Wednesday
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Wednesday
Dr Conrad Murray's clinic was raided Wednesday
HOUSTON—Law enforcement officers raided the Houston office of the doctor who was with Michael Jackson when he died.
AIR 11
HPD officers guarded the clinic of Dr. Conrad Murray as other law enforcement officers searched it.
Officials raided Dr. Conrad Murray’s Armstrong Medical Clinic in Acres Homes Wednesday morning, acting on a search warrant acquired by the LAPD.
The search warrant includes the names of Dr. Murray and his former partner, Dr. Armstrong.
Dr. Murray's law firm said he is in Las Vegas and had no idea the raid was going to happen.
Houston police and DEA agents assisted the LAPD with the raid. 11 News crews reported about 20 law enforcement officers were on the scene.
They confiscated several bags of evidence.
Dozens of gawkers gathered around the small clinic to watch.
Who is Dr. Conrad Murray?
Murray, a cardiologist with offices in Houston and Las Vegas, was with Jackson when the 50-year-old pop star suddenly went into cardiac arrest in his rented Los Angeles home last month.
Murray had left Houston to be with Jackson as the singer prepared for his comeback tour.
Los Angeles police have denied reports by celebrity Web site TMZ.com that they are investigating Jackson’s death as a homicide, but members of Jackson’s family have hinted that they think foul play was involved.
Murray isn’t the only doctor under scrutiny by officials. Jackson’s dermatologist has also been subpoenaed in the case.
Edward Chernoff, who represents Murray, posted a statement on his law firm’s Web site late Tuesday saying investigators from the Los Angeles County coroner’s office have asked for medical records in addition to those already provided by Murray.
“The coroner wants to clear up the cause of death; we share that goal,” Chernoff said in his statement. “Based on Dr. Murray’s minute-by-minute and item-by-item description of Michael Jackson’s last days, he should not be a target of criminal charges.”
Although Chernoff has said the doctor didn’t give the pop star any drugs that contributed to his death, Murray has nonetheless received attention from those angry over the singer’s passing.
“Dr. Murray was the last doctor standing when Michael Jackson died and it seems all the fury is directed toward him,” Chernoff said. “Dr. Murray is frustrated by negative and often erroneous media reports, he has to walk around 24-7 with a bodyguard. He can’t operate his practice. He can’t go to work because he is harassed no matter where he goes.”
Investigators found the powerful anesthetic propofol in Jackson’s home, according to a person with knowledge of the investigation. The person is not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity. The officials are working with the Drug Enforcement Administration and California attorney general’s office to determine how the medications got there.
Police detectives have already spoken to Murray twice—once immediately after the singer’s death and again two days later. Police investigators say Murray is cooperating in their investigation.
A cause of death has yet to be determined for the pop star. The coroner’s office is expecting to release autopsy results next week.
Murray opened the Acres Homes Heart and Vascular Institute in 2006 as a tribute to his father. His father, Dr. Rawle Andrews, was a well-respected doctor in the community.
“He (Murray) was living in Vegas when his daddy died,” said Ruby Mosley, a long-time patient. “Dr. Andrews came out here in 1968 opened up his medical practice, but he was not just a doctor. He invested in this community. He organized the organization that’s called Acres Homes Citizen Council.”
Source:khou11 News Houston
Tuesday
Kimora Simmons Is Pregnant Again
Kimora Lee Simmons and actor Djimon Hounsou are expecting their first child together.
Simmons, 33, has two daughters, Ming Lee, 8, and Aoki Lee, 6, with hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, whom she divorced in 2008 after nearly 10 years of marriage.
"I have a lot of hang-ups in life with men. I'm not very trusting," she told Harper's Bazaar last year. "After my breakup, I thought, 'I don't need anything.'"
But after meeting Hounsou in February 2007, she said, "I have someone who has the heart, the soul, and the hotness."
Added Hounsou , "My first impression has always been the same, that she's a very beautiful lady, very capable and intelligent and smart with great family values. She's the least high-maintenance lady I've ever dated."
Asked if she wanted more kids, Simmons said last September, "I would love to. I practice everyday." Hmmmmmm
Source:US Weekly
Monday
50Cents Drops the price of his home to 10.9Mil
SELLER: Curtis Jackson, aka 50 Cent
LOCATION: 50 Poplar Hill Road, Farmington, CT
PRICE: $10,900,000 (was 18,000,000)
SIZE: 17.6 acres, 48,515 square feet, 19 bedrooms, 19 full and 16 half bathrooms
YOUR MAMAS NOTES: Surely most of you read about the this outrageous property on one of our favorite sites RADAR or over at Big Time Listings. Your Mama had been holding out on posting anything until we had something new to add, but we can't resist the photos that have been put up on the website created to help sell the house. And one tidbit of information provided us by a gentleman named Garreth is also worth relaying to the children. Here's the reader's digest on the house which was once owned by girly voiced boxer Mike Tyson who has been banged in the head so many times he doesn't have enough sense to come in out of the rain.
The dimwitted boxer with the stoopid facial tattoos lost this house in his dee-vorce settlement when a judge decreed he must "sell" it to the ex-wife Monica for a single dollar. Ouch! Now think about that. What single lady living off spousal support from Mike Tyson wants or can afford a 52,000 square foot mansion with 19 bedrooms and nearly forty toilits? No single lady, that's who.
