Jill Scott still in shock over No. 1 "Light of the Sun" (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Six weeks have passed since R&B singer Jill Scott hit No. 1 on album charts with "The Light of the Sun," and she still finds herself in shock.

That may sound odd from the Philadelphia native whose debut album, "Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1" was released 11 years ago. Since then, she has recorded more music and become a well-respected actress with roles in films such as "Hounddog" and "Why Did I Get Married," as well as starring in HBO television series "Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency."

But for "Light of the Sun," Scott took a new path in her singing career. She veered into hip hop, and the road that heretofore was less chosen, proved to be a good direction. Scott kicked off her 18-city Summer Block Party tour this week in Boston and stopped in New York on Thursday night.

"I (still) don't believe it...I have a copy (of the Billboard album chart), but I still don't believe it," Scott told Reuters about her success with "Light of the Sun."

"Somebody sent me a text message, 'Congratulations on the No. 1 album,' and I thought they were talking about the R&B chart. I was really happy about that. Then I found out it was the No.1 album in the country. It's overwhelming," said Scott.

"Light of the Sun" marks other significant milestones for Scott. The record was her first project since a split from Hidden Beach Recordings last year, and it is the inaugural project for her Blues Babe imprint in collaboration with Warner Bros. Records.

On the new album, the classic rap songs she listened to growing up and the current hits she keeps in rotation today heavily influenced Scott, she said, whose musical style has typically been a fusion of soul, jazz and R&B.

PERSONAL FAVORITES

One of her personal favorites on the new album, "All Cried Out Redux" features Doug E. Fresh, who was a pioneer in rap music and among Scott's early favorites in the genre.

"As a child of hip-hop, having recording anything with Doug E. Fresh is just surreal," said Scott.

Houston rapper Paul Wall, whom Scott calls one of the "nicest guys in hip-hop," joins her on "So Gone (What My Mind Says)" representing the voice of a mesmerizing, but less than chivalrous, lover she can't seem to shake.

How did the transformation to hip hop come about?

Last year, Scott was on a neosoul tour opening for singer Maxwell, singing the songs with which her fans were familiar, such as "Lyzel in E Flat" and "The Way." But Scott said her head, and heart, were in hip-hop.

"I started thinking about what kind of music I needed to hear before I went on stage. I think that was the catalyst. I need to hear Lupe Fiasco, Rick Ross and Mobb Deep," she said.

Hip-hop not only influenced the sound of this album but also Scott's recording style, approaching the music from the position of wanting to freestyle the beats, rhythms and lyrics.

"I went in and had fun. I didn't really write much. Some of the songs were recorded in one take. I freestyled pretty much the entire record," Scott said, echoing respected lyricists such as Jay-Z, who famously does not write down his lyrics.

"So Gone," for instance, was almost entirely improvised, Scott said.

In keeping with the old school theme of her album, Scott's Block Party tour is deejayed by acclaimed producer, master of turntables and fellow Philadelphian, DJ Jazzy Jeff.

The tour also reunites Scott with Doug E. Fresh. Vocalist Anthony Hamilton and R&B band Mint Condition open the show.

The tour next visits Detroit and has further stops in Chicago and Cleveland before ending on August 28 in Houston.

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Author's "Gray Zone" sheds light on dark subject (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Daphna Ziman is on a mission to help foster children, and she's picked a novel way to do it -- novel, being the key word.

Ziman, a Los Angeles-based philanthropist and activist for kids placed in foster care, has written a fictional novel, "The Gray Zone," whose protagonist was orphaned as a child.

Now, that kid is a grown woman named Kelly Jensen, and she's on the run from the law following the brutal murder of a Las Vegas politician. But with the help of a sharp-minded, handsome defense lawyer, Kelly could clear her name.

Sound like a fast-paced, breezy crime thriller meant for any summer reading list? Well, it is -- and it isn't.

Ziman's aim is two-fold: get people to read her story like they would any thriller from the likes of novelists James Patterson or Harlan Coben. But she also aims to engage readers in a serious problem in America -- the plight of kids in foster care who, Ziman says, are victims of neglect, abuse, human trafficking and sex slavery.

