Jackson estate makes $30M payment to mother, kids (AP)

LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson's estate has generated more than $310 million in the two years since the pop singer died deeply in debt, enabling executors to distribute a preliminary payment of $30 million to Jackson's mother and children, and to unnamed charities, according to recently filed court documents.

Executors also disclosed Tuesday that Jackson's mother, Katherine, is putting the family's fabled Encino compound up for sale and wants the executors to negotiate the purchase of a new residence for her and the children, Paris, Prince and Michael Joseph Jr., known as Blanket.

The Encino property, where Jackson grew up and where several of his siblings lived in a cottage near their parents' home was appraised at $4.15 million in 2010 but has since undergone extensive renovation. Katherine Jackson and the children moved out and have been living at a leased Calabasas home that is for sale for about $10 million. The executors said Katherine Jackson has identified a number of homes in that price range that would suit her needs and that of the children.

The executors said the trust and the California attorney general's office, which is representing charities as beneficiaries of the estate, have been pressing for distribution of funds.

The executors, John Branca and John McClain, filed a detailed accounting of finances since Jackson's death on June 25, 2009. By the end of last year, the estate had produced more than $310 million in gross revenues. "Since that date, the estate assets have continued to generate additional income," the executors said.

Notably, they said they were able to refinance and secure the estate's interest in the Michael Jackson music catalog, Mijac, and the Sony/ATV publishing catalog, which includes portions of the Beatles catalog.

They said they reduced debt obligations by more than $90 million and refinanced loans at lower interest rates. They also benefited from the release of the posthumous concert film, "This Is It," and said they were able to pay off dozens of approved creditors' claims as well as Jackson's income taxes. Some creditor claims remain open, according to the documents, but the deadline for filing claims against the estate has passed.

"For a number of reasons, including without limitation, pending litigation and a pending estate tax audit, the estate is not yet in a condition to be closed," the document said. They listed cash on hand of $90 million.

They indicated that the $30 million was a preliminary distribution to the trust and more would be forthcoming in the future.

A hearing for a judge's approval of the plan is set for Sept. 28.

Jackson's death remains in the news as his doctor, Conrad Murray, is set to go on trial on involuntary manslaughter charges. He is accused of negligently administering the anesthetic propofol.

Jackson died of an overdose of the drug he was using for sleep. At the time of his death, he was due to launch a concert tour in England. Rehearsal footage for that concert was the basis of the movie "This Is It."

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Wonder makes musical tribute to Motown's Edwards (AP)

DETROIT – Berry Gordy Jr. brought Motown Records to life, but his sister Esther Gordy Edwards preserved its legacy.

Gordy on Wednesday joined Motown legends Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson, as well as hundreds of others, to celebrate both the life and legacy of Edwards, who died last week at 91. Gordy clasped hands with Robinson as they entered the church, and the Motown founder held onto Wonder as they exited.

The more than three-hour funeral service at Detroit's Bethel AME Church featured spoken and sung tributes for Edwards, who held many executive roles with the musical empire that her brother founded in 1959. She was the guiding force behind preserving Motown's original headquarters and record studio and turning them into a museum.

Wonder spoke before performing a stirring, soulful rendition of one of Edwards' favorite hymns, "His Eye is on the Sparrow," and "Sweetest Somebody I Know," an original he said is "so much about her" and which also included some of his hit, "Isn't She Lovely."

Wonder said he was "giving all the praise to God for what she did in my life and the many lives she touched."

"I think if we all had a mother or sister or aunt or cousin or sister or niece that celebrated and cheered our family as much as she did hers, we'd have a world of unity," he said. "I am just thanking God that in my lifetime I knew her."

Edwards' responsibilities at Motown included managing and guiding the artists' careers and exposing the famed "Motown sound" to international audiences as director of international operations.

Still, her lasting contribution to the company came after Motown and most of her family left Detroit for California in the early 1970s. She amassed what would become valuable memorabilia and set to work on preserving the old headquarters — a large stately former house on West Grand Boulevard that included the label's famed Studio A. The museum opened in 1985.

Robinson said Edwards was the only one in the company's early days who knew Motown was "going to make history," so she took pictures and saved "every little scrap of paper, every tape."

"Fortunately, there was Esther, who had our backs," said Robinson, who introduced himself to the audience as "Smokey Gordy Robinson."

"Now we have a pictorial and an itemized history of our legacy, right there on West Grand Boulevard," he said.

Robinson said Edwards wouldn't tolerate misbehavior, particularly from those closest to her.

"I'm a dude who grew up in the `hood, right here in Detroit," Robinson said. "When I was gettin' down wrong, she would chastise me. You chastise the ones you love. If you let `em get away with stuff, then you don't really love `em."

Gordy said his "big sister" was the "glue" for both the Gordy and Motown families.

"And, like glue, everything worth anything stuck to Esther," Gordy said. "When I was leaving Detroit, I was going around throwing away stuff. Esther was right behind me, picking it up. Little did anyone know that one day that stuff I was throwing away would become a world-class museum."

Edwards was born in 1920 in Oconee, Ga., and moved to Detroit as a toddler. She was the eldest daughter in a family of eight children.

She first married Robert Bullock, with whom she had a son, Robert Berry Bullock. She later married state Rep. George Edwards and became a step-mother to his son, Harry.

The crowd was full of "Motown soldiers," as Robinson called them, including the Abdul "Duke" Fakir, the lone surviving original member of the Four Tops, Motown songwriters Eddie and Brian Holland, and Claudette Rogers Robinson, member of the Miracles and Robinson's ex-wife.

Claudette Robinson told The Associated Press after the service that Edwards was "a personal ally" and a "mother figure" going back to the Miracles' first days at the nascent company — two years before any other artist.

"She showed such concern, such compassion for the females," Robinson said. "She wanted to make sure we strived for excellence and we were just being the best we could be."

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Morgan Spurlock investigates: why will.i.am makes music (Reuters)

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) – Hulu's new foray into original content, Morgan Spurlock's series "A Day in the Life," follows an influential person for 24 hours and boils his or her day down to 22 minutes. So it's not surprising that the latest edition captures will.i.am's reason for being in mere seconds.

The Black Eyed Peas frontman explains why he does what he does -- besides the millions of dollars -- in a backseat interview for the show.

Watch, at the link below, to learn, finally, what force inspired "I Gotta Feeling": http://www.thewrap.com/music/article/bruno-mars-sues-his-publisher-30591

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Militant makes death threat against David Letterman (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A Muslim militant has urged American followers to assassinate talk show host David Letterman, saying his tongue deserved to be cut out, a U.S. intelligence monitoring group said on Wednesday.

The SITE intelligence group said the death threat was posted on an online website used by militants after the writer became upset by a joke Letterman made about the death of a leading member of al Qaeda killed in an air strike in Pakistan.