So Monica puts the house up on the market and low and behold in September of 2003, gangsta rapper 50 Cent, flush with new money and something to prove, buys the place for $4,100,000. The rapper, who among other things is famous for being shot full of holes out in front of his grandmother's house, claims to have spent between $3.5 and $6 million renovating the house.
But Your Mama wants to know where is all the money Fiddy claims he put into this house? Can't be in the dining room with those depressing funeral home curtains and those ridiculous and upsetting white chairs with the bull dog legs.
Or in the 3,500 square foot home disco which looks like the night club at the Holiday Inn in Minot, North Dakota. And Your Mama knows what that looks like too because we've been there. And where's the stripper pole? Y'all know Fiddy put at least one greased pole up in there for the high class Connecticut ladies to swing on and wrap themselves around.
Okay, maybe the living room has some expensive and tasteful Biedermeir like furniture, but seriously, where's all the money? We too read the story that RADAR referenced about Fiddy asking Louis Vuitton to paper the place with their logo. We thought that would be tacky until we saw this pictures of this place and realized that would actually be tasteful compared to the choices Fiddy's obviously not-gay decorator made.
In addition to the disco, movie theater, four kitchens, racquetball court, full gym, heli-pad, tennis courts, staff quarters and 5 jacuzzis, the house has what everyone needs, an indoor shooting range. Because if you're going to own a gun, it's best to be able to know how to use it, right?
The one room that makes any sense to us is the indoor swimming pool, which actually reminds Your Mama of a public pool our Mama used to take us up in Lake Tahoe. We understand that at one time this pool had Mike Tyson's initials on the bottom and we wonder if Fiddy had them removed and replaced with a dollar sign or some other symbol of wealth.
The outdoor, infinity edged pool probably cost Fiddy and arm and a leg, but in our opinion the tile was the wrong choice. That tile can be seen in just about any Home Depot sale bin. The grotto we're liking. It's not as nice as the one at the Playboy Mansion, but it works as a place for Fiddy's posse to cool off and entertain the ladies after they've slid themselves up and down the pole in the disco.
And our little friend Garreth tells us something we had not heard before..."Interestingly, for a bullet-proof-vest-sporting, bomb-proof-SUV-driving superstar, the house remains a little unsecured: a rival rapper (feuding with 50) posted videos of himself and others standing on 50's property looking at his house after accessing the grounds through the acreage in the rear."
We can only hope that Fiddy has secured the borders since then because Farmington does not need a shoot out between rival rapper gangs nor does he need bullet holes in the walls that might need to be fixed before someone buys this behemoth of a house.
Tyson's ex Monica tried to sell this house for $25,000,000 before reducing the price and finally accepting 50 Cent's $4.1 million dollar offer. So we'd be surprised if the house will go for anywhere near the $18.5 million Fiddy is asking. But good luck to him. He's got a knack for making paper, so maybe, just maybe, he'll make millions on the sale of this house.
Sources: Radar, Big Time Listings
Looks like in these depressed times, not many people are looking to pay big bucks for these overdone palaces,even if a Celeb stayed in it.
Tom Cruise and Kids at Galaxy Game with the Beckhams
Tom Cruise and his older two kids, Connor and Isabella, joined Victoria Beckham and her younger sons Romeo and Cruz in a box on Sunday to cheer on David Beckham and the LA Galaxy as they played a friendly match against Beckham's recent team AC Milan.
They tied 2-2.
Katie Holmes is filming in Australia at the moment.
Source: Huffington Post
Thursday
Steve McNair had no will
McNair Has No Will; Wife To Oversee Estate
Wife Has 60 Days To File Assets Inventory
AP Photo/Mark Humphrey
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The widow of slain former NFL quarterback Steve McNair said in court documents that her husband left no will and a judge in Nashville has ruled that she will oversee his estate.
Davidson County Probate Judge Randy Kennedy granted Mechelle McNair's request to administer the estate and gave her 60 days to file an inventory of her late husband's assets. She said in court documents that she did not know her late husband's worth, but documents contend it is "of sufficient size to be administered."
Police said McNair was shot to death on July 4 by a girlfriend who later turned the gun on herself. Nashville police have ruled it a murder-suicide.
Mechelle McNair listed herself and her two sons, Tyler and Trenton McNair, as the heirs to the estate. McNair also has two other sons from a previous relationship.
Source:Associated Press
Tuesday
Real Estate Agent brought these two together??
Alex Rodriguez appears to have gotten good advice from his real estate broker - and not just on property. Harrison/Getty
Alex Rodriguez appears to have gotten good advice from his real estate broker - and not just on property.
Actress Kate Hudson was introduced to A-Rod through the New York-based superagent. Thayer/Reuters
Actress Kate Hudson was introduced to A-Rod through the New York-based superagent.
Alex Rodriguez's real estate broker snagged him more than a fantastic apartment: He got the Yankee slugger his new girlfriend, Kate Hudson.
We hear that superagent Adam Modlin of NYC's The Modlin Group suggested A-Rod might hit it off with fellow client Hudson - and Rodriguez jumped at the chance.
"Adam and Alex have been close friends for years," reveals an insider. "They talk at least four or five times a day on the phone. Sometimes Alex will call him twice in an hour. Alex even flies Adam around on his private jet to spring training or games so they can hang out."
Continues the source, "Adam has known Kate for a while, as well. He's been showing her townhouses in the West Village for about a year now. He thought Alex and Kate would like one another, and sure enough, when they connected, it was a home run.
