How’s the life
folks? Things continue to be all over the place with aftershocks in
Haiti, a Republican occupying the Senate seat formerly held by the late
Ted Kennedy, the one-year anniversary of President Obama’s
inauguration, John Edwards finally admitting he’s the biological father
of his former mistress’ daughter and the Supreme Court overturning
federal laws that prevented corporations from using their money to buy
political ads.
Congratulations to
Save the Last Dance/Barbershop star Sean Patrick Thomas and his wife,
who are expecting a new addition to their family. Shout out to the
sounding boards for never forgetting that a beautiful woman never stays
single for long.
Now let’s get down to business. Here is…the Last Word for the week ending Jan. 22, 2010.
1. Quincy Jones and Lionel Ritchie Recruit New All-Star Line-Up for “We Are the World” Remake
The crisis in Haiti has become a catalyst for Quincy Jones and Lionel Ritchie, who are marking the 25th
anniversary of their Michael Jackson-assisted star-studded benefit
single, “We Are the World,” with a remake of the classic song.
The folks at The Hollywood Reporter
reveal that history will repeat itself, as the pair will extend an
invitation for artists to re-record the tune the day after the Grammys
on Feb. 1 at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles.
The original version
of “We Are the World,” produced by Jones, was recorded in 1985 after
the American Music Awards and featured a who’s who of singers such as
Jackson, Ritchie, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Ray Charles, Bob
Dylan, Tina Turner and Billy Joel. Proceeds from the song went to
famine relief in Africa.
Those invited to
take part in the remake include Usher, Natalie Cole and John Legend,
with a lot more artists to follow in the coming days.
“We Are the World”
was originally scheduled to be performed during a 25th anniversary
celebration on Jan. 28, but those plans were scrapped after Haiti’s 7.0
magnitude earthquake. As a result, the effort will turn into a
fundraiser. The celebration has now been rescheduled for Feb. 1 with a
single and music video highlighting the session is set to debut soon
after.
Money from the song
will go to relief efforts in Haiti. Although plans are still sketchy,
there is talk of Jackson being apart of the remake in some fashion.
2. Kelly Rowland Goes on a Sugar-Free Diet, Takes up Pole-Dancing
Look at a current picture of Kelly Rowland and you may notice that she’s lost some weight.
In fact, the singer
is happy to be without the extra pounds as she confesses to taking up a
new skill that played a role in creating a slimmer version of her.
“Right now, I have a
pole dance instructor in Miami and she teaches me a lot,” Rowland
shared with People.. “You’d be surprised how hard those ladies work.”
To help the effort, Kelly combined rocking the pole with a healthy diet. One that doesn’t include sugar.
“I’m telling you, I’m not eating sugar. I didn’t even try to lose weight,” the songbird said.
“I read this book, called You Are What You Eat. [The author, Gillian
McKeith,] is talking about sugar, she’s talking about meat, she’s
talking about cheese. I did some of those things for a month, but for
the most part, it is just sugar that is gone from my diet.”
So much weight did Kelly lose?
“I lost weight,
probably almost 10 pounds. But 10 pounds did a lot,” she said. “ … It’s
more here, in the hip and [rear] area, but it’s definitely trimmed down
since no sugar has taken place.”
So there you have it. More proof that if you eat right and make your stripper fantasy come to life, you too can be slim, freaky and make your man a happy camper.
3. Kirk Franklin Organizes Gospel-Inspired “We Are the World” Effort
While Quincy and Co.
gearing up for their redo, Kirk Franklin has put together a “We Are the
World” type effort of his own. Only this one involves a star-packed
cadre of gospel singers. The Franklin-produced collaboration, titled
“’A Song for Pain,” was recorded over the weekend during this year’s
Stellar Awards in Nashville, Tenn.
Among the gospel
greats lending vocals for “A Song for Pain” are Yolanda Adams, Jeremy
Camp, Shirley Caesar, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Natalie Grant, Fred Hammond,
Tamela and David Mann, Mary Mary, Donnie McClurkin, Bishop Paul S.
Morton, J. Moss, Smokey Norful, Marvin Sapp, Karen Clark-Sheard, Kiera
“KiKi” Sheard, BeBe Winans, CeCe Winans and Marvin Winans.
A spokesperson for
Franklin says the singer is currently mastering the track with plans to
release it later this week via iTunes and other digital retailers. To
coincide with the song’s release, the Gospel Music Channel will air a
one-hour special featuring the official “A Song for Pain” music video
in the coming weeks. Proceeds from “A Song for Pain” will go to a fund
in support of victims affected by the Haiti earthquake.
4. Scott Baio Makes Twitter Death Threat List over Michelle Obama Joke
Be careful what you say. Or if you’re Scott Baio, what you tweet.
The actor, who’s best known for his work on Charles in Charge and Happy Days, has rubbed a lot of people the wrong way as he’s been on the receiving end of death threats.
According to
reports, Baio’s problems stemmed from a joke he made about Michelle
Obama. The joke in question came when the actor posted an unflattering
photo of the First Lady on Wednesday (Jan. 20) and tweeted the
following comment: “WOW He wakes up to this every morning,”
Baio’s remark drew
the wrath of Twitter users, who labeled the proud Republican as
everything from an a**hole to a racist idiot and suggested he kill
himself.