The militant called on Muslims in the United States to "cut the tongue of this lowly Jew and shut it forever," the threat against Letterman said, according to a translation by SITE. The popular late-night television host is not Jewish.

The FBI said it was taking the threat seriously.

The writer was angered by watching Letterman on his show drawing his finger across his neck while talking about the June death of senior al Qaeda figure Ilyas Kashmiri.

The message was posted on the website Shumukh al-Islam. SITE analyst Adam Raisman told Entertainment Weekly the website was "a clearing house for al Qaeda material" and drew supporters of the group headed by the late Osama bin Laden.

Executives at broadcaster CBS and a spokesman for Letterman declined on Wednesday to comment on the threat.

Tim Flannelly, an FBI spokesman in New York, said the agency was looking into the matter.

"The FBI takes all threats seriously and we will run it down like we do all threats," Flannelly said.

A Muslim group in 2010 threatened the makers of "South Park" after the animated satirical show depicted the Prophet Mohammad in a bear suit. Most Muslims consider any depiction of the founder of Islam as offensive.

A 21-year old man from Virginia was sentenced in February to 25 years in prison for publishing the home addresses of the "South Park" creators and urging readers to pay them a visit, as well as trying to help a Somali militant group.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Peter Cooney)

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Beyonce says Eastwood film makes her day (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Beyonce Knowles has had it all before turning 30, yet is still humbled by what she calls "the biggest opportunity of my life" -- the lead role in Clint Eastwood's remake of the film, "A Star Is Born."

The singer and burgeoning actress, whose fourth solo album "4" debuted at No. 1 on pop charts after its release in June, told Reuters she felt lucky to have landed the iconic role previously played by Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland.

Eastwood will helm the fourth remake of the story about rising singer and actress Esther Blodgett, and Beyonce fondly remembers being a young girl and watching previous versions of the movie with her mother.

"It's when I became a fan of Barbra Streisand's. And I then saw Judy Garland's version of 'A Star Is Born' and I realized every 20 to 30 years a new star is born and a new talent represents that generation and era -- so I didn't think that I would ever get the opportunity to be the star," she said.

Beyonce has won 16 Grammy Awards, is married to rapper mogul Jay-Z, has topped Forbes magazine's lists of the most powerful and influential celebrities and is one of the world's top-grossing musicians. She starred in other movies with large ensemble casts, such as the widely-praised "Dreamgirls", but she said meeting Oscar winner Eastwood still made her quiver.

"I met with Clint and I was so nervous and I know that it is the biggest opportunity of my life. I will work as hard as I can," she said. "Because I can't wait. And I am so happy that he trusts me and I am in good hands and I am so fortunate."

The film is due to begin shooting at the end of the year and, according to showbiz website Deadline Hollywood, may also co-star Leonardo DiCaprio. But for now, Beyonce is still busy managing the singing career that she has taken over from her father and longtime manager, Matthew Knowles.

The switch has the music industry watching closely. Without directly addressing her father, Beyonce said it was "difficult balancing the business and the creativity."

"Having to balance the two is really hard and really making sure that I'm still doing my job, which is to be the performer and the entertainer and not have to do everyone else's job so that mine doesn't suffer, that's been a challenge," she said.

She added: "I'm sleeping with my blackberry, I'm having dreams that I'm answering e-mails, like it's that far!"

LABOR OF LOVE

While "4," debuted at No. 1, its first week sales were her lowest to date and singles "Run the World (Girls)" and "Best Thing I Never Had" have not performed as well as other hits, from "Crazy In Love" on her first album to her third CD's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and "Halo."

The Houston-born singer, who first experienced fame with the all-girl group "Destiny's Child," said that with "4" she wanted to make a cohesive album that was "one body of work."

"This album was a labor of love. It was not about singles," she said. "I felt like the emotion and live instruments and just soul (were) missing out of the music industry, especially the popular music that's out. I wanted to bring it back to the music I grew up listening to. It's like a mixture of the '90s and the '70s and rock-n-roll."

Beyonce heralds the video for "Run the World (Girls)" as a current favorite, but acknowledges that the black-and-white video for "Single Ladies," which showed off her swinging pelvis and rhythmic dance moves in a one-piece bodysuit, was a hard act to follow.

That video "was something that no one knew would become the phenomenon it became, thank God. And I know I am so lucky to have one of those moments in my career. It is just a blessing."

Her move to take charge of her career -- everything from her tour performances to videos -- is partly aimed at inspiring younger stars to take control of their careers, she said, citing one of her major influences, Michael Jackson.

"It just feels like no one else can tell me how I am supposed to perform, and I think it's what separates the Michaels and the Madonnas from the artists that are great but are just not quite the Michaels and the Madonnas," Beyonce said.

While some industry watchers have wondered if success has gone to her head, Beyonce seems to exhibit very little of the ego of many pop stars and said as the years progress, she will likely be living "vicariously" through other artists.

As she turns 30 years-old in September, what can she possibly achieve by, say, 60?

"I am sure at 60 I will not doing the Oh-Oh-Oh dance, that will not be cute," she laughed, referring to the 'Single Ladies' dance. "I think my priority will be my children and hopefully my grandchildren by then -- and my record label or production company or whatever else."

(Reporting by Alicia Powell, writing by Christine Kearney, editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Beyonce says Eastwood film makes her day (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Beyonce Knowles has had it all before turning 30, yet is still humbled by what she calls "the biggest opportunity of my life" -- the lead role in Clint Eastwood's remake of the film, "A Star Is Born."

The singer and burgeoning actress, whose fourth solo album "4" debuted at No. 1 on pop charts after its release in June, told Reuters she felt lucky to have landed the iconic role previously played by Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland.

Eastwood will helm the fourth remake of the story about rising singer and actress Esther Blodgett, and Beyonce fondly remembers being a young girl and watching previous versions of the movie with her mother.

"It's when I became a fan of Barbra Streisand's. And I then saw Judy Garland's version of 'A Star Is Born' and I realized every 20 to 30 years a new star is born and a new talent represents that generation and era -- so I didn't think that I would ever get the opportunity to be the star," she said.

Beyonce has won 16 Grammy Awards, is married to rapper mogul Jay-Z, has topped Forbes magazine's lists of the most powerful and influential celebrities and is one of the world's top-grossing musicians. She starred in other movies with large ensemble casts, such as the widely-praised "Dreamgirls", but she said meeting Oscar winner Eastwood still made her quiver.

"I met with Clint and I was so nervous and I know that it is the biggest opportunity of my life. I will work as hard as I can," she said. "Because I can't wait. And I am so happy that he trusts me and I am in good hands and I am so fortunate."

The film is due to begin shooting at the end of the year and, according to showbiz website Deadline Hollywood, may also co-star Leonardo DiCaprio. But for now, Beyonce is still busy managing the singing career that she has taken over from her father and longtime manager, Matthew Knowles.