"You can write a (nonfiction) book and put the facts and statistics in it and nobody will read it, or you can take the public, the readers, on a journey," Ziman told Reuters about why she chose to write the novel.

"This way, I could create something that would stay around forever, and maybe somebody would be interested in transferring it into a movie" or some other medium, she said.

Ziman's approach to raising awareness may be a "novel," but it's hardly new. Fiction has long been used to expose truths that many officials might prefer were better left unexposed.

There was, of course, Upton Sinclair's 1906 muckraking novel "The Jungle" that blew the lid off unsanitary practices in Chicago's meat packing business. Charles Dickens looked at the plight of English orphan boys in "Oliver Twist."

STORY GETS PERSONAL

Adding to Ziman's zeal is a personal reason to advocate for foster kids. She has adopted two daughters out of the system and founded nonprofit group Children Uniting Nations, to raise money and awareness about issues impacting kids.

Not all kids are victimized by foster parents, of course, but the number who are is hard to determine because they don't speak out publicly as kids. Moreover, many of their cases are discussed behind closed doors by adult guardians and government officials, hence the title "The Gray Zone," Ziman said.

But back to the book. It begins with Kelly Jensen working in a Vegas nightclub as a celebrity impersonator. After a local politician turns up dead, Kelly meets handsome Los Angeles attorney Jake Brooks and together, the pair embark on an adventure that exposes unspeakable crimes.

Ziman wrote the book, she said, as much as a catharsis when she was coming off a bad divorce as a way to help kids. In a way, she figured, she'd get two things done at once -- advocate for kids and exorcise her own demons.

"I thought if I was going to write about Kelly, I could vicariously live through my characters, and if she could overcome such monumental obstacles, then my obstacles seemed minor in comparison," Ziman said.

Whether Ziman succeeds at reaching readers and telling them about a serious problem with "Gray Zone" remains to be seen, but she is off to a good start with the novel making several best-seller lists.

And even if it doesn't, there's no stopping her activist spirit. On Thursday, (July 28), Children Uniting Nations, is holding a one-day forum in Washington, D.C. to discuss new laws that could better serve kids in America and open up all those closed-door meetings.

Moreover, she's also decided that, post divorce, she has a new career ahead of her -- author.

"I'm finding that going into the worlds I'm creating is hugely therapeutic," she said. "This swan is emerging and somehow the ugly duckling is not popping up as often."

(Editing by Jill Serjeant)

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Woes of famous, powerful shine light on sex addiction (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Addictions to alcohol, drugs and gambling can destroy lives, but less well known and more controversial is the overwhelming need for sexual satisfaction so intense that psychologists compare it to crack cocaine.

Representative Anthony Weiner stepped down from Congress under pressure from fellow Democrats, including President Barack Obama, after he admitted to "sexting" in which he sent lewd pictures of himself to young women. He said he was seeking treatment for an unspecified problem.

Golfer Tiger Woods checked into an unspecified rehabilitation center for treatment after admitting to a number of extramarital affairs.

Actor David Duchovny, star of "Californication," is one of the few who has publicly announced his sex addiction. He entered a rehabilitation center for the sex disorder in 2008.

But the sensational nature of the public admissions by the famous and powerful to multiple extramarital affairs, obsession with Internet sexting, or repeated accusations of sexual harassment, draws intense media attention -- and a fair amount of ridicule.

"People joke that if they are going to have an addiction, that's the one they want to have," said therapist Stephanie Carnes, author of "Mending a Shattered Heart."

There is also skepticism among the public and some psychologists that the sexual disorder even exists, but is rather an excuse for infidelity or viewing pornography. There is no diagnosis of addiction at all in the official listing of mental disorders -- the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

But as not everyone who drinks alcohol is an alcoholic, sex addiction is characterized by out of control compulsive behavior. And it can be more damaging to family life and harder to give up than more typical addictions.

