AMY WINEHOUSE TO BE LAID TO REST TODAY
According to Us Weekly, Amy Winehouse will be laid to rest at a private funeral today (7/26). An autopsy was held on Monday, but the results won’t be known for weeks. Winehouse is survived by her parents, Mitch and Janis, her older brother, Alex, and her boyfriend, director Reg Traviss. Amy’s parents met with mourners outside their daughter’s Camden Square home Monday morning.
AMY WINEHOUSE DEATH INVESTIGATION
According to The Hollywood Reporter, an inquest into Amy Winehouse’s death has been opened and adjourned until October 26th, which means the results of the autopsy won’t be known for weeks, as a lengthy investigation into the singer’s death begins in Britain. The late singer’s body was identified by her parents on Monday and is expected to be released to her family shortly so that they can prepare for a funeral. A “Section 20” postmortem has been carried out, which means there is “reasonable cause to suspect she died an unnatural death,” even though the coroner stated the death is “non-suspicious.”
STATEMENT: On Monday, Coroner Sharon Duff read this statement to the press: “I bring before you the death of Amy Jade Winehouse aged 27, born on the 14th September 1983 in London. She was a divorced woman living in Camden Square NW1. She was certified dead at her home by a paramedic and a doctor on July 23. She was a singer songwriter at the time of her death and was identified by her family here at St Pancras this morning. A section 20 post mortem has been carried out and histology and toxicology taken to determine the cause of death. The scene was investigated by police and determined non-suspicious.”
AMY WINEHOUSE’S U-S CHART HISTORY
Amy Winehouse, who passed away on Saturday, released two albums: 2003’s Frank and 2007’s Back To Black. According to Billboard, the latter album reached number two on the Billboard 200 chart back in March 2008. It spent 78 weeks on the chart and has sold over 2.3-million copies to date. Her debut album, Frank, peaked at number 61 back in December of 2007 and has sold over 307-thousand units. Winehouse’s hit single “Rehab” peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart back in June of 2007 and has sold over 1.7-million downloads. Her only other Hot 100 hit was “You Know I’m No Good,” which reached number 77 in 2008 and has sold 729-thousand copies.
STATEMENT: Recording Academy president Neil Portnow said: “Five-time GRAMMY winner Amy Winehouse was a dynamic performer and musician who seamlessly blended rock, jazz, pop, and soul and created a sound all her own. Her rich, soulful and unique voice reflected her honest songwriting and earned her a devoted fan following, critical acclaim, and the genuine respect and admiration of her musical peers. She will forever be remembered for her immense talent, and her music will live on for generations to come. Our deepest sympathies go out to her family, friends, and fans during this difficult time.”
AMY WINEHOUSE’S MTV MOVIE AWARDS PERFORMANCE
Amy Winehouse performed at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards. The show took place at the Gibson Amphitheater and there, Winehouse sang her hit single “Rehab.” The late singer was introduced by Bruce Willis and thrilled the Hollywood crowd with her soulful vocals and true-to-life lyrics. For more, head to MTV.com/News.
See Amy Winehouse’s Movie Awards performance here: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1667823/amy-winehouse-rehab-live-performance-2007.jhtml.
U2 PAY TRIBUTE TO AMY WINEHOUSE
U2 paid tribute to Amy Winehouse on Saturday night in Minneapolis. The band dedicated their song “Stuck in a Moment” to the singer, who died earlier that day in London. The band wrote the song for INXS singer Michael Hutchence, who committed suicide in 1997.
TWEET OF THE DAY: JUSTIN BIEBER
Justin Bieber took to Twitter following the news of Amy Winehouse’s death on Saturday. The young singer wrote “I intend to live forever… So far so good.”
JUSTIN BIEBER APPEARS ON STAGE WITH SELENA GOMEZ
Justin Bieber surprised fans by appeared on stage with girlfriend Selena Gomez at the Orange County Fair in Costa Mesa, California on Sunday night. Bieber walked on stage and gave Gomez and affectionate hug, before he performed his song “Favorite Girl” and a cover of Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River.”
