Tag Archives: contributions

Injured ‘Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark’ Actors Speak Out

‘The last thing I remembered was … going, ‘Oh, God,’ ‘ Christopher Tierney tells CBS 2 News of his 30-foot fall onstage. By Terri Schwartz Natalie Mendoza poses with “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” lead actor Reeve Carney Photo: Bruce Glikas/ FilmMagic After several weeks of intense press coverage, two of the injured stars of “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” have spoken out. Christopher Tierney, who was injured on December 20 after he fell a reported 30 feet, was released from the intensive care unit of Bellevue Hospital Tuesday and has been staying in a rehab facility since. CBS 2 News was the first to interview the dancer and stunt double in a package set to air Monday night (January 3). “I was falling and then I saw once I hit the darkness of the stage I had to just turn it real quick so I wasn’t going to fall on my head and crash on my back,” Tierney recalled. “The last thing I remembered was like, uh, just going, ‘Oh, God.’ ” Because Tierney, 32, was able to pivot his body from the headfirst fall so he landed on his right side, he prevented a potentially fatal injury. Still, the accident resulted in a hairline skull fracture, four broken ribs, a bruised lung, internal bleeding and three cracked vertebrae. Tierney underwent back surgery December 22 and wore a full-torso brace as he conducted the interview. But Tierney was only one of four “Spider-Man” actors hurt during the preview performances of the show. Natalie Mendoza, the lead actress who played villain Arachne, was hit on the head with a rope during the show’s first preview performance and suffered a serious concussion. After she was unable to resume her role due to aftereffects of the injury, it was rumored Mendoza would leave the show. The actress made her departure official when she released a statement on Thursday. “It has been a difficult decision to make, but I regret that I am unable to continue on ‘Spider-Man’ as I recover from my injury. I wish Julie [Taymor, the director] and the cast and crew every success with this production,” she said. Taymor responded, ” Natalie is a talented performer. “We’ve appreciated her contributions to the show and we wish her all the best.” On Saturday, the head of Actors’ Equity Association (which represents many of the actors), Nick Wyman, took to his Facebook account to explain his perspective on the injuries. His statement was a response against those who blamed Actor’s Equity for the injuries sustained by the actors, defending the organization by saying that “our staff spent so much time at Foxwoods Theatre during rehearsals, I’m surprised the producers didn’t charge them rent. I have no idea how many potential problems staff cleared up or how many accidents-in-waiting they forestalled; I just know they were and are a powerful force for our protection and without them, the news from the Foxwoods Theater might have been much worse.” He added, “I have been very disturbed and distraught by the serious injuries sustained by our member Chris Tierney at the December 20th performance of ‘Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.’ … That Chris is not the first actor, nor the second, but rather the fourth to be injured on ‘Spider-Man’ is frustrating and maddening and, to some, infuriating.” A spokesperson for “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” had not responded to MTV News’ request for comment at press time.

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Injured ‘Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark’ Actors Speak Out

Erin Gibson’s Year in Modern Lady

Erin Gibson hops in the Modern Lady Lookback Machine to fondly remember the contributions of the Supreme Court, Julia Roberts, and Giselle Bündchen.

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Erin Gibson’s Year in Modern Lady

