vinstra, Norway, Country Music Festival Vinstra
7/6 -- Gothenburg, Sweden, Tradgam
7/7 -- Stockholm, Sweden, Cirkus
7/10-7/11 -- London, England, Shepherd's Bush Empire
7/13 -- Killarney, Ireland, INEC
7/14 -- Dublin, Ireland, Olympia Theatre

Country Singer Slim Whitman Dead at Age 90

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:47:03 +0000

Slimenet.comCountry singer Slim Whitman died at age 90 Wednesday in Jacksonville, FL. Best known for his 1952 hit, "Indian Love Call," Whitman joined the Grand Ole Opry cast in 1955. He earned a string of top 10 hits between 1952 and 1971, including his final hits, "Guess Who" and "Something Beautiful (to Remember)."

Whitman was also a star overseas with his single "Rose Marie" spending 11 weeks at #1 in England in 1954. His song, "Closer to the Waterfall," was used in the 1977 film Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and "Indian Love Call" was featured in the 1996 movie Mars Attacks!

Whitman was also widely known for selling his albums via telemarketing in the 1980s. That effort reportedly led to millions of album sales.

Tim McGraw to Perform at 19th Annual Music Festival for Mental Health

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:00:41 +0000

Big Machine RecordsTim McGraw has signed on to perform at the 19th Annual Music Festival for Mental Health at the Staglin Family Vineyard in Napa Valley, CA on September 8. The year event raises millions for research to find cures to brain disorders, and that cause hits close to home for Tim. He is the honorary chairperson of the Tug McGraw Foundation, an organization raising money for the fight against brain cancer, traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Tim says, "I meet returning troops every night out on the road and a lot of them are living with invisible wounds like PTSD or other traumatic brain injuries. The Tug McGraw Foundation is doing great work to help combat these disorders and the stigmas attached to them."

For more information, go to Music-Festival.org.

Why Everyone Thinks John Mayer's New Song Is About Taylor Swift

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:01:04 +0000

Country Star Trivia

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:01:03 +0000

Comstock/ThinkstockWhat is Keith Urban's middle name? Lionel.

Nashville Notes

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:01:04 +0000

Burke/Triolo Productions/ThinkstockLittle Big Town performs "Your Side of the Bed" on ABC's The View Wednesday.

Hunter Hayes, Kacey Musgraves and Lauren Alaina are among the artists who made the cut on Seventeen magazine's new Hottest Country Singers! list at Seventeen.com.

Thompson Square's Keifer Thompson on the Road to Full Recovery from Vocal Problems

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:01:03 +0000

Stoney Creek RecordsThompson Square's Keifer Thompson is recovering nicely from some vocal problems that forced the duo to cancel several shows. A hemorrhage and polyp on Keifer's vocal cords has sidelined the duo for the last few weeks, but his doctor says he's making big strides in his recovery after two weeks of total silence.

Keifer says, "I had a really bad hemorrhage, and it's completely healed, resolved, and the polyp is about 70 percent down, so they don't want to do surgery now."

His vocal problem had been mounting for the last 10 months, but Keifer ignored the pain in his throat on night after night thanks to the energy he got from the fans. Eventually, Keifer said the pain got so bad after a full concert, it felt like someone was stabbing him in the throat after a show.

"I've never had any formal training or anything like that," Keifer explains. "So, I've kinda just done it on what my heart felt like, and it wasn't always right, apparently. After doing it for so many years and so many hours and songs, it just catches up with you, you know?"

Keifer is now working on getting rid of a few bad vocal habits and learning to sing properly.

He says, "You can still sing soulfully and with power and not scream and grow polyps."

Fortunately, Keifer had a few singing friends like Keith Urban and Gary Allan who have been through similar vocal issues. Their advice and encouragement helped him through this rough patch, and he's grateful to them for reaching out.

Living with Keifer while he was silent for two weeks was quite an adventure for his wife and duo partner, Shawna Thompson. They even had a system in place in case they got separated from each other in a big place like the grocery store.

Shawna says, "He would be far away from me, and I couldn't find him 'cause he couldn't speak, and I couldn't call him. So, we had this whistle thing that we would do as we walked around the store to find each other."

Keifer says with a laugh, "It was like Marco Polo."

Ironing out disagreements was interesting in the two weeks Keifer was silent as well.

He explains, "What's fun is fighting when you can't talk. That's pretty funny. You get really animated."

Keifer expects his doctor to tell him Wednesday when he can perform again. We'll keep you posted when Keifer and Shawna return to the road.

Keith Urban Working Feverishly to Finish New Album, "Fuse," Before Launching Light the Fuse Tour

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:00:59 +0000

Capitol NashvilleKeith Urban is a busy, busy man these days. He's feverishly working to finish his new studio album, Fuse, before going into tour rehearsals for his Light the Fuse tour, launching July 18 in Cincinnati. Wrapping up the recording process isn't just a matter of Keith buckling down and getting it done: he has to coordinate a lot of other musicians' schedules too.

Says Keith, "The challenge has been in trying to finish an album that is complex in its collaborative, in the amount of people that I've collaborated with. I've got to land the plane."

Luckily, Keith has great people on his team to make sure the tour rehearsals go smoothly in the next few weeks.

"My musical director, Chris McHugh, is fantastic," Keith says. "Travis Shirley, who is the production designer for this tour, is excellent. We just toured Australia together, so he has a lot of components that we had in that tour that we can use in this one."

Even though Keith worked out a lot of elements for his U.S. tour while Down Under, he still leaves room to add new elements to his show, right up until he hits the stage.