"The man knows love and where to find a posh condo! If Alex and Kate get married, at least they'll know exactly who to call to find a place to live!" laughed the insider about Modlin, who very politely declined to comment when we contacted him.
According to a second source, A-Rod and Kate first met "in Miami at the Fountainebleau hotel opening in November '08 - Adam introduced them. The first five to 10 minutes of their conversation was about Adam. At the time, A-Rod was all about Madonna."
The Jacksons were already set to do a Reality Show
It would appear that nothing—not even an internationally mourned death—can stop the Jackson promotional machine from marching on. Though in one (and maybe only one) instance, it may be moving to a slightly less sensationalistic beat.
A&E is currently mulling whether to go ahead with plans to air The Jackson Family, an hour-long reality special that followed Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Randy Jackson in the months prior to Michael's death, sometime next year.
"We are discussing the direction of the show with the family," a rep for the network told E! News.
No additional footage has been shot since the King of Pop's sudden death last month, though network reps acknowledge that, should the show make it to broadcast, some tonal tweaks may be required.
Well, fingers crossed—after all, if there's one thing the cable airwaves are in dire need of, it's more coverage of the Jacksons.
At any rate, while A&E is holding off on any firm programming decisions just yet, what's clear is that airing the special as is will almost certainly not happen. As the footage was well in the can prior to Jackson's death, zero mention of the headline-grabbing tragedy would be included in the current incarnation of the show.
A narrative problem, if ever there was one.
But should the special make it to air and garner a respectable number of viewers, it could signal the beginning of yet another windfall of Jackson family airtime.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the special, which followed the five brothers as they recorded a new album and prepped for a reunion tour, was originally intended to serve as a backdoor pilot to a possible new reality series chronicling the infamous clan.
Meanwhile, even if the family is unable to parlay the A&E special into a regular prime-time gig, they are already making headway on finding the silver lining in other forms of media.
Over the weekend, La Toya Jackson gave at least one bombshell interview to a British tabloid, not only revealing that Michael's body had fresh needle marks on his neck and arms, but airing her suspicions as to the real cause of her brother's death.
"I believe that Michael was murdered, I felt that from the start," she told the Mail on Sunday.
On the Today show this morning, Mail reporter Caroline Graham said she spent more than four hours interviewing the bereaved sister, but was quick to note that being privy to La Toya's mourning didn't come free of cost.
Graham said the tabloid paid Jackson, who ironically bemoaned her brother's handlers as being "motivated by money," an undisclosed amount for her story.
It remains unclear whether the News of the World, which touted an equally "world exclusive" interview with La Toya over the weekend, offered similar compensation.
Source:Eonline
Monday
Latoya Speaks out
MICHAEL Jackson's heartbroken sister La Toya last night sensationally insisted the King of Pop was MURDERED for his £1 billion fortune.
SPECIAL BOND: La Toya was closest of all to Michael but says plotters kept him from family
And the former Playboy model told the News of the World: "I KNOW who did it."
In an astonishing exclusive interview, La Toya, 53, reveals secret new facts about the 50-year-old superstar's sudden death, drugs found in his body and a $2million stash of cash and jewels that has gone missing.
She also speaks movingly about Jacko's final resting place and tells how his children are struggling with their grief. La Toya said: "We don't think just one person was involved in the murder. It was a conspiracy to get Michael's money."
La Toya bombshell
* They got him hooked on drugs
* He was lonely and vulnerable
* Didn't want to perform in London
* I ordered second autopsy on his body
* $2m cash missing from his mansion
Grief-torn La Toya last night dramatically vowed revenge on the people she claims MURDERED her brother Michael.
And she vowed: "I know who did it and I won't rest until I nail them!"
La Toya's astonishing revelations come just two days after the chief of Los Angeles police admitted they were investigating Jacko's death as possible homicide.
In a moving exclusive four-hour interview with the News of the World, grieving La Toya - the closest person to Michael from the whole tight-knit Jackson clan - revealed she and the family are convinced her brother's apparent drugs overdose was "foul play" by a shadowy group out to get their hands on his £1 billion fortune.
"Michael WAS murdered," declared La Toya, 53. "And we don't think just one person was involved. Rather, it was a conspiracy of people. I feel it was all about money. Michael was worth well over a billion in music publishing assets and somebody killed him for that. He was worth more dead than alive."
As she posed a series of vital questions about 50-year-old Jacko's sudden death 17 days ago at his rented mansion in Los Angeles, La Toya said the pop icon was:
* FED a series of addictive drugs to keep him submissive and controlled.
* KEPT from his family by manipulative people who blocked their visits.
* WORKED to exhaustion even though he DIDN'T want to do the gruelling string of 50 shows due to start at London's O2 arena tomorrow.
* ROBBED of TWO MILLION in cash and gems as he lay dying.
Because of her close bond with Michael, La Toya was chosen by the family to sign the death certificate. Now the first step in her battle for justice is underway, with the second, independent, autopsy she ordered.
The official coroner's report is not due for two weeks but La Toya already knows the results of the family's own toxicology tests on the body and said: "I think everyone will be surprised when the results come out.
"I can't discuss that any further because of the ongoing police investigation. But I can say newspaper reports that there was methadone in his body are inacuurate.
"He had many needle marks on his neck and on his arms, and more about those will emerge in the next few weeks. But nothing has changed my mind that this was murder and I won't give up until I find out what killed my brother.
"A couple of years ago Michael told me he was worried that people were out to get him. He said, 'They're gonna kill me for my publishing. They want my catalogues and they're gonna kill me for these.'
