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Showing posts with label Singer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Singer. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

British Pop Singer Arrested On Drug Charge

Tulisa Contostavlos was arrested on drug charges, according to British media.

LONDON — British media say singer and former U.K. "X Factor" judge Tulisa Contostavlos was arrested Tuesday on allegations of supplying hard drugs.


The arrest came after the Sun tabloid ran a story claiming the 24-year-old had acted as a go-between in a deal to sell cocaine.


The Metropolitan Police force said a 24-year-old woman and a 35-year-old man were arrested "on suspicion of being concerned with the supply of class A drugs."


They were questioned at a London police station and later released on bail pending further inquiries.


Police in Britain do not usually name suspects who have not been charged. The BBC and other major media outlets identified the suspect as Contostavlos, who came to fame with London group N-Dubz.


She was recently replaced as a judge on TV talent show "X Factor" by Sharon Osbourne.


Contostavlos' spokesman declined to comment Tuesday.


View the original article at Huffington Post / Celebrity

Monday, October 24, 2011

Singer Loretta Lynn out of hospital (Reuters)

NASHVILLE, Tenn (Reuters) – Country music legend Loretta Lynn was resting at home on Monday after spending part of a "scary" weekend in the hospital suffering from pneumonia, the singer said.

"It was one scary night ... But I am feeling better and just gonna take it easy for a couple of weeks," she said in a statement from her home in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.

The 76-year-old music icon went to a Kentucky hospital early on Saturday after awakening on her tour bus complaining of difficulty breathing, her web site said.

Lynn canceled her two weekend performances in Kentucky and North Carolina, but the statement said she expected to return to the stage on November 3 in Knoxville, Tennessee.

The singer, who grew up poor in Kentucky's coal-mining country before rising to fame, has additional performances scheduled in Mississippi, Louisiana and North Carolina.

Lynn, whose hits including "If You're Not Gone Too Long" and "Don't Come Home A Drinkin'," has released 70 albums and charted 16 No. 1 hits in a career spanning five decades.

She has won two Grammys and written several books, including "Coal Miner's Daughter," which was made into a movie that earned Sissy Spacek an Oscar for her performance as the singer.

(Reporting by Tim Ghianni; Editing by Andrew Stern and Jerry Norton)


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Sunday, October 23, 2011

Singer Loretta Lynn hospitalized with pneumonia (AP)

ASHLAND, Ky. – Country music singer Loretta Lynn was hospitalized over the weekend with the early stages of pneumonia, according to a representative of the performer.

The 76-year-old Lynn was scheduled to perform Saturday at the Performing Arts Center in Ashland, Ky. and Sunday in Durham, N.C., but the Kentucky center issued a news release saying she is in the hospital and would be unable to perform. The Kentucky theater says the show will be rescheduled.

Loretta Lynn Enterprises posted a statement on her website Saturday night that confirmed the cancellations due to illness.

"Doctors have diagnosed her as the beginning stages pneumonia, and will continue to need rest. Loretta is doing well and is disappointed but feels confident she will be ready for upcoming November dates."

Calls by The Associated Press to representatives of Lynn were not immediately returned Saturday.

In August, Lynn canceled shows because of knee surgery. Before that, she returned to live performances with a show at the Grand Ole Opry after being forced to cancel shows in Ohio and Connecticut because she was hospitalized for heat exhaustion.

The daughter of a Kentucky coal miner, Lynn had a string of hits starting in the 1960s — "Coal Miner's Daughter," "You Ain't Woman Enough," "The Pill," and "One's on the Way." Many of her songs reflected her pride in her humble background and her experiences as a wife and mother. Her 1977 autobiography was made into a movie that brought an Oscar for Sissy Spacek's portrayal of Lynn. More recently, Lynn marked 50 years in country music and won two Grammy awards in 2005 for her album "Van Lear Rose."


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Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Senegalese singer Ndour calls for more famine aid (AP)

DADAAB, Kenya – Senegalese singer Youssou Ndour says African artists should take the initiative to help families affected by famine in the Horn of Africa.

Ndour said Tuesday he hoped to help African artists raise funds through their performances. He said he had received the support of U2 frontman Bono.