The switch has the music industry watching closely. Without directly addressing her father, Beyonce said it was "difficult balancing the business and the creativity."

"Having to balance the two is really hard and really making sure that I'm still doing my job, which is to be the performer and the entertainer and not have to do everyone else's job so that mine doesn't suffer, that's been a challenge," she said.

She added: "I'm sleeping with my blackberry, I'm having dreams that I'm answering e-mails, like it's that far!"

LABOR OF LOVE

While "4," debuted at No. 1, its first week sales were her lowest to date and singles "Run the World (Girls)" and "Best Thing I Never Had" have not performed as well as other hits, from "Crazy In Love" on her first album to her third CD's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and "Halo."

The Houston-born singer, who first experienced fame with the all-girl group "Destiny's Child," said that with "4" she wanted to make a cohesive album that was "one body of work."

"This album was a labor of love. It was not about singles," she said. "I felt like the emotion and live instruments and just soul (were) missing out of the music industry, especially the popular music that's out. I wanted to bring it back to the music I grew up listening to. It's like a mixture of the '90s and the '70s and rock-n-roll."

Beyonce heralds the video for "Run the World (Girls)" as a current favorite, but acknowledges that the black-and-white video for "Single Ladies," which showed off her swinging pelvis and rhythmic dance moves in a one-piece bodysuit, was a hard act to follow.

That video "was something that no one knew would become the phenomenon it became, thank God. And I know I am so lucky to have one of those moments in my career. It is just a blessing."

Her move to take charge of her career -- everything from her tour performances to videos -- is partly aimed at inspiring younger stars to take control of their careers, she said, citing one of her major influences, Michael Jackson.

"It just feels like no one else can tell me how I am supposed to perform, and I think it's what separates the Michaels and the Madonnas from the artists that are great but are just not quite the Michaels and the Madonnas," Beyonce said.

While some industry watchers have wondered if success has gone to her head, Beyonce seems to exhibit very little of the ego of many pop stars and said as the years progress, she will likely be living "vicariously" through other artists.

As she turns 30 years-old in September, what can she possibly achieve by, say, 60?

"I am sure at 60 I will not doing the Oh-Oh-Oh dance, that will not be cute," she laughed, referring to the 'Single Ladies' dance. "I think my priority will be my children and hopefully my grandchildren by then -- and my record label or production company or whatever else."

(Reporting by Alicia Powell, writing by Christine Kearney, editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Beyonce says Eastwood film makes her day (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Beyonce Knowles has had it all before turning 30, yet is still humbled by what she calls "the biggest opportunity of my life" -- the lead role in Clint Eastwood's remake of the film, "A Star Is Born."

The singer and burgeoning actress, whose fourth solo album "4" debuted at No. 1 on pop charts after its release in June, told Reuters she felt lucky to have landed the iconic role previously played by Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland.

Eastwood will helm the fourth remake of the story about rising singer and actress Esther Blodgett, and Beyonce fondly remembers being a young girl and watching previous versions of the movie with her mother.

"It's when I became a fan of Barbra Streisand's. And I then saw Judy Garland's version of 'A Star Is Born' and I realized every 20 to 30 years a new star is born and a new talent represents that generation and era -- so I didn't think that I would ever get the opportunity to be the star," she said.

Beyonce has won 16 Grammy Awards, is married to rapper mogul Jay-Z, has topped Forbes magazine's lists of the most powerful and influential celebrities and is one of the world's top-grossing musicians. She starred in other movies with large ensemble casts, such as the widely-praised "Dreamgirls", but she said meeting Oscar winner Eastwood still made her quiver.

"I met with Clint and I was so nervous and I know that it is the biggest opportunity of my life. I will work as hard as I can," she said. "Because I can't wait. And I am so happy that he trusts me and I am in good hands and I am so fortunate."

The film is due to begin shooting at the end of the year and, according to showbiz website Deadline Hollywood, may also co-star Leonardo DiCaprio. But for now, Beyonce is still busy managing the singing career that she has taken over from her father and longtime manager, Matthew Knowles.

The switch has the music industry watching closely. Without directly addressing her father, Beyonce said it was "difficult balancing the business and the creativity."

"Having to balance the two is really hard and really making sure that I'm still doing my job, which is to be the performer and the entertainer and not have to do everyone else's job so that mine doesn't suffer, that's been a challenge," she said.

She added: "I'm sleeping with my blackberry, I'm having dreams that I'm answering e-mails, like it's that far!"

LABOR OF LOVE

While "4," debuted at No. 1, its first week sales were her lowest to date and singles "Run the World (Girls)" and "Best Thing I Never Had" have not performed as well as other hits, from "Crazy In Love" on her first album to her third CD's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and "Halo."

The Houston-born singer, who first experienced fame with the all-girl group "Destiny's Child," said that with "4" she wanted to make a cohesive album that was "one body of work."

"This album was a labor of love. It was not about singles," she said. "I felt like the emotion and live instruments and just soul (were) missing out of the music industry, especially the popular music that's out. I wanted to bring it back to the music I grew up listening to. It's like a mixture of the '90s and the '70s and rock-n-roll."

Beyonce heralds the video for "Run the World (Girls)" as a current favorite, but acknowledges that the black-and-white video for "Single Ladies," which showed off her swinging pelvis and rhythmic dance moves in a one-piece bodysuit, was a hard act to follow.

That video "was something that no one knew would become the phenomenon it became, thank God. And I know I am so lucky to have one of those moments in my career. It is just a blessing."

Her move to take charge of her career -- everything from her tour performances to videos -- is partly aimed at inspiring younger stars to take control of their careers, she said, citing one of her major influences, Michael Jackson.

"It just feels like no one else can tell me how I am supposed to perform, and I think it's what separates the Michaels and the Madonnas from the artists that are great but are just not quite the Michaels and the Madonnas," Beyonce said.

While some industry watchers have wondered if success has gone to her head, Beyonce seems to exhibit very little of the ego of many pop stars and said as the years progress, she will likely be living "vicariously" through other artists.

As she turns 30 years-old in September, what can she possibly achieve by, say, 60?

"I am sure at 60 I will not doing the Oh-Oh-Oh dance, that will not be cute," she laughed, referring to the 'Single Ladies' dance. "I think my priority will be my children and hopefully my grandchildren by then -- and my record label or production company or whatever else."

(Reporting by Alicia Powell, writing by Christine Kearney, editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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'Bengal Tiger' Makes Its Final Roar July 3; Stagings Planned for Germany, Italy, France (Playbill)

Rajiv Joseph's Pulitzer Prize finalist play, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, starring Robin Williams as the self-questioning title character who roams a haunted patch of Iraq, circa 2003, ends its limited 16-week Broadway engagement as planned July 3 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, but there are future plans for the critically acclaimed drama.