“Timafi: ‘easy to find your house Scottie boy and finish YOU. I am a republican and I love Mrs O,'” wrote one Twitter user, while Ishatonu predicted
the downfall of Baio’s time as an actor by pondering “how long until
@RealScottBaio realizes his career is dead. Resorting to insulting
Michelle Obama will only further his irrelevancy.”
Baio later came to his defense, saying his remark was meant as a joke and nothing serious against Mrs. Obama.
“People need to
relax and laugh a bit,” tweeted the entertainer. “Life is too short no
matter what party you are with. A joke is just that, a joke.”
After informing the
Twitterverse that “The FBI has been contacted & we have a file
number for the threats, along with twitter support,” Baio continued defending himself.
“I’m NOT racist for posting a pic of M.O. My WIFE’S BEST FRD IS BLACK,HELLO” the
actor tweeted after posting the picture. “Do I look like I’m racist?
This is [his wife] Renee’s BEST frd. STOP USING THE RACE CARD!!!”
“If I’m racist, don’t think I would have Directed shows like The Parkers & The Wayans Bros. or worked 41 eps w/ Victoria Rowell on D.Murder,”
continued Baio, who stated his following had swelled to 5000 because
“people love to hate” and the FBI is after all “death threaters.”
“For New followers:
I POST A LOT OF JOKES WITH PICS. They are JUST that, a joke. NOT
targeting anyone. Laughter IS the best medicine,” Baio said.
Ladies and gentlemen
of the jury, that is the case. Did Chachi/Charles go too far with the
humor or was it a harmless joke on his part? What say you?5. Beyonce Outgrows Sasha Fierce
She is Sasha Fierce no more. After only one album, Beyonce is laying to rest her bold alter ego.
In an interview with Allure
magazine, the songstress made her piece with Sasha while making a vow
to have her two sides peacefully live as one. In short, the real
Beyonce is standing up and she wants everyone to notice.
“Sasha Fierce is my
alter ego, this other side of me that’s almost animalistic and strong
and fearless, and I have used this person to take over when I’m too
scared or too shy,” the singer/actress said. “The thing that’s
interesting is I don’t need Sasha Fierce anymore, because I’ve grown,
and I’m now able to merge the two. I want people to see me. I want
people to see who I am.”
Not that I really
noticed the two sides, but Beyonce was always Beyonce to me. Still
talented. Still beautiful. Still able to stand out. No matter what. But
I can always remember the good times Sasha provided. Whether she was
representing the single ladies with that roboglove, hustling as a diva
or chatting back and forth with me and Lady Gaga on the video, it was a
slice knowing Sasha.
Sweet dreams Miss Fierce.
In Other Words…
If you want to pay
your respects in person to the late Teddy Pendergrass, there will be a
chance to do so this weekend with an official public viewing. The
viewing will take place today (Jan. 22) from
noon to 8 p.m. at the Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, 2800 West
Cheltenham Ave., in Philadelphia . A private viewing and memorial will
be held on Saturday (Jan. 23).
Actor. Comedian.
Radio show host. Author. Now Steve Harvey can add game show host to his
resume. The entertainer is on deck to become the new host of Family
Feud. Harvey, who will replace outgoing host John O’Hurley, will begin
his stint on Family Feud when the show’s new season premieres next
fall.Not one to forget
where he came from Judge Greg Mathis is doing his part to work with
inmates in prison via his new black prisoner initiative Empowerment
Education and Respect (PEER).
According to Black
Voices, Mathis will take time out to visit jails and prisons throughout
the country to encourage inmates to change their lives as part of the
initiative. To date, he has visited the Wayne County Jail in his
hometown of Detroit, where he served his one-year sentence, as well as
the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta and the State Correctional
Institution at Chester, PA. Mathis’ next stop will be the Golden Grove
Correctional Facility in St. Croix, Virgin Islands on Feb.8.
Kandi Burruss is on her way back to the music scene, now that she’s signed with Asylum
Records through her label, Kandi Koated Entertainment. The
singer/reality show star’s as yet untitled forthcoming album, which is
slated for release this spring, will feature appearance from Gucci
Mane, Rick Ross, Rasheeda and Burris’ former Xscape groupmate, Tameka
“Tiny” Cottle. Production will be handled by Jazze Phae and Drumma Boy,
among others.
March looks to
be a good month for Raheem DeVaughn, who is gearing up for the release
of his upcoming album, The Love and War Masterpiece. The offering,
which includes the single “Bulletproof,” stands as evidence of the
singer’s current mindstate.
“I named the album The Love and War Masterpeace because I feel that is where I am as a
person and where we are as a people,” DeVaughn told Singersroom.com.
“We are all trying to master that internal peace and happiness in a
very strange time.”
Look for DeVaughn’s second single “I Don’t Care,” to hit radio on Monday (Jan. 25). The Love and War Masterpeace is slated to hit stores March 2.Prince is making his support of the Minnesota Vikings official with the release of a new song he’s
written. MyFoxTwinCities.com reports the tune, titled “Purple and
Gold,” was written after the Purple One came home after seeing the
Vikings beat the Dallas Cowboys last week. To hear Prince tell, the
victory was a sign of things to come.
“I saw the future,”
said the crooner, who admitted that “Purple and Gold” came easy and
fast as it was written for the Viking’s upcoming NFC Championship game
matchup against the New Orleans Saints. It’s no surprise that the
Vikings love the new song and plan to put it on their site.