"I knew something terrible was going to happen."
Brushing her long dark hair back from her face - features that closely resemble her tragic brother's - soft-spoken La Toya added: "Michael was being inappropriately treated by people who got him hooked on drugs.
"I can't say who I believe is responsible as I don't want to jeopardise the police investigation. But not everybody had Michael's best interests at heart. A month ago I felt Michael was going to die before he did his London concerts.
"I felt it would be foul play. I felt he'd never make the show."
La Toya claimed those plotting against her brother deliberately cut him off to become "the loneliest man in the world".
She told us: "They tried to keep the family away at all times, even my dad.
"Michael was being controlled. No one could get through to him.
"We wanted to know why we were being kept away and my father Joe was always trying to get to see him. He tried so hard to be there for Michael. He was seen as a threat but he was trying to help. And if you keep the family away, you can conquer. It's like they say, divide and conquer."
La Toya also claimed millions of dollars in cash and jewels disappeared from Jackson's house the day he died.
She said: "Michael always had cash in his homes, usually around $2 million (£1.2 million) which he used to pay out on things. People said he wasn't wealthy, but Michael always had money with him.
"When I went to the house later that day there was NO cash or jewelry. So many people had been through that house before I got there. Someone went in there and did a good job. It was very strange."
Questions still surround events leading up to Jackson's death at the £5 million house on North Carolwood Drive in Holmby Hills on June 25. The singer collapsed around midday and his staff made the 911 emergency call at 12.22pm.
And La Toya described the harrowing scenes she found later that night inside the room where her brother died - strewn with oxygen flasks and empty pill bottles.
She told us: "The police had already taken an oxygen tank which was beside the bed. On top of the sheets there was still an oxygen mask. Standing beside the bed was a stand for an intravenous drip. I was told the cops had taken the bag of liquid from it.
"Behind I saw three oxygen tanks in the corner of the room.
"There was an empty pill box on a cabinet. We also found loads of empty oxygen tanks in the garage of the house." Jackson was found to be on a potentially lethal cocktail of drugs when he died, with twice-a-day injections of morphine-related painkiller Demerol and doses of powerful narcotic Dilaudid.
He was also taking twice-daily jabs of painkiller Vistaril, anxiety drug Xanax, anti-depressants Prozac and Zoloft, plus anti-indigestion drug Prilosec.
Cops removed two dustbin bags-full of prescription drugs from the house.
But La Toya insisted vegetarian Jacko had told her he was on a six-month DETOX.
And the last time they'd met, at 60th wedding anniversary celebrations for their parents in a Beverly Hills curry house three weeks before his death, the singer seemed strong and healthy to his sister.
She said: "Michael was fit, happy and enjoyed every minute of it. Sure he was thin, but Michael was always thin. From my understanding, he was very healthy.
"When I arrived Michael was there standing by the door greeting people, and he said to me, 'You look fabulous.'
"It was a wonderful time. When he left we embraced each other and he said, 'Thanks for a nice time. We have to do this again in Vegas.'
"He went to the door, and as he got into the vehicle he looked back and waved goodbye. It's sad to think that was the last time I saw my baby brother."
La Toya claimed that he was then wiped out by the punishing rehearsal schedule for the London shows. In the last two days before his death, the Thriller star had performed a dress rehearsal and then a full day's run-through and strategy session. But La Toya insists that in reality Michael wanted to GIVE UP music.
"He really wanted to be a movie director," she said. "He was doing everything to make that happen. He had an idea do a horror film called Thriller. He designed the poster for it already.
"He didn't want to do 50 shows, he only wanted to do 10. But he was pushed. And Michael being Michael didn't want to let down his fans.
"But even his daughter Paris said, 'They worked Daddy too hard.' Somebody that fragile can't keep going on like that." La Toya revealed she is also mystified by the sacking of Michael's entire staff just HOURS after his death.
She said the family found out when they went back to the house at 11.30pm to claim the star's belongings. La Toya added: "We were told all the guys loyal to Michael had been fired. I couldn't work it out."
Finally La Toya revealed how the tragedy had drawn the Jacksons closer together.
"This has united the family," she said. "We're all in pain and suffering the loss of Michael. . . but we're also determined to get to the bottom of what happened to him.
"He was taken from us too soon. Michael didn't have to die."
Source:News of the World
Vanessa Williams and Daughter Jillian
They attended the Harry Potter Premier in NY, her daughter Jillian in Gorgeous like her MOM.
Jackson declares war on Bloggers
Samuel L. Jackson flips, declares war on bloggers!
Not only does Jackson admits he's addicted to reading reviews about himself he's willing to unleash holy hell on those who critique him anonymously -- and if they don't like it they can call him -- personally.
"All these people can sit at home and can blog. They can say bad things about you online and you don't know who they are but they know who I am,' he said.
"It's totally unfair. I know my face, you know my face. I want to see YOU.
"Meet me at this place here and let's have that discussion: 'What did you mean washed up and always yelling and screaming?" Jackson charged.
"And if you don't believe it's me call this number.' I enjoy engaging critics in that way."
Source:National Enquirer
MORGAN FREEMAN and "Granddaughter in Love?
WORLD EXCLUSIVE BOMBSHELL: Oscar winner's Morgan Freeman's decade-long affair with his step - GRANDDAUGHTER, a family insider told The ENQUIRER.
