Fans weren’t the only ones shocked by The Biggest Loser winner Rachel Frederickson’s weight loss. Jillian Michaels herself was at a loss for words. The personal trainer appeared flabbergasted by Frederickson’s 155-pound weight loss (from 260 to 105) on the show’s season 15 finale on Tuesday. When the 24-year-old former high school swimmer walked out onstage for the first time since leaving the ranch last fall … this was Jill’s reaction: Michaels could be seen mouthing “Oh my God” after looking at Rachel Frederickson . Several times, in fact, before NBC’s camera panned away. Shrinking from 260 pounds and a size 20 to 105 pounds and a size 0/2, she beat fellow finalists David Brown and Bobby Saleem for the $250,000 prize. “It’s crazy!” the 5-foot-4 reality star said. “But it’s not about that. [My body] is absolutely the prize … to have this energy and to feel alive means the world.” “I lost that athlete, I lost that inner confidence, that self-worth. Throughout the season I started to find that girl again, and at the triathlon, [she] was there. She continued: “I embraced her, and I said, ‘Run with her. Go take charge of your life. You’ve had this second chance, now use it. Don’t ever let it go.'” Did she go too far, though? That’s what many observers are asking today. Rachel Frederickson Wins The Biggest Loser Her victory and competitive drive to win and win big has drawn major criticism from those who question the safety and ethics of The Biggest Loser . Not everyone agrees, though, as Frederickson apologists will point out that she set out to turn her life around and win money, achieving both goals. That’s the point of the show, isn’t it? You might question why it’s the point of a show, but is it fair to Rachel to basically say she was too good at it? You tell us: Rachel Frederickson on The Biggest Loser: Too skinny? Yes. That is just not healthy! No! Step off, haters! View Poll »
No one can accuse Bret Michaels of mailing anything in. The Poison rocker took his first elimination from Celebrity Apprentice : All-Stars personally and less than gracefully the other night, breaking down off camera. Bret reportedly was “stunned” by the “brutal” elimination. Bret Michaels Elimination on Celebrity Apprentice “Bret was crying and totally distraught after he was fired,” a show insider said. “It was just a mess when Bret was told the news and filming was done.” The 2009 winner “couldn’t stop crying … even the producers were trying to comfort him. No one expected him to have a meltdown like that.” “Bret went into the show believing he was going to win again,” a source close to the star said. “He could not believe he was let go so quickly.” “It was brutal to watch him freaking out the way he did.” Michaels, who was playing on behalf of the Life Rocks Foundation-National Philanthropic Trust on the NBC reality show, turns 50 this month. Do you think he deserved to get the boot Sunday?
Philadelphia band gets an assist from Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams on standout new album, in Bigger Than the Sound. By James Montgomery mewithoutYou’s Ten Stories cover art Photo: Pine Street In September 2009, Hayley Williams gave me a tour of her home in Franklin, Tennessee. It wasn’t the usual kind of rock-star pad, for about a million reasons (there were a lot of “I Love Lucy” Barbie dolls), most notably what was playing on her Michael Jackson turntable at the time: a copy of mewithoutYou’s It’s All Crazy! It’s All False! It’s All a Dream! It’s Alright. I only mention it now for a couple of reasons: One, it led to the first — and, to this day, only — conversation I’ve ever had with someone about mewithoutYou (they aren’t exactly what you’d call a “unifying” band), and two, because as luck would have it, they have a new album out Tuesday (May 15), Ten Stories, which features Williams on a pair of tracks and is probably the best thing they’ve ever done. Or at least the most recent. That’s the thing about mewithoutYou, who, in case you aren’t aware (and you probably aren’t), hail from Philadelphia, have been making albums for a decade now (in between losing members to grad school/ their frontman threatening to quit and donate all his possessions to the poor ) and have fashioned a sort of anti-career out of coming dangerously close to success, only to veer away at the last possible second (usually into an embankment or something): They are not exactly an easy band to like. Or pin down. Wait, that didn’t come out right. What I meant to say is that they are a challenging band to like. And an impossible one to pin down. Which is, I suppose, why I only know two people who are actually fans. Their first two albums, 2002’s [A→B] Life and ’04’s Catch for Us the Foxes, were careening, crashing exercises in sheer volume (I think the kids called it “post-hardcore”), the latter of which featured the sorta-single “January 1979,” brought them a fair amount of mainstream attention and was, according