Ndour visited northern Kenya's sprawling Dadaab refugee camp on Tuesday. Most of the more than 400,000 refugees there are Somalis fleeing the country's 20-year-old civil war and encroaching famine.

The U.N. says over 12 million people in the Horn of Africa, including parts of Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya and Uganda, are affected by the drought and are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.

Only Somalia is affected by famine. Its civil war prevents aid agencies from reaching families in need.


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Saturday, September 3, 2011

Saggy pants cost Green Day singer his airline seat (AP)


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Green Day singer ejected from flight over pants (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Green Day rocker Billie Joe Armstrong has complained that he was booted from a Southwest Airlines flight in Oakland, California, because of the way he wore his pants.

Armstrong, 39, said on the website Twitter on Thursday, "Just got kicked off a Southwest flight because my pants sagged too low!..."

The flight was going from Oakland, California, to the Los Angeles suburb of Burbank, said Brad Hawkins, a spokesman for Southwest Airlines.

Cindy Qiu, an associate producer at Bay area television station ABC7/KGO-TV, was on the flight and described the incident on her company's website.

She said that Armstrong, when he was initially approached by a flight attendant and told to hike up his pants, said "Don't you have better things to do than worry about that?"

He then tried to take his seat but was asked to leave the plane, Qiu said on the ABC7 website.

The situation appears to have been soon resolved.

"As soon as we became aware of what had happened, we reached out to apologize for this customer's experience," Hawkins said. "He elected to take the next flight."

The Oakland-born Armstrong is the lead singer for the punk band Green Day, which came to fame in the 1990s with songs such as "When I Come Around." A musical called "American Idiot" based on the band's music is playing on Broadway.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)


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Green Day singer ejected from flight over pants (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Green Day rocker Billie Joe Armstrong has complained that he was booted from a Southwest Airlines flight in Oakland, California, because of the way he wore his pants.

Armstrong, 39, said on the website Twitter on Thursday, "Just got kicked off a Southwest flight because my pants sagged too low!..."

The flight was going from Oakland, California, to the Los Angeles suburb of Burbank, said Brad Hawkins, a spokesman for Southwest Airlines.

Cindy Qiu, an associate producer at Bay area television station ABC7/KGO-TV, was on the flight and described the incident on her company's website.

She said that Armstrong, when he was initially approached by a flight attendant and told to hike up his pants, said "Don't you have better things to do than worry about that?"

He then tried to take his seat but was asked to leave the plane, Qiu said on the ABC7 website.

The situation appears to have been soon resolved.

"As soon as we became aware of what had happened, we reached out to apologize for this customer's experience," Hawkins said. "He elected to take the next flight."

The Oakland-born Armstrong is the lead singer for the punk band Green Day, which came to fame in the 1990s with songs such as "When I Come Around." A musical called "American Idiot" based on the band's music is playing on Broadway.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)


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Thursday, September 1, 2011

Pop singer seeking damages for flooding (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – Sounds like Rihanna could have used an umbrella-ella-ella big enough to cover her entire home.

The "Rude Boy" songbird filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday against Prudential California Realty and the former owner of her Beverly Hills home, alleging that they should have informed her of several construction defects that made the residence conducive to flooding -- which is exactly what ended up happening.

The singer has also named a property-inspection service in the suit.

Rihanna, born Robyn Fenty, purchased the home in July 2009 for $6.9 million.

According to the suit, during the purchase of the home she was kept in the dark about several problems with the home -- problems that came to light following a "moderate rainstorm" in January 2010.

"The rainwater pooled on the second floor balcony and seeped into numerous rooms of the house, causing extensive water intrusion into various rooms," the suit claims.

After the flood, the singer hired an engineering firm to assess the damage; during an inspection, the firm found "a host of defects in the property, including numerous waterproofing defects and evidence of water intrusion and associated damage."

Because of the defects, the suit alleges, the actual value of the home is "millions of dollars less" than the $6.9 million she paid.

Rihanna, who alleges professional negligence, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, breach of contract and breach of implied warranty, is seeking unspecified damages, plus interest, court costs and attorneys' fees.

Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.


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Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Cuban singer Milanes knocks harassment of 'Ladies' (AP)

HAVANA – Cuban singer-songwriter Pablo Milanes has harshly criticized government-backed harassment of the Ladies in White dissident group in his country.