Sex, like food, is a primary need for humans. With the advent of the Internet, it is readily available-- either cybersex or quick hookups arranged through online sites. Cybersex has been called the crack cocaine of the addiction. It is also easier to hide and to deny than the more public evidence of drug or alcohol use.

But the consequences can be as severe -- loss of jobs, damaged health, financial ruin and estrangement from family and friends.

"If you look at their lives, nobody would want that. They are devastated, they lost everything, they hate themselves," Carnes said in a telephone interview.

"They are really suffering."

PERVASIVE, NOT PERVERTED

Sex addiction or compulsion crosses all social lines and all national borders, includes people from all walks of life, cultures and sexual orientations, and is not restricted to any age or gender.

Psychologists estimate that 3 to 5 percent of people are sexaholics, and possibly more given the ease of access on the Internet.

Psychologists also find three times as many men as women are likely to have the problem. "Women are more addicted to romance," said psychologist Steve Eichel who practices in Delaware. And women are less likely to seek help due a feeling of greater shame to admit sex addiction -- until those consequences cannot be ignored.

Just as alcoholism was seen as a moral problem a generation or two ago, sex addiction is now regarded as a character flaw or moral issue -- for men, an overindulgence in "boys will be boys" bad behavior, and for women, "easy virtue."

But there are big differences, psychologists say.

"One or two affairs does not make a person a sex addict," said Carnes.

What does make a sex addict, psychologists say, is the inability to stop, the ever-increasing need for fulfillment, the diminishing room in the sex addict's life for family and work, and the disregard for consequences.

- A middle-aged man fired when his bosses catch him watching online pornography in his office.

- A doctor suspended from hospital practice for repeated charges of harassment because he compulsively gropes female nurses.

- An executive facing embezzlement charges and jail for using company money to pay for prostitutes.

But no frenzy of television cameras follows the vast majority of sexaholics to the rehab centers.

As Eichel said: "No one is interested in the accountant's story."

And, importantly, a person who commits a sexual assault, even multiple times, should not automatically be considered a sex addict, Carnes said. "It's the physician down the street (who is the sex addict), not the Craigslist killer," she said.

TREATMENT POSSIBLE, HIGH RELAPSE

The addiction is both about sex and its ability, like drugs, alcohol or other addictions, to numb psychological pain from other issues in life and mental health problems, addiction specialists say.

Studies of sex addiction patients over the last 20 years have found high rates of childhood trauma, sexual abuse, difficulty forming healthy attachments and struggle with intimacy in real sexual relationships, Carnes said.

"People use sex to escape and medicate," she said. The experience produces the same chemical reaction -- a hit of dopamine (in the pleasure center of the brain) -- that someone who gambles or eats compulsively will receive.

Carnes said there are many parallels with chemical dependency, including a three- to five-year recovery process. Involvement in group therapy or in an Alcoholics Anonymous-type 12-step program is very important, she said.

Residential treatment can cost $4,000 to $6,000 a week and four to six weeks are recommended. Cheaper out-patient therapy is still expensive since it is not covered by most health insurance.

There is no official medical diagnosis of sex addiction, and no good way to test whether it exists. Some call it a compulsion rather than an addiction.

Many skeptics about the existence of this addiction see the diagnosis as enabling the wealthy who can afford treatment to escape sticky situations. The promise of recovery could lead a wife to drop divorce proceedings, an employer to give a second chance and even in some cases no criminal prosecution for crimes such as embezzlement to fund the addiction.

Carnes says recovery is "absolutely" possible.

"There are thousands of recovering sex addicts living healthy, joyous lives," she said.

But as with other addictions, the relapse rate is high. Although no definitive studies are available as yet, Eichel puts short term success at 80 percent, with success defined not as total abstinence but healthy use of the behavior.

Comparing sex addiction to food addiction, Eichel said, "You can't not eat."

(Editing by Eric Beech)

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Alabama, Paisley, Aldean light up CMA fest opening night (Reuters)

NASHVILLE (Billboard) – "Old Alabama" helped the CMA Music Festival turn 40 as country's most-successful group of all time, Alabama, showed the strength of its influence during a June 9 stadium concert at Nashville's LP Field on the festival's opening day.