Says Keith, "Historically, we put something together, and I'm like, 'That's the tour. It's perfect.' And then a week before the tour, I get some crazy idea that I want to do this, or do that and do this. So, I've learned that it's best to have a malleable production that can accommodate those things at a moment's notice."

Little Big Town and Dustin Lynch join Keith on the Light the Fuse tour this summer. The lead single from Fuse, "Little Bit of Everything," is now climbing the country chart. The album will be in stores September 10.

The Wanted's Max George Is New Face of Buffalo David Bitton

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:00:07 +0000

Facebook.com/BuffaloJeansIn the wake of the news that Wanted member Siva Kaneswaran has signed with a top London modeling agency, another member of the British boy band is also branching out into that field. Women's Wear Daily reports that The Wanted's Max George is the new face of Buffalo David Bitton clothing, along with Sports Illustrated model Hannah Davis.

"Buffalo has a bit of a rock ’n’ roll vibe, which I personally love," Max told WWD. "I felt working with Buffalo was the right fit for me because [they make] great pieces that I’d wear when I’m performing and also in my day-to-day life.

The campaign starts running next month in the August issues of top magazines, and Max and Hannah will also appear on billboards, bus shelters and taxi signs in cities like New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Dallas and Montreal.

Explaining why the company tapped Max for their ads, an exec told WWD, "Buffalo has always done beautiful, sexyadvertising, but we wanted to add...a celebrity…we put some pictures on a wall and we knew Max was it.”

Madonna on Her Grueling MDNA Tour: "49 Percent of the Time I Was Crying"

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:00:05 +0000

Facebook.com/MadonnaThis Saturday, EPIX will premiere Madonna: The MDNA Tour, a concert special which documents the Queen of Pop's record-setting 2012 world tour. And at the special's premiere Tuesday night, Madonna told the audience that doing the grueling show every night left her in such a "mess" that she was "crying" half the time.

When Madonna was asked how she got psyched to perform every night, even when she wasn't in the mood, she told the audience, "There’s no such thing as 'not in the mood,' because the show must go on. I mean, I’m a human being like everyone else, so I would have my bad nights, and I would cry and say, ‘I don’t want to do this.’ But you know, I sold the tickets and I can’t let my audience down."

She added that before every show, she, the dancers and musicians would gather in her dressing room, hold hands in a circle and say prayers. "Fifty percent of the time I said them, and 49 percent of the time I was crying -- usually from over-exhaustion," she revealed. "I was a mess. Just talk to my manager. "

In addition to being exhausted, Madonna also said it was difficult for her to perform when so many things were going on in the world.

"There’s something about pushing yourself when it’s pouring rain or it’s freezing cold or you don’t feel well or something really...crazy happened in the world, like Hurricane Sandy," she told the audience. "There were so many weird, bizarre things happening [during the tour]...gays being arrested at my concert in St. Petersburg...the election of Obama. The world was changing rapidly...it was just a crazy time."

As a result, she says, "Sometimes I just didn’t feel like I had the strength to go on and sing and dance and pretend like crazy sh*t wasn’t happening in the world." So what kept her going?

"The world needs to be inspired -- it’s my job, it’s all of our jobs to bring people up," she explained.

Kelly Clarkson Confirms: I'm Not Judging "American Idol"

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:00:40 +0000

Courtesy Cosmopolitan MagazineEveryone can stop hoping that Kelly Clarkson will return to American Idol in season 13 as a judge. It's not happening, and that's straight from Kelly herself.

But, Kelly added, "I hope they get some great people though. I'd hate to see my beginning end."

Rihanna Swats Grab-Happy Concert-Goer with Microphone

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:00:00 +0000

PR NewswireWhen an overzealous Beyonce fan smacked the singer's butt, Beyonce threatened to boot him from her concert. But when somebody in the crowd apparently got a little grabby with Rihanna during her performance in Birmingham, U.K., on Monday night, she appeared to whack the culprit with her microphone.

Video shows Rih in a loose-fitting camouflage jacket, strolling along the front row at LG Arena, while two bodyguards walk a few feet in front and behind her. Rihanna sings "We Found Love," all while doling out high-fives to her Navy. When she tries to walk away from one area, though, it seems that someone has grabbed her arm. It's hard to tell who's holding Rihanna back, but after struggling to pull away, she turns and appears to swat at the person's arms with her golden mic.

Once she's freed her limbs, Rihanna continues the show.

Ed Sheeran, Emeli Sande, Jessie J to Play Benefit Concert in Memory of Stabbed Teen

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:00:40 +0000

Vince Bucci/STARTRAKS PHOTO via ABCEd Sheeran, Emeli Sande and Jessie J will take time out from their busy schedules this September to come together at a benefit concert in London.

According to published reports, the "Unity" concert, scheduled for September 29 at London's O2 arena, will raise money for the struggling Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, which was set up in memory of an 18-year-old British student who was stabbed to death by a racist gang 20 years ago. Two men were jailed for life in January of 2012 after being convicted of his murder, but it's believed that others who were involved are still at large.

The trust is now struggling financially, which is why Stephen Lawrence's mother, Doreen, is organizing the benefit concert. Established in 1999, the trust has helped fund the educations of more than 100 aspiring architects, which is the field that Stephen wanted to go into.

According to the U.K. paper The Daily Mirror, at the press conference announcing the event, Emeli said of Stephen's death, "I was quite young when it happened, but coming from a mixed-race family it was a big issue we spoke about -- this being something that happened in our country." She added that the event "made a big impact on my family," and said that the work that Doreen has done with the trust over the years has "felt very empowering."