The women are the wives and mothers of former political prisoners and Milanes says the way they are treated inspires feelings of "shame" and "indignation." He adds that he does not agree with the women's opinions about the Cuban government, but he feels "solidarity" with their pain.

The comments come in an open letter published Tuesday by Miami's El Nuevo Herald newspaper.

The Ladies in White hold weekly protest marches in Cuba and are often met by rowdy, pro-government crowds who shout insults and obscenities at them.

Milanes calls such treatment "vile" and "cowardly."


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Sunday, August 28, 2011

Singer Tom Jones cancels concert, denies heart scare (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) – Singer Tom Jones canceled a Saturday night concert in Monaco due to severe dehydration, his spokesman said on Sunday, but he denied reports that the veteran Welsh crooner was suffering heart problems.

The 71-year-old star's performance on Saturday had been due to be the last of a 3-month tour.

"Tom was ordered by doctors not to perform in Monte Carlo yesterday evening, due to severe dehydration," a statement issued on behalf of the singer said.

"This was extremely disappointing for Tom, the band and all connected with the tour. This was the last date of a very successful 3-month tour, where many of the shows were in locations that were in the throes of high summer heat.

"There are no heart problems, as has been reported in the press."

Jones is famous for his powerful voice and a string of hits including "What's New Pussycat?," "She's a Lady" and "Kiss," and he has sold an estimated 100 million records during a career of almost 50 years.

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)


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Monday, August 22, 2011

Country singer Chely Wright weds girlfriend (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Chely Wright, the first mainstream country performer to come out as lesbian, married her partner, activist Lauren Blitzer, on Saturday in Connecticut, People magazine reported.

Wright, 40, met Blitzer, 30, soon after the singer's 2010 announcement that she is a lesbian.

Named the top new female vocalist by the Academy of Country Music in 1995, Wright hid her homosexuality for years, believing it would hurt her career in the traditionally conservative country music community.

"They would rather you were a drug addict than be gay," she told reporters at the time of her coming-out, which is chronicled in the upcoming documentary "Wish Me Away."

Both a reverend and a rabbi presided over the weekend ceremonies at Blitzer's aunt's home with more than 200 guests in attendance. Wright is Christian, and Blitzer is Jewish.

The women wore white wedding gowns and skipped the veils. Wright explained to People, "We like our hair too much!"

(Reporting and writing by Sheri Linden; Edited by Bob Tourtellotte)


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U2 singer Bono denies reports of health scare (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) – U2 lead singer Bono on Sunday denied reports he had been taken to hospital after complaining of chest pains while on holiday in the south of France.

The 51-year-old did attend the Princess Grace hospital in Monaco, but a spokeswoman said it was for a routine checkup.

"Despite press stories to the contrary, Bono has not suffered a recent health scare," the spokeswoman said in a statement given to Reuters.

"Reports of his being rushed to hospital for emergency treatment are untrue. Bono is in good health and enjoying a family holiday in the south of France."

The health scare was reported by the Irish Independent newspaper and picked up by online music news outlets.

Bono and Irish rock band U2 have just completed a world tour which broke ticket sales records.

The group was forced to cancel several gigs in 2010 and pulled out of the Glastonbury music festival when Bono injured his back. They returned to perform on the main stage at Glastonbury this summer.

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)


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Saturday, August 20, 2011

Oasis singer Liam Gallagher suing his brother (AP)

LONDON – One of music's most famous family feuds is headed for the courts.

Oasis singer Liam Gallagher said Friday he is suing his estranged brother and former bandmate, Noel, for saying his hangover forced the rumbustious Brit rockers to cancel a concert.

Bad blood between the brothers has made headlines ever since Oasis burst to fame in 1994 with debut album "Definitely Maybe."

When Noel left the band in 2009 he said it was because he couldn't work "a day longer" with his brother.

Liam is disputing comments Noel made last month alleging that Liam pulled out of the 2009 V Festival due to a hangover.

Liam said in a statement he wants an apology and for Oasis fans "to know the truth" about what happened — laryngitis prevented him from performing the gig.

He also took issue with his brother's claim that "the demise of Oasis followed a massive row in which he claimed I demanded to advertise my clothing range Pretty Green in the Oasis tour program."