Brad Paisley brought out the band's three founding members-Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry and Jeff Cook-as unannounced guests for a romp through "Old Alabama," a recent No. 1 single that incorporates the group's classic "Mountain Music."

In fact, the reach of the band's artistic tentacles was demonstrated subtly by the wildly divergent sounds of the night's two primary headliners, recent Billboard cover stars Paisley and Jason Aldean, who was also the focus of a panel about his independent success at this week's Billboard Country Music Summit.

Paisley, who covered Alabama frequently during performances in his formative years, has made a point throughout his career of paying homage to country's history. The simple, stomping-style bass that was a hallmark of Gentry's playing was echoed in two of Paisley's own songs, "Water" and "This Is Country Music." The latter cements Paisley's respect for historic sounds by namechecking songs by the such acts as George Jones, Tammy Wynette and Conway Twitty.

Aldean was likewise influenced by Alabama-"Mountain Music" is the first album he says he remembers owning-but his set had head-banging elements in it, particularly through the crunchy chords of "She's Country" and "Hicktown."

Aldean's hard-rocking sound, Paisley's traditionalism and Alabama all earned big responses from more than 40,000 fans, who are at the heart of the entire festival. The four-day event features hundreds of acts performing for free across multiple stages in downtown Nashville, the mini-concerts augmented by multiple activities, including fan-club parties and autograph-signing sessions. Dolly Parton and Shania Twain are among the acts set to meet fans in those autograph lines, while Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift, Josh Turner and Chris Young are just a few of the artists scheduled to play the stadium during the run.

Many of those acts command five- or six-figure nightly concert fees. But they forego the paychecks for the festival for several reasons: half of the net income is donated annually by the CMA to music education, the festival provides larger acts with a means of saying thanks to their fans, the LP Field shows have the lure of landing many performers on a fall ABC television special, and developing acts-whether they appear at the stadium or smaller side venues-have an instant means of making an impression on their target audience.

"You get out to a lot more ears out there," Easton Corbin says. "There's going to be people out there that's probably not as familiar as some people, so hopefully getting out there in front of that kind of crowd, you build a fan base."

The opening-day stadium concert offered plenty of music to entice that base. Grand Ole Opry members Steve Wariner and Bill Anderson, who attended the first edition of the festival in 1972, hosted the 2011 opener. Aldean trotted out Kelly Clarkson for a searing version of their duet, "Don't You Wanna Stay"; Ricky Skaggs and former "American Idol" contestant Casey James offered two-song acoustic sets; Corbin played a breezy quintet of traditionally-minded songs; and Sara Evans offered an exuberant return to the event after two years away. "It's a big deal," she says of coming back to the festival. "It's a really big deal."

The Zac Brown Band punctuated the opening slot with a rollicking version of the Charlie Daniels Band's "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" while parading a stream of guests: Alan Jackson, Amos Lee, new artist Sonia Leigh and Randy Travis, who teamed up with the band on "Forever And Ever, Amen."

The June setting brings high temperatures and high humidity, and artists grumbled 10-15 years ago about working every year without a check. But over time, they have come to regard the festival as an important step in maintaining their image and their connection with the audience.

"The fans are the reasons we have the job. Period," Aldean notes. "I think it's important to be here and kind of make ourselves approachable for them."

The influence of Alabama and other acts will certainly be felt as the festival continues through June 12 as the side stages continue to mix both veteran acts and the next wave of talent. The lineup blends such new acts as HER & Kings County, Mark Cooke and Brother Trouble with Country Music Hall of Famers Mel Tillis and Roy Clark, plus current acts David Nail, Steel Magnolia and Craig Morgan.

All of them will be there among the hordes of performers to build or maintain their careers and their connection to those all-important fans.

"They're the ones," Morgan quips, "that pay the bills."