Eminem Honors Dr. Dre At ASCAP Awards Ceremony

‘He changed the face of music and he changed my life,’ Eminem says. By Kelly Marino Dr. Dre Photo: MTV News It’s been over a decade since his last solo album, but when Dr. Dre was honored with ASCAP’s Founders Award Friday night, it was a reminder to everyone that the doctor is still one of hip-hop’s biggest pioneers in the game today. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers held it’s 23rd annual Rhythm and Soul Music Awards last night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, where some of music’s biggest names were recognized for their contributions to music. The biggest award of the night was handed to Dr. Dre for his achievements in the music industry and for inspiring and influencing his fellow music makers. The ASCAP association put together a presentation package that played across the big screens, highlighting some of Dre’s greatest quotes. One moment that had the audience cheering was Dre’s stab at critics, saying, “You can’t critique my sh– unless you have done half of the stuff I have accomplished.” Shortly after the piece ended, DJ Kid Capri took the stage to perform a set of songs chronicling Dr. Dre’s career that included early hits such as “Keep Their Heads Ringin’,” “Let Me Ride,” and “Gin and Juice” as well as more recent Dre productions such as “In Da Club,” “Family Affair,” and “Rich Girl.” Eminem made a rare, surprise appearance to present the award to Dr. Dre, whom he thanked for believing in him. “It would have been a lot easier for Dre to dismiss me like most people did,” Eminem stated. “But he didn’t. He stepped up to the challenge because he saw something in me. … He changed the face of music and he changed my life.” Dre then took the stage to accept the award, pausing during his speech as he fought back tears. “I’m living an incredible life,” he said. “Making a living doing what I love and having people love it. I can’t even explain what that feels like.” Dre went on to pay respects to his mother, who became pregnant with him at the age of 15. “She was always told by family, friends and neighbors or whatever, she was going to ruin her life and mine,” he said. He also thanked his wife, whom he described as his in-house A&R and playfully promised her he was going to give her “something real special for this tonight.” Closing out his speech, he thanked Jimmy Iovine, chairman of Interscope-Geffen-A&M Records, for being with him through his ups and downs, and last but certainly not least, his fans. Some of the other top awards handed out Friday were Songwriter of the Year, which Jimmy Jam presented to Ne-Yo and the hit-making duo C. “Tricky” Stewart and The-Dream, who tied with six chart-topping singles each. T.I. graced the stage to present fellow Atlantans Jermaine Dupri, Johnta Austin and Manuel Seal with Song of the Decade for “We Belong Together.” Matthew “Boi-1da” Samuels was honored for last year’s smash hit “Best I Ever Had,” which he wrote for Drake. “Blame It” by Jamie Foxx and featuring T-Pain earned writers Christopher Henderson, Brandon “Note” Melancon, The-Dream, C. “Tricky” Stewart, and Nate Walka the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Song of the Year. And Big Boi presented the ASCAP’s Vanguard Award to his friend and “high funktress” Janelle Monae, who accepted the award on behalf of her team the Wondaland Arts Society. Related Artists Dr. Dre Eminem

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Eminem Honors Dr. Dre At ASCAP Awards Ceremony

Tupac Shakur Remembered By Rick Ross, Bun B At Georgia Benefit Show

‘Tupac really influenced me to just keep it real and not fake around and act like something I’m not,’ Roscoe Dash tells MTV News. By Mawuse Ziegbe with reporting by James “FLX” Smith Waka Flocka and Roscoe Dash Photo: MTV News Tupac Shakur was known for reppin’ Cali throughout his career, but the legendary artist’s style has influenced a generation of Southern hip-hop stars as well. The South came out to pay tribute to the icon at the second annual 2Pac Birthday Concert Celebration on Wednesday, which would have been ‘Pac’s 39th birthday . Rick Ross , Bun B and Roscoe Dash hit the stage at a benefit for the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation at the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Waka Flocka Flame, Gorilla Zoe and rising rapper Pill were in the building. Funnyman Mike Epps also came through to show his support. “We came out to show love for the OG like we always do for the fallen soldiers about this time,” Bun B told MTV News, who added that, more than a decade after his death, ‘Pac’s influential legacy is still going strong. “We just showing a lot of love to Tupac Shakur right now. Showing love, support to his mother Afeni, and let people know that, when you gone, you not forgotten, ever. Tupac is definitely a perfect example of that.” Roscoe Dash, whose rock-infused swagger is ostensibly different from ‘Pac’s intense street lyricism, said the hip-hop legend inspired him to be himself. “The reason why this day is so important to me is because Tupac really influenced me to just keep it real and not fake around and act like something I’m not,” Dash told MTV News. “I just apply that in my everyday life, so I just want to come out here and give back.” With all his contributions to music, hip-hop is not forgetting ‘Pac anytime soon. “Long live his legacy and R.I.P. Tupac Shakur,” said Bun, who also sent a simple message to the late legend: “Happy birthday, big homie.” Share your memories of Tupac Shakur in the comments. Related Artists Tupac Rick Ross (Hip-Hop) Roscoe Dash Bun B