"The truth is there was no such discussion or row between us. There are many reasons why Oasis split. But it had nothing to do with my clothing range."

"This is not about money," he added. "All I want is a full apology from Noel."

Liam Gallagher's spokesman confirmed the singer had issued a writ at the High Court in London against his brother.

Representatives of Noel Gallagher declined to comment.


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Saturday, August 13, 2011

Former Warrant singer Jani Lane dies in Los Angeles (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Jani Lane, the once energetic blond lead singer and songwriter for heavy metal band Warrant, has been found dead in a Los Angeles motel room, police said. He was 47.

Lane, best known for singing lead vocals and writing the Hollywood glam band's hits such as "Cherry Pie" that led them to success in the late 1980s and early 1990s, was discovered in a motel in Woodland Hills on Thursday, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department said.

The cause of his death was unknown and coroner's officials were conducting an investigation into Lane's death.

The Ohio-born Lane left Warrant left several times, including in 1993 and 2004, before returning for a series for concerts in 2008, after which he left the band permanently.

Lane also pursued a solo career and appeared on a reality TV series about celebrities aiming to lose weight. He had been arrested several times for drunk driving.

The appearance of the formerly big-haired leather-clad singer, who would often bounce around on stage and dive into the audience, had changed in recent years as he sported cropped hair and glasses.

Warrant's other hits included "Heaven," and "Sometimes She Cries" and the rock anthem "Down Boys."

(Reporting by Christine Kearney, editing by Patricia Reaney)


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Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Costa Rica names suspect in singer Cabral killing (AP)

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica – A Costa Rican is suspected of being behind the ambush last month that killed Argentine folk singer Facundo Cabral and wounded a Nicaraguan businessman who is believed to have been the target, authorities said Tuesday.

Alejandro Jimenez Gonzalez is accused of leading an organized crime group involved in money laundering with operations around Central America, Costa Rican Attorney General Jorge Chavarria told reporters.

Chavarria said authorities believe a rift over a theft of illegal drug money led to the July 9 attack that Guatemalan authorities think was aimed at Henry Farinas, who survived. Farinas was driving Cabral to the airport when they were ambushed.

Costa Rican authorities said they raided five properties Tuesday believed linked to Jimenez or his family. They say he may have fled to Panama.

Three other suspects have been arrested in Guatemala in relation to the attack.

Guatemala's chief prosecutor, Claudia Paz y Paz, has said the men appeared to have had Farinas under surveillance for about a week before the attack.

A Guatemalan investigator, who would not allow his named to be used, has said the suspects told authorities they didn't know the famous folk singer was in the car.

Cabral, who was 74, rose to fame in the early 1970s as part of a generation of singers who mixed political protest with literary lyrics.


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Monday, August 8, 2011

Move to name peak for singer John Denver hits snag (AP)

By STEVEN K. PAULSON, Associated Press Steven K. Paulson, Associated Press – Mon Aug 8, 4:05 pm ET

DENVER – Thousands of Coloradans have signed a petition to honor environmentalist and "Rocky Mountain High" singer John Denver by naming a peak after him in the central Rockies close to where Denver penned the song.

But the U.S. Board on Geographic Names said federal policy is to avoid adding names to peaks in federal wilderness areas, and Mount Sopris, a majestic volcanic summit west of Aspen, is in one.

Others prefer a different place to recognize the revered singer, whose "Rocky Mountain High" is an official Colorado state song.

And still others oppose the idea because they just don't like the music of Denver, who was killed in a California plane crash in 1997.

Littleton resident J.P. McDaniel said she has thousands of signatures supporting her idea to name the east peak of the 12,965-foot mountain after Denver. She's sending application documents to the geographic names board, which is based in Reston, Va. A review process could take up to a year.

"This is to bring awareness of a person who really made a difference and gave a lot of his life to environmental issues. I think he'd be OK with it," McDaniel told The Associated Press on Monday.

McDaniel said she chose the mountain's east peak because Denver wrote "Rocky Mountain High" at Williams Lake, on the east side of Mount Sopris, which was named after Richard Sopris, an early Denver mayor who led a prospecting expedition nearby.

It's also in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area, which poses a problem. The geographic board's executive secretary, Lou Yost, said that under the board's interpretation of the Wilderness Act of 1964, applying new names to features in wilderness areas detracts from the wilderness experience.