The play, which had its world-premiere in 2009 at Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, will next be seen in Europe as rights have been sold for productions in Germany, Italy and France. Broadway producer Robyn Goodman has also announced that discussions are underway for a London production as well.

Bengal Tiger was nominated for three Tony Awards, including Best Featured Actor in a Play for Arian Moayed; Best Lighting Design for David Lander; and Best Sound Design of a Play for Acme Sound and Cricket S. Myers. The production also received two Drama Desk Awards: Best Lighting for David Lander and Best Sound Design for Acme Sound and Cricket S. Myers.

At close, the production will have played 23 previews and 109 performances. The drama — flooded with dreamlike flashbacks, eruptions of violence and broken creatures pondering existential questions — was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Williams is making his Broadway acting debut as a grizzled feline set free from a cage in the Baghdad zoo. He is the only character to directly address the audience. Moises Kaufman, the director of Broadway's 33 Variations and I Am My Own Wife, directs the production, repeating work that he began in two Los Angeles engagements of the play.

The play is billed as a "savagely funny and deeply affecting play" in which "a tiger haunts the streets of present-day Baghdad seeking the meaning of life." The tiger "witnesses the puzzling absurdities of war," encountering "Americans and Iraqis who are searching for friendship, redemption and a toilet seat made of gold."

With the exception of Academy Award winner Williams ("Good Will Hunting," "Good Morning Vietnam," "Mrs. Doubtfire"), the Broadway company is made up of performers who appeared in earlier Los Angeles-area engagements of the acclaimed play in 2009 and 2010.

The troupe features Glenn Davis as Tom, an American Marine who plunders local riches; Brad Fleischer as Kev, a Marine broken by war; Hrach Titizian as the ghost of Uday Hussein and others; Sheila Vand in multiple roles; Necar Zadegan in multiple roles; and Arian Moayed as Musa, an Iraqi gardener (and witness to atrocities) now serving as a translator for American forces. (For the record, Kevin Tighe played the Tiger in California.)

Joseph is the 36-year-old American playwright whose plays include Gruesome Playground Injuries (recently at Off-Broadway's Second Stage Theatre), Animals Out of Paper, Huck & Holden, All This Intimacy and The Leopard and the Fox.

The production has scenic design by Tony winner Derek McLane, costume design by David Zinn, lighting design by David Lander, sound design by Acme Sound Partners, and original music composed by Kathryn Bostic.

Director Kaufman received a Tony nomination for his direction of Doug Wright's play I Am My Own Wife, and a Tony nomination as playwright for 33 Variations, seen on Broadway starring Jane Fonda (it's currently playing Los Angeles). As founder of Tectonic Theatre Project, he wrote and directed Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, and directed The Laramie Project, which he co-wrote with other members of the company.

Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo is produced on Broadway by Robyn Goodman, Kevin McCollum, Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Ruth Hendel/Burnt Umber, Scott and Brian Zeilinger, Center Theater Group and Stephen Kocis/Walt Grossman.

The Rodgers (recently home to In the Heights) is at 226 W. 46 St. between Broadway and Eighth Avenue.

Tickets to Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo are also available by calling Ticketmaster at (877) 250-2929 or (800) 745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com or by visiting www.bengaltigeronbroadway.com.

View highlights from the show:

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Kate makes stellar debut as Princess Catherine (AFP)

OTTAWA (AFP) – Princess Catherine on Friday will celebrate Canada's national holiday on her international debut with Prince William as crowds throng to catch a glimpse of Britain's newest royal couple.

Packed with pomp and pageantry, the North American tour comes just two months after a radiant Kate Middleton walked down the aisle in a fairytale royal wedding watched by an estimated two billion people worldwide.

The couple were to cap off their visit to the capital by joining tens of thousands of revellers outside parliament for musical performances and fireworks to celebrate Canada's national holiday.

Canadians turned out en masse for a glimpse or a handshake as Middleton, now Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, arrived in Ottawa on Thursday wearing a navy lace dress by Montreal-born designer Erdem Moralioglu.

"Welcome to Canada, honeymoon capital of the Commonwealth," said Governor General David Johnston.

The couple's arrival at the National War Memorial in downtown Ottawa triggered excited screams from an estimated 10,000-strong crowd -- several of the women wearing fascinators, the hair accessory of choice for the duchess.

"There he is. There's our future king," Pat Snair shouted from the fringes of the crowd as the 29-year-old newlyweds stepped from the cortege to place a bouquet of flowers before the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

While Prince William, second in line to the British throne, has plenty of experience at royal duties, Kate is a relative rookie. But it was clearly the elegant woman from Berkshire, southeast England that many in the crowd had come to see.

She represents the future of the monarchy, she's "excitement and youth," said Denise, in her 60s.

"William is OK, but Kate is fascinating," added two teenage girls.

The princess was cool under fire and showed no outward signs of nerves on her first overseas walkabout, smiling broadly and exchanging polite banter as she shook hands with the crowd for longer than the intended hour.

"I'm hoping to find romance like theirs," said one wildly-impressed teenage girl.

From the war memorial unveiled in 1939 by William's great-grandparents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, who established a tradition with the first royal walkabout, the show then moved on to the official residence of the governor general, the vice-regal representative of Queen Elizabeth II.

"Catherine and I are so delighted to be here in Canada," William said.

"We have been looking forward to this moment for a very long time. Quite separately, before we were married, we had both had a longing to come here, instilled in us by our parents and grandparents."

He spoke in both of Canada's official languages, French and English, and to laughs vowed his French would improve over the course of this trip.

"The geography of this country is world-renowned, as is the hospitality of its peoples," William said.

Support for the monarchy hovers above 50 percent in Canada and has risen from last year when Queen Elizabeth II visited, although there is still a vocal anti-monarchist minority planning to protest in Quebec City on Sunday.

In addition to official and military ceremonies, the royal schedule has lighter moments planned, such as a cooking class, an aboriginal sports event and a rodeo.

Later Thursday, the royals attended a barbecue with 120 young Canadians at the residence of the governor general, where they are spending the night. A downpour, however, forced the event indoors.

William, in a buttoned down shirt slightly open at the collar, khakis and brown loafers, put his arm around the princess's waist to guide her around the room, chatting with guests.

Kate changed into a black and white dress by Issa for dinner, where a gourmet menu included Quebec cheeses, New Brunswick oysters, Qikiqtarjuaq sea urchins, musk ox prosciutto and potato-crusted Alberta yak tartar.

On Saturday they will embark on a countrywide tour, taking a cooking class in Montreal before travelling on to Quebec City, Charlottetown, Yellowknife and Calgary.

Prior to their final stop in Canada, the newlyweds are expected to sneak away on a romantic getaway to a secluded and undisclosed location in the Rocky Mountains.