Morgan Freeman has been having a nearly decade-long affair with his step-granddaughter - a scandalous charge that has emerged in the bitter divorce battle between the acclaimed actor and his wife Myrna, says a source.
The relationship between the 72-year-old actor with step-granddaughter E'Dena Hines, 27, began when she was a teen, the source told The ENQUIRER exclusively. The alleged affair not only contributed to his split from Myrna, his wife of 25 years, it also led to his breakup with his longtime mistress, former schoolteacher Mary Joyce Hays.
E'Dena is the granddaughter of Morgan's first wife, Jeanette Adair Bradshaw, and was raised by Morgan and Myrna "since she was a little girl," the source told The ENQUIRER.
"Myrna said E'dena told her that when she was a teenager, she and Morgan went to dinner at a friend's house one evening. Both had been drinking, and when they returned home, Morgan attempted to have sex with her. They stopped just short of having intercourse," the source, a close family insider, told The ENQUIRER.
"E'Dena explained to Myrna that she stopped Morgan from going any further."
Myrna confronted Morgan, and he agreed to leave E'Dena alone - but unbeknownst to Myrna, the relationship continued for years, said the source.
E'Dena has also been Morgan's escort to several public events, including last summer's premiere of the blockbuster Bat-flick hit, The Dark Knight.
"Nobody thought anything of it, because she would be introduced as his 'granddaughter.' The family insider divulged.
"It's not technically incest, because they are not related by blood...[but] Morgan is trying desperately to keep his divorce out of open court so all the shameful facts won't become public."
Source:ENQUIRER , Goodness I hope they are wrong,Morgan please speak out if this is wrong.
Jon Gosselin and Girlfriend holding hands in France
I think he should have at least taken 4 of the kids with him, can you imagine?
Thursday
Will Smith supports son Jaden who is in "Karate Kid "
Thier trip to Japan for filming of Karate Kid, Jaden will be as famous as his father if he keeps this up.
Mystery Lady (Heal the World)
Everyone was wondering she was.
Judith was born in Los Angeles and raised in a family of musicians. Her mother is an immigrant from Japan who met her father in a funk band in the 1970s. She laughs about her bi-racial experience, “I was a skinny mixed kid with a lot of hair that I didn’t know what to do with (and still don’t know what to do with it). And my mom could not help me with it!” She lived in a Christian home and embraced Jesus Christ at an early age. She comments, “I had a pretty good life in my childhood. Me and God were friends since the beginning. That helped a lot. But, it didn’t save me from walking a path of pain and asking the deep questions of life. I was a philosopher as a kid, and in school you could find me in the library.” She admits that she never “fit in”. Depending on the social circle, she was labeled “too quiet”, “too loud”, “too black”, “to asian”, or too something. Judith expresses, “I was a traveler, kind of a drifter. But, looking back I see how all of those experiences, friends, and cultures made me who I am today.”
So when did it all start? Judith doesn’t remember a time when she wasn’t singing. Her mother discovered the talent during a drive home from school one day when Judith was practicing a song she learned in class. At four years old, she recorded her first song, God has made. She looks back on the earlier years,“It was painful. I was my own worst critic and I knew that I sucked! People tried to sell me as a prodigy, but I wasn’t ready.” Constantly surrounded by musicians and singers, she resisted the whole thing. She admits, “I rebelled because I was stubborn. I didn’t want to do what people expected of me.” It wasn’t until later, when the young talent found her voice on her own. She recalls, “Three women: Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Aretha Franklin, and Ella Fitzgerald. I sang along with cassette recordings of them because the sounds they made with their voices gave me hope. It was something that took me away from my reality. It was something I had to be a part of.” It wasn’t long before Judith was able to make a statement of her own that began to gain recognition in the industry.
In college, she went on to study music composition under Dr. John Browning at Biola University. Classical music had always been a vital part of her musical upbringing. She remembers, “I use to always listen to the Mendelssohn violin concerto in E minor as a kid. I would get lost in it; it was so sad and passionate; it was what I felt inside. I was hungry for more, and I wanted to know what made that piece so amazing? And how could I create something like that? That’s when I realized I was a composer.” During her college years, she won several awards and flourished in her works for chamber ensembles, orchestras, jazz bands, and quartets. Her professor recognized her exceptional talent and encouraged her to pursue a master’s degree. However by then her passion for singing was too great to ignore. She explains, “Eventually, I became more expressive, and I felt like I was pouring my heart out when I sang. I needed it and it needed me; and people wanted more.”
The year after graduation, she sang in France with French pop star, Michel Polnareff. “France is where I collected my stories,” says Judith. “It was everything from finding true love, to sitting on the curb with gypsies, to running away from thugs (don’t ask), to just taking in the beauty of such an amazing country. I came back rich.”
After her return, Judith spent the following year putting the songs together and finding her sound. But, this was no easy year for her. She disappeared. She grieved over painful relationships, trauma in the family, and suffered from severe depression. But, she came out stronger than ever and found a way to channel her emotional experience into music. She says, “Sometimes I wake up because I hear songs in my dreams. I have to turn the lamp on and scribble the melodies down in the middle of the night. My dad always told me God told him I needed to be born. I guess there’s a reason for my madness.”
Judith’s musical integrity and depth is astounding. She has a way of digging deep into her soul and challenging the listeners to find that place in their hearts. She’s not afraid to visit the places that hurt; in fact much of her rawness is contributed to her vulnerability. And yet, she also comes up for air with catchy, upbeat songs like “Excuse Me” and “Yellow Light”. But at the end of the day, Judith sends one message: hope.