Gomez and Bieber recently crashed a wedding in Malibu, California after hearing his song “One Less Lonely Girl” playing at the reception.
BRITNEY SPEARS ANNOUNCES SOUTH AMERICAN DATES
Britney Spears announced South American tour dates for the fall on her Facebook page on Monday. The singer with two dancers on either side apologized to fans for not bringing her Circus Tour to South America, but announced she will be performing 12 shows on the continent starting in November. Spears will kick off the South American leg of her Femme Fatale Tour on November 15th in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. For more info head to BritneySpears.com.
ADELE STILL ON TOP OF U-K ALBUM CHART
Adele started her 18th non-consecutive week atop the U-K album chart with 21. The album sold an additional 46-thousand units bringing its U-K sales total to over 2.7-million copies. Beyonce’s 4 is at number two, and Adele’s first album, 19, is at number three.
FAN TRACKS TAYLOR SWIFT ARM LYRICS ON WEBSITE
Each night on her Speak Now tour, Taylor Swift has lyrics from songs by other artists that speak to her written on her arm. Kenny Chesney, Montgomery Gentry, Sugarland and The Dixie Chicks are just a few of the country artists making it onto Taylor’s arm. It’s not just country songs though, Taylor has also showcased lyrics from artists like Alanis Morissette, Tom Petty, U2 and Gavin DeGraw. One fan has even decided to track which lyrics are written on Taylor’s arm in each concert and is posting it at TaylorSwiftArmLyrics.com.
JAY-Z, KANYE FOR GROUP, ANNOUNCE TOUR DATES
Not only have Jay-Z and Kanye West decided to form a supergroup dubbed The Throne, but the pair has also decided to reveal the upcoming tour dates to support their joint album, Watch the Throne. The rap duo are scheduled to kick off their outing in Detroit on September 22nd and hit major cities including Los Angeles, Dallas, and Atlanta, before wrapping in Boston on November 3rd. According to LiveNation.com, fans will be able to purchase pre-sale tickets on Thursday. Be sure to pick up WTT on August 8th on iTunes!
September 22nd — Detroit, MI
September 24th — Toronto, ON
September 25th — Montreal, QC
September 27th — East Rutherford, NJ
September 28th — East Rutherford, NJ
September 29th — Washington, DC
October 4th — Philadelphia, PA
October 6th — Chicago, IL
October 7th — Chicago, IL
October 8th — Minneapolis, MN
October 10th — Denver, CO
October 13th — Tacoma, WA
October 14th — Vancouver, BC
October 16th — San Jose, CA
October 17th — Sacramento, CA
October 19th — Los Angeles, CA
October 20th — Los Angeles, CA
October 21st — Las Vegas, NV
October 25th — Dallas, TX
October 26th — Houston, TX
October 29th — Atlanta, GA
October 30th — Greensboro, NC
November 1st — Baltimore, MD
November 3rd — Boston, MA
OTIS DAUGHTER REACTS TO “OTIS” SINGLE
Billboard.com caught up with the daughter of legendary soul singer Otis Redding to find out how she feels about Jay-Z and Kanye West sampling her father’s classic tune, “Try a Little Tenderness.” Since this is the first time her dad’s material has been used, Karla Redding-Andrews explained how the rap moguls got clearance to create their smash hit, “Otis.” She explained, “It always amounts to respect to Otis. That’s what my mother has always put on the table, first and foremost. It always depends on how it’s used and what the artist has going on at the time. All of that goes into play.” The Kanye-produced cut is off the rap duo’s highly anticipated album, Watch The Throne. Fans can get the physical copy on Friday, August 5th.