After wrapping up their Canadian tour, they will travel to California for a three-day visit on July 8-10 whose highlight will be a black-tie celebrity reception for British filmmakers in Los Angeles.

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St. Louis makes strong case for 'Klinghoffer' (AP)

By MIKE SILVERMAN, For The Associated Press Mike Silverman, For The Associated Press – Wed Jun 22, 12:49 pm ET

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Ripped from headlines about the 1985 hijacking of the Achille Lauro cruise ship, John Adams' opera "The Death of Klinghoffer" has had a troubled history since its premiere in 1991.

The lionized composer of "Nixon in China" and his librettist, Alice Goodman, found their new work instantly condemned by some critics as a glorification of Palestinian terrorists.

The first U.S. performances in Brooklyn were picketed, other productions were canceled and the two daughters of Leon Klinghoffer, the Jewish passenger who was murdered in his wheelchair and thrown overboard, denounced the opera as anti-Semitic. Even a decade later, plans by the Boston Symphony Orchestra to perform excerpts were scrapped in the wake of 9/11.

"`Nixon' had made me famous and `Klinghoffer' had made me infamous," Adams wrote in his autobiography.

But the tide may be turning. Recent concert performances have been successful, and now the enterprising Opera Theatre of St. Louis has stepped forward with the first fully staged production in the U.S. in 20 years.

Seen at a matinee on Tuesday, the terrific performance made a strong case for "Klinghoffer" as a gripping and eerily beautiful work, more ambitious in scope than the basically light-hearted and ebullient "Nixon." And James Robinson's stark production should help put to rest any complaint that the opera is slanted in favor of the four Palestinians.

What it does do is individualize them and allow us to glimpse the roots — personal and historical — of their rage.

But the murder of Klinghoffer is never seen as less than a barbaric act. Before a single note of music is heard, gunshots ring out and bulkheadlike metallic walls at the rear of the stage open to reveal an empty wheelchair, cascades of water pouring down on it, evoking its eventual descent to the ocean floor.

Then come the two opening choruses, one for the exiled Palestinians, one for the exiled Jews — both eloquently sung here by members of the company's young artist program, who switch gears by making quick adjustments to the simple costumes provided by James Schuette. Each chorus lasts almost exactly eight minutes, and together they set up a precarious balance that is maintained throughout the opera. (Adams excised a scene that originally followed these, in which the Klinghoffers' Jewish neighbors were depicted in a way that many saw as stereotyping.)

These and five subsequent choruses form the backbone of "Klinghoffer," which is as much oratorio as opera. That doesn't mean, however, that it lacks drama. Interspersed with the choruses is a series of narratives by the ship's captain, passengers, the hijackers, and Klinghoffer himself and his wife, Marilyn.

As staged by Robinson on Allen Moyer's minimalist set, these solos tell an increasingly tense story of events aboard the ship, culminating in the final scene in which the captain informs Mrs. Klinghoffer of her husband's fate. Mrs. Klinghoffer, who was terminally ill with cancer at the time of the cruise, gets the last word in a soliloquy of tragic grandeur, ending with the shattering words: "They should have killed me. I wanted to die."

Mezzo-soprano Nancy Maultsby delivered those lines with a searing emotional directness that was matched by the entire cast.

Baritone Brian Mulligan gave sharp point to Klinghoffer's contempt for the hijackers. Baritone Christopher Magiera sang the captain's contemplative phrases with warmth and an aching sense of regret. And, though judging voices can be tricky given that Adams requires electronic amplification for his singers, Aubrey Allicock as the hijacker Mamoud revealed a bass-baritone of impressive size and richness.

The orchestra, drawn from the St. Louis Symphony, played marvelously under the baton of Michael Christie. They used a reduced orchestration authorized by the composer which captured especially well the brooding evocations of the sea that haunt Adams' score.

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Vieira makes farewell appearance on "Today" show (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Meredith Vieira marked her final appearance as a popular co-host of NBC's top-rated "Today" show on Wednesday with an emotional farewell, telling her fans: "I will never leave you."

Vieira, who took the anchor job five years ago alongside Matt Lauer, was lauded with a two-hour broadcast dominated by tributes and remembrances from co-workers and celebrities and clips that ran from light-hearted to emotion-charged.

A clearly emotional Vieira, flanked by the show's Al Roker, Lauer and Ann Curry who will become the new co-host, said: "It's such a family, and it's really hard to leave a family, but I'm not going to say good-bye at all."

She reiterated that her own family was the main factor for leaving. "I know it's right, but it's hard," she said.

She displayed a charm her husband Richard Cohen gave her when she started the job that was inscribed with his and their children's names and read: "We are with you."

"I'm taking this off after the show, and I'm going to pawn it," she joked.

Turning serious, she said: "I'm going to put it in a safe place, and all of you I'm putting in my heart so I'll never ever leave you."

Lauer paid tribute to Vieira's humor and said she made him laugh "every single day."

"I have marveled over the fact that with someone who's got talent as large as yours, how small your ego is," he said. "You've taught us all how to be great teammates."

The show featured taped tributes from celebrities including Martha Stewart, Jay Leno and Jack Black, who sang an excerpt from "Candle in the Wind."

Legendary songwriter Carole King appeared in the studio to serenade Vieira with a favorite song, "You've Got a Friend."

Vieira, one of the original hosts of ABC's "The View," will continue to host the game show "Millionaire."

Her departure is one of several recent high-profile changes in network television posts. Katie Couric, who hosted the "Today" show prior to Vieira, left CBS last month to be replaced by Scott Pelley on its nightly news broadcast.

(Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Greg McCune)

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Katie Couric makes move to ABC for talk show (AP)

NEW YORK – Katie Couric has worked morning TV, the evening news and will now enter the world of daytime talk in the post-Oprah Winfrey era.

ABC announced Monday a multiyear-deal with Couric to produce the talk show, set to bow in September 2012. She will work for ABC News in the interim.

Couric had talked with all the major players in the syndication market. But by the time she signed off last month after five years as the "CBS Evening News" anchor, ABC had outlasted the other suitors. ABC's bet was that with Winfrey ending a talk show that dominated the marketplace, viewers would seek something new. Couric was the biggest available name out there.

Former NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker, who ran the control room at NBC's "Today" show when Couric was a co-host there, will be executive producer of the new talk show. The show doesn't have a name yet, and will be based in New York.

Eight ABC-owned stations covering nearly one-quarter of the nation's population, including stations in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, have agreed to air the show in their 3 p.m. ET time slots, ABC said.

Couric is returning to the network where she began her career as a desk assistant in 1979. At ABC News, she will anchor specials, conduct interviews and be part of special events coverage, the network said.

The Couric announcement came on the same day her successor at CBS, Scott Pelley, was to make his debut on the newscast.