Oh I’ll just keep walking. Oh, tempted to stop and turn but I won’t. Oh, I’ll just keep walking, ‘til I reach the other side, I reach the other side---“Walking” Judith Hill.
She was scheduled to be one of Michael's backup singers during his shows in London, and was, until the Memorial, was almost unknown. New Star Rising, another one inspired by Michael Jackson,join the list.
Is Danielle's Life in Danger???
Has The Real Housewives of New Jersey's Danielle Staub traded her safety for TV stardom? Her ex-husband Kevin Maher thinks so!
"I can't believe Danielle would have allowed herself to go on TV — on a series that basically shows where she lives! — given what she has done in the past," Kevin tells Star in an exclusive interview.
Court documents from the case file of Danielle's 1986 FBI arrest in Miami for her part in a drug deal and kidnapping gone wrong. Unfortunately for Danielle, they also include details of how she later cut a deal with the government to avoid a jail sentence by ratting on her drug dealer pals. And that, says Kevin, could spell big trouble for the single mom of two daughters.
"She helped put a couple of big-time Colombian coke dealers in jail," says Kevin. "These are dangerous men who never forget...and they could be back out on the street now. It’s mind-boggling to me that she’d put herself at risk!"
Kevin, a former government informant whose life was chronicled in the 1996 book Cop Without a Badge, tells Star, "I believe she’s shown incredibly poor judgment by putting herself and her family in the public eye. Now she could be an easy target for some bad men with long memories!"
Kevin thinks it was Danielle herself who exposed her past.
Credit:Star Magazine
Elizabeth Taylor sought the same Doctor as Michael
A close friend of Michael Jackson's personal physician says Dr. Conrad Murray picked up another top-flight celebrity patient just weeks after he left his practice to travel with the King of Pop — Elizabeth Taylor.
But a representative for Taylor told FOXNews.com that the screen legend denies the story, calling it a "blank blank blank lie."
The Rev. Floyd Williams told FOXNews.com he was sitting with Murray in his Houston office in early May when the doctor received a phone call from Taylor’s secretary.
.
“I was sitting right there with him when the telephone rang, and I’ll tell you we were in the middle of talking about him going on tour (with Jackson),” Williams, 80, told FOXNews.com.
“Then Miss Elizabeth Taylor herself got on the telephone! On the telephone with Dr. Murray! Miss Elizabeth Taylor!
"Now how about that!"
According to Williams, “Miss Elizabeth Taylor said to Murray, 'I understand that you’re going to be Michael’s personal physician in London?'
“Yes, I am.”
“Would you be my personal physician in London?”
Source:Fox News/Writer Jana Winter
Kelly Preston speaks out about about her son JETT
Since last January, when Jett Travolta died suddenly of a seizure at the age of 16 while vacationing with his family in the Bahamas, his parents, Kelly Preston and John Travolta, have grieved in private. But in October, Preston, 46, will be speaking publicly for the first time about her loss at the California Governor's Conference for Women, the event's host Maria Shriver tells PEOPLE.
"If she can empower one other woman who feels like they can’t get out of bed, or get through the day, whatever the loss, it'll be worthwhile sharing her story," says Shriver.
Preston will be joined on a panel titled "Grief & Resilience" by Elizabeth Edwards and actress Susan St. James – two other prominent women who have lost sons. "Their goal is, 'If I can help one other woman through this then it will be worth it,' " says Shriver.
Preston gave the invite a lot of thought before making a commitment to speak. "She has been thinking about this for a couple of months," Shriver says of Preston. "I asked her to speak and she knew about the conference and decided if she was only going to speak once, it would be here. She wants the conversation to be about more than just her."
Wednesday
Tuesday
Farewell My Friend
My Heart is broken, I grew up with Michael Jackson's music and energy and positive spirit. Rest in Peace MJ
Joyce Dewitt(Threes Company)
Joyce DeWitt's booking photo after her arrest on the suspicion of driving under the influence.
The 60-year-old former "Three's Company" star was arrested on July 4 in El Segundo, Calif., for suspicion of driving under the influence.
DeWitt was stopped by police after officers say they witnessed her drive past a barricade intended to keep away traffic. Officials tell ET they administered a field sobriety test on the actress after police officers say they observed signs of alcohol intoxication. Her bail was set at $5,000.
Posted July 06, 2009 12:20:00 PM
Michael Jackson's family go to private service
Michael Jackson's father Joe Jackson rides in the lead car as family and friends depart the Jackson family home in the Encino section of Los Angeles Tuesday, July 7, 2009. A motorcade that began at the home of Michael Jackson's parents reached a cemetery in the Hollywood Hills early Tuesday for a private service in advance of a star-studded memorial in downtown Los Angeles.
AP Photo/LM Otero)
Monday
Michael Jackson's Nanny a secret girfriend????
JACKSON'S NANNY 'WAS SECRET GIRLFRIEND'
MICHAEL JACKSON was secretly dating his kids' nanny GRACE RWARAMBA, according to a new report.
The late star's former head of security recently claimed Jackson had a secret lover who he kept shielded from the public eye, insisting only close members of the singer's family were aware of the romance.
Matt Fiddes, who was one of Jackson's most trusted aides, refused to name the mystery woman - but claimed they had been a couple for many years.
He said, "The family were aware that there was someone special in his life who he loved and adored and had his ups and downs with.