Exceptions can be made for safety or educational reasons, he added.

But McDaniel said Congress set a precedent by renaming South Hunter Peak in Alaska's Denali National Park and Preserve after the late Sen. Ted Stevens, who was killed last year in a plane crash.

Not everyone is on board with the plan.

Carol Kurt of the Colorado Mountain Club in Aspen, about 20 miles east of Mount Sopris, said she has climbed the mountain eight times.

"I actually like it as Mount Sopris," Kurt said. Upon further reflection, she said, it wouldn't hurt to name one of the twin peaks after Denver.

McDaniel, who said she met Denver in the 1980s, said some comments she has received have been hurtful.

"One person said (Denver) was just a human muppet, while others said his music was too syrupy. There are only a few opponents, but they're really loud," she said.

___

Online:

http://johndenver.com

http://geonames.usgs.gov/


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Sunday, August 7, 2011

S.Africa cricket captain Smith 'weds Irish singer' (AFP)

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – South African skipper Graeme Smith married Irish singer and model Morgan Deane at a private ceremony in Cape Town, media reported on Sunday.

The Sunday Times weekly newspaper said the couple exchanged vows at an intimate ceremony at St Bernard Catholic Church in Claremont on Saturday and afterwards joined family and friends at a reception overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Both Smith, 30 and Deane, 26, took to Twitter just before the ceremony.

Deane twitted:"Today I'm getting married to the man of my dreams," while Smith tweeted: "Thanks for all your positive vibes!! Most exciting day of my life."

The couple got engaged in April when Smith flew to Ireland to pop the question after the Proteas' shock 49-run defeat to New Zealand sent them crashing out of the Cricket World Cup in March.

His move angered South African fans who accused him of dodging the fallout of the Proteas' exit when he did not return home with the team after their quarter-finals loss.

However he apologised to the fans for not returning from India with the team after the World Cup exit, saying he should have explained his reasons earlier.

The Sunday Times said Deane arrived at the church, which was decorated with arum lilies, in a black Bentley sporting a white ribbon.

She emerged wearing a white silk dress and towering white peep-toe pumps holding a bouquet of white roses.

Smith wore a navy suit and tie with a white shirt.

Friends and family of the bride flew in from Ireland for the wedding.


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Wednesday, August 3, 2011

'Hundred Pounds of Clay' singer McDaniels dies (AP)

PORTLAND, Maine – Gene McDaniels, who recorded the 1961 hit "A Hundred Pounds of Clay" and later wrote Roberta Flack's chart-topping single "Feel Like Makin' Love," has died. He was 76.

McDaniels died Friday at his home in Kittery after a brief illness, his wife, Karen McDaniels, told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

During his career, he has had hits as a producer, writer and artist.

McDaniels' first hit was "A Hundred Pounds of Clay." The song, which featured his take on the Biblical account of the creation of the first woman, peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard pop chart in 1961, the same year his song "Tower of Strength" hit No. 5. McDaniels also recorded other hits, including "Point of No Return" and "Another Tear Falls."

As his success as a pop singer faded, McDaniels emerged as a successful songwriter. His most famous song, "Feel Like Makin' Love," went to No. 1 for Flack in 1974 and was also nominated for a Grammy. McDaniels' songs were also recorded by top artists like Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Johnny Mathis and Ray Charles.

In 1986, McDaniels received an award from BMI for his work on "Feel Like Makin' Love." His website says the song has achieved more than 6 million performances and has been recorded on 400 albums.

His song "Compared to What," received new life recently when it was re-recorded and released by John Legend and The Roots on their 2010 album, "Wake Up." Its socially conscious lyrics also led it to be used in eight motion pictures, including "The Ice Storm" and "Casino."

Even though McDaniels is best known for music that made the pop charts, his wife, Karen, says her husband's first love was jazz and he continued into the genre long after his pop career ended. He was working on music projects as a singer, writer and producer until his death, releasing an album of his own as recently as 2009.

"He is music. He cannot not do music. Every day was about music and his family," Karen McDaniels said.

McDaniels also branched out into movies in his later years. According to his website, 15 years ago he got involved in writing and producing film and video. He also did video game and audio book voiceover work.