Couric will enter a high-risk, high-reward world in daytime television. Only about one of every 10 new syndicated shows that come on the market succeed, said Bill Carroll, an expert in the area for Katz Media. Jane Pauley, one of Couric's predecessors on the "Today" show, was among those who tried and failed.

Try and succeed, and the riches are great.

"The rewards can be unbelievable — look at the empire Oprah Winfrey created," Carroll said.

A talk show in today's market is generally news oriented, celebrity focused such as "Ellen" or informational such as medical, relationship or cooking shows. Winfrey's show was the only one to successfully blend all three in recent years, and in the ratings she towered over all competitors, he said.

Couric's show will be watched closely to see which direction it takes, or if it can try to emulate the breadth of Winfrey's show.

"It can't always be the show you want to do," Carroll said. "It has to be the show they want to see."

The scrambling to claim Winfrey's audience has already begun, and sometimes the tactics are tough. Dr. Mehmet Oz traveled to Chicago for a blessing — taping a short ad where Winfrey encouraged people to watch her former protege's show. Oz has moved into Winfrey's coveted 4 p.m. time slot at some stations, but in major markets such as New York and Philadelphia, ABC is airing local news where Winfrey once appeared.

Anderson Cooper is launching his own talk show this fall, along with British talk show host Jeremy Kyle. Ricki Lake returns to the talk show world next year.

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Mary Hart makes exit from `Entertainment Tonight' (AP)

NEW YORK – The list of exiting TV personalities seems to lengthen every day: Oprah Winfrey; Regis Philbin; Larry King; Katie Couric; Jim Lehrer; Meredith Vieira.

Don't overlook Mary Hart, whose last "Entertainment Tonight" broadcast is Friday. Celebrity and entertainment coverage has changed markedly since she began anchoring the show in its first year in 1982.

It was the first weekday syndicated show devoted solely to entertainment news when it began, and has remained at the top of the ratings as similar shows came along. And "ET" as it is fondly known, remains one of the top sources for celeb news among the many other shows, websites, magazines and news outlets now covering the subject.

"She will be missed," said Bill Carroll, an expert in the syndicated television market for Katz Media. "She has become iconic."

Hart earned a hug from David Letterman and her own "Late Show" Top Ten list last week: "Things Mary Hart Has Learned in 29 Years of Hosting 'Entertainment Tonight.'" (No. 4: "Tom Hanks is a total loser," as the camera cut to tape of a befuddled Hanks. No. 1 was: "Nothing.")

Hart, a former Miss South Dakota and now 60, has worked with five male co-hosts, most notably John Tesh and currently Mark Steines. Nancy O'Dell will replace her.

"I'd been thinking about this for a very long time knowing it would be difficult and it is difficult," Hart said. "It's a very strange feeling knowing that I'm doing a final show and actually saying goodbye on the air. It makes me very emotional at times."

Hart said she never intended to be on the show that long but liked the people with whom she worked and it was a good job to have for her and her marriage to producer Burt Sugarman, and their son.

Now, she said, "If I want to do something else, I have to do it now. I can't wait." She's not sure what she'll be doing — it might include television, it might not.

"When I look back and see the preponderance of reality TV and all these types of shows, it makes me think I don't want to be in television anymore," she said.

Hart is proud of her show's pioneer status and its ability to stay on top, and suggests it's not as fluffy as some critics assume it to be.

She also knows what shows such as hers have wrought.

"I find that celebrities are not as forthcoming as they used to be, because they are pulled in every direction," she said. The Internet has loosened standards about reporting and verification, she said, and added a nastiness in tone. "Entertainment Tonight" had its own problems three years ago after falsely reporting that Angelina Jolie had given birth to twins despite being told the report was a hoax.

Then there was the sad feeding frenzy around Charlie Sheen.

"We didn't even go after an interview with Charlie Sheen," she said. "We didn't have to. He was everywhere."

Hart's show "was ahead of its time, and depending on how you feel about it, that's a good or a bad thing," said Robert Thompson, director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University.

Two of the stories that stick to Hart personally through the years would have been perfect fodder for "Entertainment Tonight": her million-dollar legs and the odd 1991 incident where a medical journal reported that the sound of Hart's voice triggered seizures in an epileptic woman, which inspired a "Seinfeld" episode.

Hart reports on the world of celebrity culture but is clearly part of it herself.

Take those legs — so impressive that "Entertainment Tonight" put her behind a glass desk with special lighting so viewers wouldn't miss them.

"When I'm wearing pants and walking across a hotel lobby, people would say, 'Why aren't you showing off those legs?'" she said. "It is a little jarring. Still, I get a kick out of it. I can't take offense. I have nothing to complain about."

She's built up plenty of relationships with the rich and famous from seeing them so many times through the years. She talks about "my friends Maria and Arnold" (that would be Shriver and Schwarzenegger, who just announced a separation) and how she's talked with Shriver about dealing with life's transitions.

She's friendly with singer Marie Osmond, and attended the funeral of Osmond's son, who committed suicide last year. She learned in confidence that Osmond had reconnected with her first husband but kept it a secret until getting the go-ahead from Osmond to report that the couple had remarried.

"There are times when you have to keep something and respect that friendship," Hart said.

The time in her job has given Hart a perspective that few in her field can claim.

"I've seen people's attitudes be humble and swell and shrink again because everybody's career has an ebb and flow to it," she said. "Thirty years makes you really see that."

___

Online:

http://www.etonline.com

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Glammed-up Grace Potter makes a star turn (AP)

NEW YORK – Grace Potter is in the middle of an electrifying concert with her band, the Nocturnals, performing retro-rock grooves from their breakthrough album, when she takes what seems like a surprising detour and launches into a Beyonce song.

"Why don't you love me? Tell me, baby, why don't you love me?" Potter howls as she does a rendition of the Beyonce jam so pitch-perfect she seems to have morphed into the diva.

She's wearing a mini-dress and stiletto heels that Beyonce might rock, shaking her long blond hair from side to side. The only big difference between the two singers: Potter has a guitar strapped around her body.

It's taken years for Potter to release her inner-Beyonce, but it's a transformation that Potter felt was necessary if she and the Nocturnals were going to fully realize their rock `n' roll dreams.

"I think part of my growing up and part of my improvement as a frontwoman was finally embracing that spirit and that animal instinct to own it up there," says Potter, speaking backstage before the band's recent capacity-crowd concert at New York City's Irving Plaza.

"It took a lot of years for me to get comfortable, strutting my stuff, dancing like a fool, having that sparkly dress on that says `here I am,'" she acknowledges. "Because in the beginning, I was scared — I was scared that I wasn't going to be taken seriously."