"I know she's been with him for some time in different capacities but it's up to her if she wants it to come out or the family to speak about this very private information."
Now a British newspaper claims the star's secret lover was Rwaramba, who spent 17 years working for Jackson, starting as his assistant and eventually looking after his three children.
Another of Jackson's former minders has spoken anonymously to the Sunday Mirror - claiming the pair was in a longterm relationship.
He says, "Grace was the closest person to Michael and the kids. She will be broken-hearted. The children were always their first priority and like any couple they would row if they disagreed about how they were being brought up. But the difference between Grace and the other women in Michael's life was that she had absolutely no interest in fame. It was something she actively avoided and Michael was determined to keep her and their relationship out of the public gaze.The romance was well known among staff but it was made very clear to them that this was not something that should be part of the public domain."
05 July 2009 14:06-Source Contact Music
Michael Jackson's Nanny speaks out
JACKSON'S NANNY WAS BLAMED FOR SHEIKH LAWSUIT
MICHAEL JACKSON's former nanny GRACE RWARAMBA has opened up about the late star's financial problems - insisting he tried to blame her for his recent financial rows with an Arab Sheikh.
The Thriller hitmaker, who passed away on Thursday (25Jun09), settled a multi-million dollar lawsuit from Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Khalifa, the second son of the king of Bahrain, last year (08) - after he accused the star of reneging on a deal to record a new album and write an autobiography.
The Sheikh also claimed to have bankrolled Jackson's lavish lifestyle when the star fled to Bahrain after he was acquitted of child molestation charges in 2005.
Rwaramba, who looked after the singer's three children until her recent dismissal, insists Jackson had no concept of money management and involved her in the Sheikh scandal by allegedly asking to use her bank account for cash donations from his wealthy benefactor.
She says, "(The Sheikh) said he was sending money to Michael through my account. He sent $1 million. Then another $35,000.
"Katherine (Jackson's mother) needed money too. So Michael told me to give her my ATM card. She was cashing out of the machine every day. I checked it.
"When Abdullah sued Michael last year, Michael said in the beginning, ‘Oh, I never got money from him.’ He tried to frame me that I took the money."
Rwaramba then appealed to Jackson's mother to help resolve the situation - insisting America's Internal Revenue Service (IRS) could jail them all over the scandal.
She adds, "I said, ‘You, Michael and I — we will all go to jail! You know that we didn’t report to the IRS about that gift.’ I told her I had all the documents. That worked. She immediately called Michael and he stopped denying he knew about the money."
29 June 2009 01:46-Source: Contact Music
Amber Rose with Blue Hair
Amber Rose with matching blue tights. Who is Amber Rose, she is Kanye's Model girlfriend.
Debbie Rowe wants her kids
MJ's Ex-Wife Debbie Rowe: 'I Want My Kids'
By EILEEN MURPHY and RUSSELL GOLDMAN
7/3/09, 6:34 AM EDT
Michael Jackson, his family and associates - Debbie Rowe
Her stated goal defies Jackson's last wishes on who will care for kids.
"I want my children," Debbie Rowe, Michael Jackson's ex-wife and the estranged mother of his two oldest children, told KNBC-TV in Los Angeles today.
Though in the last decade she has had very little contact with the two children she had while married to Jackson, the former nurse vowed to fight for custody, defying Jackson's last wishes that the children be cared for by their grandmother.
A source close to Rowe told ABC News that she is worried about the guardians Jackson named for the children in his will and believes the "kids would be receptive to her."
An attorney for Rowe plans to attend an upcoming custody hearing in Los Angeles scheduled to review the order of temporary guardianship a judge granted the children's grandmother Katherine Jackson on June 29.
"[Rowe] is looking at a situation where the primary guardian is now 80 years old, the back up is Diana Ross who the children do not know," said a source close to Rowe who was not authorized to speak for attribution.
Getting custody of the children would also come with a lot of money, said the source.
"If she does request custody and that request is granted, she would obviously get all the money for their care, and it would require that she receive money from the estate because she would take over as guardian," he said.
Despite Rowe's comments to KNBC, her lawyer Eric George said Thursday that Rowe had not come to a final conclusion about seeking custody.
"The truth is Debbie has not reached a final decision on pending custody proceedings," he told reporters.
On June 29, four days after Michael Jackson, 50, suffered an apparent cardiac arrest in his Los Angeles rental home, a court granted temporary guardianship of Jackson's three children, who range in age from 7 to 12, to their grandmother, Katherine Jackson.
In Jackson's will, filed Wednesday in court, the pop star expressed his wishes that his mother, who is actually 79, be granted custody of the three children. He also named singer Diana Ross as a backup guardian if Katherine died or was unable to take care of the children.
In his will Jackson specified that none of his estate should go to Rowe. On Thursday new details emerged about the living trust, in which Jackson placed his estate.
Jackson's trust divides all his money and assets among his three children, his mother Katherine, and various children's charities, a source familiar with the estate told ABC News. He leaves nothing to his siblings, his father Joe Jackson, or anyone else, according to the source.
Katherine will get 40 percent of his assets, Michael's three kids will get another 40 percent, and the remain 20 percent goes to several children's charities that will be designated at a later date, a source close to the estate told ABC News. The Will made public yesterday puts all of Michael Jackson's property into this trust, which is not public.
The trust is overseen by trustees John McClain and John Branca, the same men who are executors of Jackson's will.