to me at least, one of the best rock records of the past decade . They started wandering off the leaden path with ’06’s Brother, Sister and then fully embraced lead singer Aaron Weiss’ spiritual voyages (and Sufi mysticisms) on It’s All Crazy, ditching the wattage in favor of hushed tones and a genuine grace. Of course, they also thoroughly confused what remained of their core fanbase in the process, but that was almost beside the point. Because with Ten Stories (which, in true mwY fashion, features 11 tracks), they’ve made it clear that they’re never going to be the same roaring act they were in the early aughts. Instead, they seem to have stumbled into a kind of beatific balance: Sure, they still call songs stuff like “Fox’s Dream of the Log Flume” and “Grist for the Malady Mill,” and, yes, on occasion Weiss still sings/shouts/spouts like a freegan preacherman, but there is a honed focus to the album, a willful maturity and a confidence that only comes when bands realize they can pack as much of a punch with instrumentation as opposed to sheer volume. Part of this was probably inevitable, of course, but it bears mention that Ten Stories draws thematic inspiration from a book Weiss read about a circus-train crash in Montana (hey, why not?) and as such earns the distinction of not only being their most cohesive record, but the first where they don’t seem all that concerned with converting the masses (sample quote from Weiss, circa the Brother, Sister album: “I want to tell people God is love. That’s my eternal, unchanging reality”). Instead, this time out, they just seem content. And that’s exactly where they should be. From the pastoral guitar work of “Cardiff Giant” and the plaintive drift of “Aubergine” to the woozy dramatics of “Bear’s Vision of St. Agnes” and blooming surge of album closer “All Circles,” Ten Stories is very much an album born out of quiet confidence, of willful resignation. Sure, Weiss is still on his lifelong spiritual quest — on “East Enders Wives,” he keens, “I’m still counting on you like an invisible rosary” — but he’s mellowed significantly as the decade has worn on, perhaps finally finding some semblance of inner peace. They even manage to weave Williams into the mix with startling restraint (she is unquestionably the biggest name they’ve ever collaborated with, unless you could Sunny Day Real Estate’s Jeremy Enigk): Her voice is less of a main attraction as it is an additional instrument, another part of the sonic flourish. It’s a truly great album — the kind only a group like mewithoutYou could make, and only at this point in their career (or whatever you want to call it). Call it maturity, if you want to, I prefer to think of it as artistic growth: an accomplished, beautiful record from an equally accomplished (if not severely overlooked) band. But who knows, with Ten Stories, that last bit might change. Hey, Hayley Williams is on it. What do you think of mewithoutYou’s latest music? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos Bigger Than The Sound: Stories Behind The Bands Related Artists Mewithoutyou
Michaels claims a piece of the set at the show contributed to a brain hemorrhage that nearly killed him. By Gil Kaufman Bret Michaels Photo: Paul Archuleta/ Getty Images It was supposed to be his big Broadway debut, but when Poison singer Bret Michaels performed at the 2009 Tony Awards all he came away with was a viral video and a huge headache. Three years after the stage accident seen ’round the world, Michaels has settled a lawsuit against the organizers of the show during which he was hit on the head with a set piece after he and his band performed “Nothin’ But a Good Time.” In the suit, Michaels claimed that he suffered head injuries that later contributed to an April 2010 brain hemorrhage that nearly killed him. According to the Associated Press the confidential settlement also covers Michaels’ claims against CBS Broadcasting, which aired the show. Michaels had blamed the network for televising the moment that turned into a buzzed-about viral video that was viewed millions of times online. He also claimed Tony Awards producers never warned him there would be a set change after he finished singing the classic 1998 Poison hit “Good Time.” At the time of the accident, the set piece descended rapidly and appeared to hit an unaware Michaels in the face hard enough to snap his head back. He was initially left with a cut lip and broken nose , but the lawsuit claimed that the accident also caused brain bleeding. Michaels was rushed to the hospital in April 2010, where doctors found he had a brain hemorrhage, which was followed by a stroke the singer said nearly killed him. Michaels never said how much compensation he was seeking, but claimed in the suit that the injury hampered his ability to perform at later shows. An attorney for Michaels said details of the settlement would not be released and spokespeople for CBS and the Tonys released a joint statement saying that “an amicable resolution” had been reached but no further details would be released. Related Artists Bret Michaels