It's hard not to take Potter seriously now. The band has had a breakthrough year since the release of their self-titled album last summer, and the 27-year-old Potter, as the Nocturnals' sexy-glammed up frontwoman, is poised for her own star-making turn.

"If you're looking at female artists, there are very few emerging right now that do what she does," says Rick Krim, VH1's executive vice president, talent and music programming. "She's got an amazing voice, and a great stage presence. She's fun, she's entertaining and she's got a great personality. It's a great package."

VH1 picked the Nocturnals as one of the acts to watch last year, and promptly added them to its "VH1 Divas Salute the Troops" concert in December. The group's performance of their sultry single "Paris (Ooh La La)" riveted the crowd; album sales increased 113 percent after the concert aired, VH1 said.

This summer, the band's profile will continue to rise. The Nocturnals are booked for major festivals this summer, including their first appearance on the main stage of the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn. They are also planning their own festival, Grand Point North, in Burlington, Vt.

"It's exciting. We've been planting seeds for about eight years," said drummer Matt Burr. "It was the perfect storm of songs getting better and touring more and more and more. ... Everything kind of really hit perfectly."

Potter, from Waitsfield, Vt., met Burr and fellow guitarist Scott Tournet when she was a college student and working on her first album, 2004's "Original Soul."

Burr remembers the first time he heard Potter sing. She was at a coffee house, and she played an original tune: "Apologies."

"I saw her play it at an open mic, I was one of many who was in attendance with my jaw on the floor," said Burr.

He and Tournet quickly signed on to work with Potter, appearing on her album, and a year later, they released their first album as Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, "Nothing but the Water."

Back then, Potter had many of the same qualities that make her so refreshing today: a husky, soulful voice, a deft skill as a keyboardist, good looks and a spark during her performances. But she was a brunette, more apt to wear jeans and a T-shirt during a performance, in contrast to her model-like persona today.

As the female leader of a band, Potter was unusual. She recalls when she'd be mistaken as the manager of the band, or one of their girlfriends. So she resisted dressing in feminine gear, though she was a fashionista at heart. She also felt pressure to prove herself as a female musician.

"I worked extremely hard at my craft and at being a good songwriter, being a good guitar player, being a good organist because I didn't think people would take me seriously," she says. "I was so focused on convincing people that I was one of the guys, so it was weird for me. ... It was tricky."

She no longer has those worries. These days, she looks like a cover girl with her sleek tresses, sexy outfits and stilettos (she even wears them during sound checks).

Not everyone is happy with her transformation. Some point to old photographs of a dark-haired Potter dressed in flannel and jeans and wonder if she made a calculated move to change her look for more attention.

Changing her look was calculated — but not for more mainstream appeal. Potter says it was the culmination of the band's ramped-up new sound — and her new attitude. She is more determined to give her stage show everything — including strapping on high heels and learning to play the guitar.

"It wasn't just, `Hey I wanna dress up cute now,' it really was from the bottom up a sense of production. Just like you would spend time making the lights perfect onstage, or the backdrop perfect onstage, what we put on our bodies needs to reflect the music, so the fashion has been a really fun new part of the production of the show because it is a show," she says.

"It naturally happened, which was so great. We went from wearing flannels and mud boots but flicking the switch and really amping it up," says Burr. "It's healthy to change and grow. ... She just naturally sort of progressed into the best sense of the word diva."

Part of Potter's revitalization came as the band was at a crossroads two years ago. Her bass player had left, and Potter set out to record a solo record with renowned producer T Bone Burnett.

The band was thinking about going on hiatus, but instead, starting working on new music while on the road with two new members: bassist Catherine Popper and rhythm guitarist Benny Yurco.

"I didn't realize how much sonic change was going to be in that until I saw it, until I heard it on the records, and as we started playing music together, the musicality really did improve dramatically," Potter says.

Their record label urged them to go into the studio with their new rocking sound, so she put the Burnett album in the vault. The Nocturnals' third album continues to gain steam as it reaches the one-year mark, and Potter's glow gets more luminous.

Despite all her success, she still has a few naysayers. When she met one of her childhood idols, she was a bit dismayed when the female singer-songwriter started questioning Potter's look.

"This whole sexy thing you're doing, I mean — you can't keep it up, you can't do that forever. Don't you want to be taken seriously as a songwriter?" Potter remembers the woman asking her. "`How do think you're going to do this when you're 50 and you're still trying to be in the mini-dresses?'"

Potter didn't skip a beat with her retort.

"I'm like, `What the (expletive) do you think Beyonce's going to be doing, tell me that? Because she's got it going on!'"

___

Online:

http://www.gracepotter.com/

____

Nekesa Mumbi Moody can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/nekesamumbi

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Recording Academy Makes Series of Sweeping Changes to the Grammy Awards

In a shocking move, the Recording Academy has announced a series of broad and sweeping changes to the Grammy Awards that will see the number of prizes presented reduced from 109 to 78 and gender-based categories in pop, R&B, rock and country stripped away entirely with awards for "solo performance" in each genre being awarded instead.

"Every year, we diligently examine our awards structure to develop an overall guiding vision and ensure that it remains a balanced and viable process," Recording Academy president Neil Portnow said in a statement. "After careful and extensive review and analysis of all categories and fields, it was objectively determined that our Grammy categories be restructured to the continued competition and prestige of the highest and only peer-recognized award in music."

The General Field categories -- Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist -- were not affected by today's announcement.

The Academy has also amended its rules on entries and voting. For a category to move forward with five nominations, it must receive no less than 40 artist, album or song submissions. If a category receives between 25 and 39 entries, only three nominations will be announced.

If less than 25 submissions are received for any given category, an award will not be presented that year, and if the category continues to receive fewer than 25 entries for three consecutive years it will be discontinued.

Next year's ceremony will mark the first time since 1991 that fewer than 80 Grammys will be awarded. (A vast majority of prizes are handed out during a non-televised ceremony that immediately precedes CBS' broadcast; only 10 awards were handed out during the televised event.)

The reason why so few awards are handed out during the televised ceremony: performances.

"The part that not everybody will be happy about at first is getting their heads around the fact that things have changed," Portnow told Billboard. "But the fact is: Everybody [who] releases a record within the standards and the qualification elements is going to be eligible for a Grammy. It's just going to look a little different, fit in a different place than they may have. They may be facing other nominees or nominations differently than they had in the past. But at the end of the day, we think excellence will prevail."

The Recording Academy makes frequent changes to its rules and categories on a case-by-case basis when flaws in its eligibility requirements are brought to the Academy's attention. Last summer, the guidelines for the Best New Artist category were altered when Gaga was deemed ineligible for the 2009 prize because she had been nominated the previous year for Best Dance Recording. The Academy altered its rules to provide eligibility to previous Grammy nominees who have not released a full-length album and have not won.