Debbie Rowe's Concerns About Joe Jackson
Rowe is also worried, the source said, that Jackson's father, Joe, unnamed in the will but accused by the singer of abuse, would become the de facto father of the children.
"There is concern about Joe Jackson being around the kids," said the source.
Rowe told KNBC that she would seek a restraining order against Joe, the children's grandafather.
Rowe, 50, married Jackson in 1996 after meeting him while working as a nurse in the office of Jackson's dermatologist, Dr. Arnie Klein. She conceived son Prince Michael I, 12, and daughter Paris Michael Katherine, 11, through in vitro fertilization.
In February 2008, Rowe told British tabloid The Daily Mail that she had been artificially inseminated but would not give details as to whether the sperm belonged to Jackson or another man.
In photographs, the children appear to have distinctly white skin.
The couple were briefly married following Prince's conception but divorced six months after Paris' birth. Rowe gave Jackson custody of the children but sued him in 2006 for breach of contract in an attempt to regain custody. The pair settled out of court for undisclosed terms and Jackson retained custody.
In recent days, some in the media have suggested that while Rowe carried the children she might not be their biological mother.
Rowe told KNBC that she would submit to DNA testing to prove the kids were really her offspring.
Rowe gave Jackson sole custody of the children in 1999. Their divorce was finalized in April 2000, and she agreed to a multimillion-dollar settlement, according to court records. She stopped visiting the children six months later, because it "was not working out for various reasons," according to an appeals court ruling.
Though Rowe does not have custody of the children, in 2006 an appeals court reaffirmed her parental rights.
Those rights, lawyers said, gave her a case to pursue custody of the children, despite Jackson's stated wishes in his will that Katherine get custody.
The surviving parent, even if divorced and with limited contact with the children, usually has the strongest case for custody, lawyers said.
Though Rowe has reportedly not seen much of the children for more than a decade, she would still have "an advantage" should she seek custody, attorney Gloria Allred said.
Jackson's third child, a son named Prince Michael II but better known as Blanket, was conceived and carried by a surrogate mother whose name has never been released.
Rowe would not have a claim to the custody of that child.
Another source close to the Jackson family, told ABCNews.com that a pending custody battle between the family and Rowe "could get ugly."
ABC News' Lauren Pearle contributed to this report.
Judge backs Michael Jackson lawyer and friend
Judge backs Michael Jackson lawyer and friend
By ANTHONY McCARTNEY, AP Entertainment Writer Anthony Mccartney, Ap Entertainment Writer – 13 mins ago
LOS ANGELES – A judge said Monday that Michael Jackson's longtime attorney and a family friend should take over the pop singer's estate for now, rejecting a request from Jackson's mother to be put in charge.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff backed attorney John Branca and music executive John McClain, who had been designated in Jackson's 2002 will as the people he wanted to administer his estate. Attorneys for the pop singer's mother repeatedly objected to their appointment at Monday's court hearing.
Jackson died June 25, deeply in debt. But a court filing estimates that his estate will be worth more than $500 million. His assets are destined for a private trust.
The singer's mother, Katherine Jackson, had applied to oversee her son's estate, but that was before the will surfaced. Her attorney, Burt Levitch, expressed concerns about McClain and Branca's financial leadership.
Levitch told Beckloff that Branca had previously been removed from financial positions of authority by Jackson. Branca's attorney says he was rehired by Jackson on June 17, days before Jackson's death.
Katherine Jackson did not appear at Monday's hearing. Branca did attend.
Levitch said it was unclear whether McClain would serve as an administrator because he was of ailing health. Attorneys for McClain and Branca described him as having a physical disability but having a completely sound mind. They also noted a decades-long relationship with the Jackson family.
Branca and McClain will have to post a $1 million bond on the estate, Beckloff ruled. Their authority over the estate will expire Aug. 3, when another hearing on the estate will be held.
"Mr. Branca and Mr. McClain for the next month are at the helm of the ship," Beckloff said.
Katherine Jackson's attorneys had asked that she be appointed to serve as a co-administrator with Branca and McClain. Beckloff refused to grant that request.
The judge granted Branca and McClain several powers over the estate, including the rights to negotiate a settlement with concert promoter AEG Live over refunds for Jackson's canceled London shows. Beckloff stressed that Katherine Jackson should be given complete information about major transactions, but that he as the judge would grant final approval.
John E. Schreiber, an attorney for Katherine Jackson, said, "Frankly, Mrs. Jackson has concerns about handing over the keys to the kingdom."
Paul Gordon Hoffman, an attorney for Branca and McClain, said some of Katherine Jackson's concerns were unfounded.
"We're not aware of any real conflicts at all," he said in response to a claim that the men may have business dealings with parties such as concert promoter AEG Live.
In contrast, Hoffman said Jackson's mother had more of a potential conflict administering the estate because she is a likely beneficiary.
"If there are any conflicts by the parties, Katherine Jackson rather than Mr. McClain and Mr. Branca have them," Hoffman said.
Beckloff noted the contentious relationship brewing between Katherine Jackson and Branca, who personally delivered the will to the family's home a week ago.
"We're getting off to a bit of a rocky start here out of the gate," Beckloff said toward the end of Monday's hearing.
A public memorial has been scheduled for Jackson in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday. More than 1.6 million people registered to win the coveted free tickets, and only 8,750 names were chosen.
Los Angeles officials are concerned about other fans clogging city streets
Downtown hotels were quickly filling Monday, and police warned those without tickets to the memorial to stay away.
Source :Associated Press
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