Michaels claims a piece of the set at the show contributed to a brain hemorrhage that nearly killed him. By Gil Kaufman Bret Michaels Photo: Paul Archuleta/ Getty Images It was supposed to be his big Broadway debut, but when Poison singer Bret Michaels performed at the 2009 Tony Awards all he came away with was a viral video and a huge headache. Three years after the stage accident seen ’round the world, Michaels has settled a lawsuit against the organizers of the show during which he was hit on the head with a set piece after he and his band performed “Nothin’ But a Good Time.” In the suit, Michaels claimed that he suffered head injuries that later contributed to an April 2010 brain hemorrhage that nearly killed him. According to the Associated Press the confidential settlement also covers Michaels’ claims against CBS Broadcasting, which aired the show. Michaels had blamed the network for televising the moment that turned into a buzzed-about viral video that was viewed millions of times online. He also claimed Tony Awards producers never warned him there would be a set change after he finished singing the classic 1998 Poison hit “Good Time.” At the time of the accident, the set piece descended rapidly and appeared to hit an unaware Michaels in the face hard enough to snap his head back. He was initially left with a cut lip and broken nose , but the lawsuit claimed that the accident also caused brain bleeding. Michaels was rushed to the hospital in April 2010, where doctors found he had a brain hemorrhage, which was followed by a stroke the singer said nearly killed him. Michaels never said how much compensation he was seeking, but claimed in the suit that the injury hampered his ability to perform at later shows. An attorney for Michaels said details of the settlement would not be released and spokespeople for CBS and the Tonys released a joint statement saying that “an amicable resolution” had been reached but no further details would be released. Related Artists Bret Michaels
www.CuttingEdgeConsciousness.com Katherine Woodward Thomas, author of “Calling in The One” calls into Cutting Edge Consciousness and speaks to Freeman Michaels and Barnet Bain about feminine versus masculine energies. http://www.youtube.com/v/Oj-S_HXea8U?f=videos&app=youtube_gdata Here is the original post: Katherine Woodward Thomas on Cutting Edge Consciousness
It’s one of the funniest videos on record. But, to Bret Michaels, what happened in June 2009 is no laughing matter. The rocker took to the Tony Awards’ stage two years ago, sang alongside the Rock of Ages cast – and then knocked himself silly against a piece of scenery. Relive the dangerous/unfortunate/hilarious incident below: Bret Michaels, Tony Awards Accident Yesterday, Michaels filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court against Tony Award Productions, CBS and others for unspecified damages, claiming producers failed to instruct him how to properly exit the stage following this performance. Bret was treated for a broken nose and cut lip at the scene, and the suit says his brain injury months later was due to this mishap. Reads the document: “One of the most common causes of this type of hemorrhage is head trauma – exactly like the one Michaels suffered at the hands of the Tony Awards.”
www.NGTV.com http From the DIRTY MUSIC VIDEO channel at NO GOOD TV come the uncensored Director’s Cut of the track “GO THAT FAR” from the legendary front man from POISON, Bret “Motherfuckin’ Michaels!!! Although Bret Michaels has led the rock band Poison for the last twenty years, he has consistently worked on special solo projects. Bret has recorded with Brad Arnold of 3 Doors Down, Mark Wills, Chris Cagle, Stevie Nicks, Uncle Kracker, Phil Vassar and Jessica Andrews. He has also performed with the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hank Williams Jr., Drowning Pool, Kenny Chesney, members of Kiss and Steven Tyler. Bret can also be heard in Uncle Krackers duet with Kenny Chesney called Last Night Again. Bret and Phil Vassar share background vocal duties. Bret was asked to appear onstage at Lynyrd Skynyrd’s television reunion Live From The Fox Theatre. Bret jammed alongside Travis Tritt, Charlie Daniels, Ozzy’s Zakk Wylde, Tom Keifer, Donnie Van Zant and Peter Frampton. Michaels performed The Beatles song, “Drive My Car” for a RADD PSA alongside Paul McCartney, Melissa Etheridge, Clint Black, Lisa Hartman, Ringo Starr and many others. Obviously, well established as a successful musician with Poison, Michaels sets records on his own as well. He has broken the attendance record, on his own, at numerous events and venues in 2005 and 2006 including: Waterstock Rock, Rockin The Runway, The Grave Diggers Ball, The SBVFD Charity Event in Butler Pennsylvania and The Stern Wheel Regatta just …