(Editing by Chris Michaud)

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Alabama, Paisley, Aldean light up CMA fest opening night (Reuters)

NASHVILLE (Billboard) – "Old Alabama" helped the CMA Music Festival turn 40 as country's most-successful group of all time, Alabama, showed the strength of its influence during a June 9 stadium concert at Nashville's LP Field on the festival's opening day.

Brad Paisley brought out the band's three founding members-Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry and Jeff Cook-as unannounced guests for a romp through "Old Alabama," a recent No. 1 single that incorporates the group's classic "Mountain Music."

In fact, the reach of the band's artistic tentacles was demonstrated subtly by the wildly divergent sounds of the night's two primary headliners, recent Billboard cover stars Paisley and Jason Aldean, who was also the focus of a panel about his independent success at this week's Billboard Country Music Summit.

Paisley, who covered Alabama frequently during performances in his formative years, has made a point throughout his career of paying homage to country's history. The simple, stomping-style bass that was a hallmark of Gentry's playing was echoed in two of Paisley's own songs, "Water" and "This Is Country Music." The latter cements Paisley's respect for historic sounds by namechecking songs by the such acts as George Jones, Tammy Wynette and Conway Twitty.

Aldean was likewise influenced by Alabama-"Mountain Music" is the first album he says he remembers owning-but his set had head-banging elements in it, particularly through the crunchy chords of "She's Country" and "Hicktown."

Aldean's hard-rocking sound, Paisley's traditionalism and Alabama all earned big responses from more than 40,000 fans, who are at the heart of the entire festival. The four-day event features hundreds of acts performing for free across multiple stages in downtown Nashville, the mini-concerts augmented by multiple activities, including fan-club parties and autograph-signing sessions. Dolly Parton and Shania Twain are among the acts set to meet fans in those autograph lines, while Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift, Josh Turner and Chris Young are just a few of the artists scheduled to play the stadium during the run.

Many of those acts command five- or six-figure nightly concert fees. But they forego the paychecks for the festival for several reasons: half of the net income is donated annually by the CMA to music education, the festival provides larger acts with a means of saying thanks to their fans, the LP Field shows have the lure of landing many performers on a fall ABC television special, and developing acts-whether they appear at the stadium or smaller side venues-have an instant means of making an impression on their target audience.

"You get out to a lot more ears out there," Easton Corbin says. "There's going to be people out there that's probably not as familiar as some people, so hopefully getting out there in front of that kind of crowd, you build a fan base."

The opening-day stadium concert offered plenty of music to entice that base. Grand Ole Opry members Steve Wariner and Bill Anderson, who attended the first edition of the festival in 1972, hosted the 2011 opener. Aldean trotted out Kelly Clarkson for a searing version of their duet, "Don't You Wanna Stay"; Ricky Skaggs and former "American Idol" contestant Casey James offered two-song acoustic sets; Corbin played a breezy quintet of traditionally-minded songs; and Sara Evans offered an exuberant return to the event after two years away. "It's a big deal," she says of coming back to the festival. "It's a really big deal."

The Zac Brown Band punctuated the opening slot with a rollicking version of the Charlie Daniels Band's "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" while parading a stream of guests: Alan Jackson, Amos Lee, new artist Sonia Leigh and Randy Travis, who teamed up with the band on "Forever And Ever, Amen."

The June setting brings high temperatures and high humidity, and artists grumbled 10-15 years ago about working every year without a check. But over time, they have come to regard the festival as an important step in maintaining their image and their connection with the audience.

"The fans are the reasons we have the job. Period," Aldean notes. "I think it's important to be here and kind of make ourselves approachable for them."

The influence of Alabama and other acts will certainly be felt as the festival continues through June 12 as the side stages continue to mix both veteran acts and the next wave of talent. The lineup blends such new acts as HER & Kings County, Mark Cooke and Brother Trouble with Country Music Hall of Famers Mel Tillis and Roy Clark, plus current acts David Nail, Steel Magnolia and Craig Morgan.

All of them will be there among the hordes of performers to build or maintain their careers and their connection to those all-important fans.

"They're the ones," Morgan quips, "that pay the bills."

(Editing by Chris Michaud)

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