Born in Kansas City, Kan., McDaniels was raised in Omaha, Neb. His father was a minister and he sang in church choirs before leaving home for Los Angeles as a young man to break into the music business.

He moved to Maine about 25 years ago, his wife said.

McDaniels is survived by his wife, five sons, one daughter and a sister.

___

Associated Press writer Oscar Garcia in Las Vegas contributed to this report.


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Gospel singer Delois Barrett Campbell dies at 85 (AP)

By CARLA K. JOHNSON, Associated Press Carla K. Johnson, Associated Press – Wed Aug 3, 8:07 am ET

CHICAGO – When she sang "Fly Away," Delois Barrett Campbell's voice soared to the church rafters and her joy raised the roof.

The gospel legend was the oldest of the three singing Barrett Sisters, who electrified audiences worldwide with their powerful harmonies. She died Tuesday at a Chicago hospital at age 85, daughter Mary Campbell said. Delois Campbell's health had been deteriorating and she had been hospitalized at least twice in recent months.

"I believe she was born to sing," Mary Campbell said of her mother. "Each time she sang it was as if she were performing to a cathedral full of people, no matter how small the group was."

The Barrett Sisters, raised on Chicago's South Side and coached to sing by an aunt, grew up to become what music critic Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune has called "the greatest female trio in gospel history."

The trio shared a gospel lineage with the greats. In the girls' youth, Thomas A. Dorsey, now considered the father of gospel, was stirring up change as music director of Chicago's Pilgrim Baptist Church, where he mixed the worldly and the sacred during the Great Depression. In high school, Campbell joined the Roberta Martin Singers, a touring gospel group that emerged from the church's youth choir.

The popular music of the Andrews Sisters also influenced the Barrett Sisters, and as young women, they practiced blending their voices on both religious and secular songs. The Barrett Sisters recorded their first album together, "Jesus Loves Me," in the mid-1960s.

New generations discovered the Barrett Sisters when they appeared in the 1982 documentary "Say Amen, Somebody."

New Yorker film critic Pauline Kael described the trio as "dramatic, physically striking women with ample figures in shiny, clinging blue gowns." She wrote that they "sing so exhilaratingly that they create a problem." Kael wanted more music, less talking, in the film.

The film opened doors for the Barrett Sisters, Mary Campbell said. "That's when they began their European travels," she said. "It gave them the publicity they couldn't afford."

The sisters appeared in Patti LaBelle's 1990 television special "Going Home to Gospel." In 2008, they received the Ambassador Bobby Jones Legend Award at the Stellar Awards, the national gospel music awards show.

Campbell's husband, the Rev. Frank Campbell, died in 2000. The couple had four children; two are deceased.

The surviving members of the Barrett Sisters, Rodessa Barrett Porter and Billie Barrett GreenBey, sang with guest vocalist Tina Brown in March 2011 to celebrate Campbell's 85th birthday at a gospel concert in a Chicago church. Campbell, her voice diminished to a whisper, watched from a chair near the altar.

In a video clip from the concert, Brown paid tribute to Campbell. "She is my personal queen of the gospel," Brown said.

Campbell said her mother was visited on Monday by singer Jennifer Hudson, who said she grew up listening to the Barrett Sisters.

"She was by her bedside," Campbell said. "It meant a lot to us."

Funeral arrangements were pending.


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Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Lead singer of Breaking Benjamin fires bandmates (AP)

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – Breaking Benjamin has evidently broken apart.

The platinum-selling rock band from northeastern Pennsylvania is mired in a legal dispute over what its founder and leader singer, Benjamin Burnley, called an unauthorized remix of one of the band's hit songs, "Blow Me Away."

Burnley says in court documents that he fired guitarist Aaron Fincke and bassist Mark Klepaski via email after learning his bandmates had struck an agreement with Hollywood Records to issue the remix.

The Citizens' Voice of Wilkes-Barre (WILKS'-ba-ree) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_en_mu/storytext/us_broken_breaking_benjamin/42466442/SIG=10mgcb88k/*http://bit.ly/pWAMOt reports that Burnley seeks at least $250,000 and the exclusive right to the Breaking Benjamin name. Fincke and Klepaski deny Burney's claims. A Luzerne County judge has ordered arbitration.

The band's management declined to comment to the newspaper.


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