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Piers Morgan makes Eva Longoria cry

Piers Morgan has gone and done it again: reduced another of his celebrity guests to tears on American TV show Piers Morgan Tonight. And this time it was pretty Eva Longoria.

Eva got a bit emo as she talked to Piers last night about her divorce from basketball husband Tony Parker, and said that playing the whole thing out in the public eye was humiliating but added that she wished him all the best in life.

She said that it was a heartbreaking time and that trying to rediscover who she was afterwards was one of the hardest things she’s ever been faced with.

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Sheryl Crow Sings a New Tune With 'If It Makes You Healthy' Cookbook

Sheryl Crow is a busy rock star and activist raising two boys as a single mother. When Crow battled breast cancer five years ago, she took that as a wake-up call to eat better. Around this time she met chef Chuck White, who taught Sheryl how to eat seasonal, vitamin-rich food that would boost her health and singing voice.

The two have now teamed up on a cookbook called 'If It Makes You Healthy,' which is brimming with delicious and nutritious recipes.

How did you meet Chuck?
I have worked with Chuck off and on for three years. He's extraordinarily talented. We have this mutual love for incorporating the healthy components of food and the knowledge of wellness and disease with prevention and I wanted him to share what it is that he does. He had been on tour with me and cooked in my home while I had been recording.
When you're not touring or doing albums do you cook for yourself?
For the most part when I'm home I cook for me and my kids. We sit down and eat meals. I cook the things I learned from Chuck. I'm always looking for healthy ways to feed my kids. My 10-month-old eats everything. Wyatt's a little pickier. The one thing he loves is pasta and there are lots of different ways to make pasta with quinoa or spaghetti squash so he's not just eating plain carbs. There's always creative ways to feed kids.

Does the music business today depress you?
For somebody like me who makes records to go out and play, I would play no matter what; it's unfortunate that the climate is what it is. I enjoy playing live.

Before you got diagnosed with cancer, did you eat a lot of junk food?
We would eat what was at the gig. Not to knock the catering companies, but you would eat catering that was sitting out all day or eating from room service and then when I was diagnosed five years ago and I became a student of nutrition and wellness and really wanted to be proactive in getting well. I think now what we know from the information we get about antibiotics in the meat and pesticides in produce that there's a direct correlation to disease and there are components of food that are very disease-defensive and it's food that we can incorporate. We wanted everything in the book to be delicious and not boring.



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Recording Academy Makes Series of Sweeping Changes to the Grammy Awards

In a shocking move, the Recording Academy has announced a series of broad and sweeping changes to the Grammy Awards that will see the number of prizes presented reduced from 109 to 78 and gender-based categories in pop, R&B, rock and country stripped away entirely with awards for "solo performance" in each genre being awarded instead.

"Every year, we diligently examine our awards structure to develop an overall guiding vision and ensure that it remains a balanced and viable process," Recording Academy president Neil Portnow said in a statement. "After careful and extensive review and analysis of all categories and fields, it was objectively determined that our Grammy categories be restructured to the continued competition and prestige of the highest and only peer-recognized award in music."
A number of instrumental categories have been dropped, and many other categories have been folded in an effort to consolidate. For example, Best Contemporary R&B Album has been eliminated as a stand-alone category, though sets that would have qualified for the prize will remain eligible in the broader category of Best R&B Album. All told, four R&B awards will now be handed out instead of eight. Rock, country and pop will also hand out four prizes, down from the seven each genre awarded at last year's 53rd Grammy Awards.

The General Field categories -- Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist -- were not affected by today's announcement.

The Academy has also amended its rules on entries and voting. For a category to move forward with five nominations, it must receive no less than 40 artist, album or song submissions. If a category receives between 25 and 39 entries, only three nominations will be announced.

If less than 25 submissions are received for any given category, an award will not be presented that year, and if the category continues to receive fewer than 25 entries for three consecutive years it will be discontinued.

Next year's ceremony will mark the first time since 1991 that fewer than 80 Grammys will be awarded. (A vast majority of prizes are handed out during a non-televised ceremony that immediately precedes CBS' broadcast; only 10 awards were handed out during the televised event.)

The reason why so few awards are handed out during the televised ceremony: performances.

Relive Lady Gaga's show-stopping take on 'Born This Way' below:



"The part that not everybody will be happy about at first is getting their heads around the fact that things have changed," Portnow told Billboard. "But the fact is: Everybody

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Rachael or Martha? Guy Fieri Makes His Choice

SnapPolls Comments (8)Add a comment

Monday 07 FebruaryBy kathyHighest Rank Vote downVote upReport this

Another thing Martha is better at than RR is being a con. Rachael is down to earth and gracious in ways Martha is not. I for one would far rather watch Rachael with her ability to laugh at herself than Martha with her sanctimonius pomposity.

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Monday 07 FebruaryBy randyHigh Rank Vote downVote upReport this

Martha is good an i do like her programs. However Ms Ray is far better in my opinion. She's bubbly fun and like her recipes. Wish they would restart the 40 dollar a day trips. Oh and of course Rachael is a babe. No disrespect intended to her husband just stating a fact

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Monday 07 FebruaryBy rdbj1957Highest Rank Vote downVote upReport this

Martha Stewart is a pompous witch ex-con who has no idea how real people live!

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Tuesday 08 FebruaryBy chris romoHigh Rank Vote downVote upReport this

guy made the right choose to go to ray's party.it was probally not as good as the one at our vineyard. guy has been here for one of our partys and knows what I mean .

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Tuesday 08 FebruaryBy DianaHighest Rank Vote downVote upReport this

Rachael is a cook...Martha is a crook...Nuff said.

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Tuesday 08 FebruaryBy KathyHighest Rank Vote downVote upReport this

Rachael does quick foods,and we all need recipes for no time dinners. Martha does food, and the tips for keeping our home nice,along with garden tips. You may not use everything Martha says, but she is just trying to help us enjoy our homes,not just the food we prepare.

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Tuesday 08 FebruaryBy iamcartLowest Rank Vote downVote upReport this

you people are fools, rachael ray is as big a joke as Gay Fieri ... they are both idiot hacks. Martha has talent period.

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Tuesday 08 FebruaryBy OnnaLowest Rank Vote downVote upReport this

Exactly..... Martha has far more talent than Ray

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Experts: Being on 'Teen Mom' Makes Its Stars Unstable

'Teen Mom 2' star Jenelle Evans was arrested for assault over the weekend after a video surfaced of her brutally beating another teen. Evans has also incurred charges of drug possession and breaking and entering.

Her fellow teen mom, Amber Portwood, was arrested in December and spent 24 hours in jail on charges of attacking her baby daddy in front of their two-year-old daughter.

Now experts are raising the question of whether 'Teen Mom' is to blame for taking obviously unstable teenagers and thrusting them into a spotlight they are not ready to handle.

"These are not the most stable girls to begin

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