JENNIFER LOPEZ PARTIES FOR BIRTHDAY BASH
Following her appearance at a wedding in the Ukraine, the newly-single Jennifer Lopez was recently spotted in Miami for a rumored birthday bash. People magazine reports that J Lo partied with 16 close friends at the restaurant Scarpetta inside the Fontainebleau hotel. A spy told the site, “Jennifer looked radiant in a purple and silver evening dress. And when they brought out her birthday cake after the meal, she began to sing. She was very happy. The whole group had a blast, staying for hours. They closed down the restaurant.” While it seems like her separation from Marc Anthony hasn’t slowed her down, the 42-year-old singer has reportedly taken a short break from shooting her next film project, What To Expect When You’re Expecting.
MARIAH SHOWS OFF POST-BABY BODY
After giving birth to her first set of twins, Mariah Carey showed off her new physique on the Home Shopping Network. The singer, who sat on the couch with Nick Cannon, spoke on what life is like with Moroccan and Monroe Cannon and which child favors which parent. Visit MariahDaily.com for more!
KELLY ROWLAND TALKS HERE I AM
Today is the day Kelly Rowland finally gets to let her fans listen to her newly released album, Here I Am. The “Motivation” singer recently told us why she’s confident there’s something for everyone on her third studio effort (See Related Cut #8). Here I Am is available in stores and online today (7/26).
KELLY RESPONDS TO PRODUCER’S DISS
Late last week, we reported one of Beyonce’s producers heavily criticized Kelly Rowland’s smash hit, “Motivation.” Even though hitmaker Jeff Bhasker tweeted the song had the “weakest beat and melody of all time,” the former Destiny’s Child singer is not fazed. She told BET.com, “You know what, the record speaks for itself,” Rowland added, “Opinions are like a**holes, everybody’s got one. He’s made wonderful music with my sister and other artists. There’s no reason for me to say anything negative.” In related news, Kelly’s long-awaited album, Here I Am, arrives in stores today (7/26).
KELLY ROWLAND TO TOUR WITH CHRIS BROWN?
Kelly Rowland certainly has a lot to be happy about. In addition to her latest album, Here I Am, being in stores now (7/26), the singer has announced that she’s going to be the supporting act for Chris Brown’s upcoming tour. Tour dates have yet to be revealed, but Breezy tweeted that the outing is “about to be crazzzyyy!” He also plans to make ticket sales “affordable for everybody.”
CORINNE BAILEY RAE FINDS LOVE
According to TheSingersRoom.com, Corinne Bailey Rae is dating pianist and producer Steve Brown. Rae was out with Brown when she received an honorary doctorate of music at Leeds University. Back in 2008, the soul singer lost her husband, Jason Rae, to a drug overdose. Corinne and Steve are longtime friends and music partners. He helped produced her recent studio efforts, including her 2010 album, The Sea. Corrine was married to Jason for seven years before his death.
LAURYN HILL GIVES BIRTH!
According to BlackCelebKids.com, Lauryn Hill delivered her sixth child over the weekend. The singer gave birth to a healthy baby boy with longtime boyfriend Rohan Marley on Saturday. A source revealed, “Lauryn had a little scare because the baby came out the womb with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. All is well now and everyone is happy.” The name of the child has yet to be revealed.
50 CENT PARTNERS WITH SMART COMICS
50 Cent has struck a deal with Smart Comics, a company that summarizes a variety of books into comic book format. The rap mogul’s first literary effort, The 50th Law, will reportedly be formatted into comic book form and will debut in stores in 2012. Visit AllHipHop.com for more!
FLO RIDA AGREES TO PATERNITY TEST
According to TMZ, an unidentified woman demanded Flo Rida to submit a paternity test for allegedly fathering her son. Interestingly enough, the rapper took the test but used an alias to protect his identity. What’s wrong with that? Well, the woman and her lawyers now claim that they have no real evidence that it was actually Flo who took the test and they’re seeking a court order against the rapper to take another paternity test. We’ll keep you posted.