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Tupac Shakur Remembered By Rick Ross, Bun B At Georgia Benefit Show

Kanye West’s ‘Power’ Lets Fans Know ‘He’s Back,’ Dwele Says

‘All I did was my thing: I added harmonies and lent my instrument for the joint,’ singer tells MTV News. By Jayson Rodriguez Dwele Photo: Getty Images Dwele’s voice has graced two of Kanye West’s moodiest songs, “Flashing Lights” and his most recent number, “Power.” But the Detroit native insists his contributions to the superstar MC’s work are minimal at best, despite their chemistry. “I got there [to the studio], and ‘Ye had an idea for what he wanted for the song,” Dwele told MTV News about “Power.” “So that’s all his creation. Pretty much all I did was my thing: I added harmonies and lent my instrument for the joint.” The singer’s voice highlights the song’s epic bridge, where his melody mixes with the vocal sample from British rock band King Crimson’s “21st Century Schizoid Man.” “Now, this would be a beautiful death,” Kanye raps while Dwele sings: “I’m jumping out the window/ I’m letting everything go/ I’m letting everything go.” “I think it’s dope,” Dwele said. “I think [the record] is doing what it’s supposed to do, as far as letting people know he’s back to rapping. He got some bars on that joint. I enjoy it. It’s one of those joints. I roll down the windows and ride out to it. I usually don’t play stuff that I’m on, but that song bangs.” Dwele is prepping the release of his next album, Wants World Women, later this month, June 29. The project is broken up into three sections, the first focusing on his alter ego and the last on classic “baby-making music.” (He directed three different commercials to highlight all three sections.) The middle section ( World ) addresses current events, in the vein of projects by Donnie Hathaway and Marvin Gaye, Dwele said. “It’s an audio time capsule of things going on in the world right now or with the economy, across the world and in our country the past few years,” he explained. “I’ve had a few songs for a few years now that I wanted to get out, and I really didn’t have the platform to get those out. So I felt like making a specific section on this album. It kind of came as an outlet or gave me the role to finally do it.” What do you think about Dwele’s work? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Dwele Kanye West

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Kanye West’s ‘Power’ Lets Fans Know ‘He’s Back,’ Dwele Says

Study: Sunscreens Increase, Accelerate Cancer

WASHINGTON (May 24) — Almost half of the 500 most popular sunscreen products may actually increase the speed at which malignant cells develop and spread skin cancer because they contain vitamin A or its derivatives, according to an evaluation of those products released today. AOL News also has learned through documents and interviews that the Food and Drug Administration has known of the potential danger for as long as a decade without alerting the public, which the FDA denies. The study was released with Memorial Day weekend approaching. Store shelves throughout the country are already crammed with tubes, jars, bottles and spray cans of sunscreen. The white goop, creams and ointments might prevent sunburn. But don't count on them to keep the ultraviolet light from destroying your skin cells and causing tumors and lesions, according to researchers at Environmental Working Group. In their annual report to consumers on sunscreen, they say that only 39 of the 500 products they examined were considered safe and effective to use. more at link… Hey NWO, is there anything in the supermarket that you haven't poisoned in order to soft-kill the population while you sink them further into debt to your banks? Its just aisle after aisle of death and now we have carcinogen sunscreens (I couldn't make this up if I tried; they're really trying to bankrupt and kill us). Please do some research and watch Invisible Empire; its right here on my page, its the quickest way to know whats going on behind the scenes: www.current.com/groups/conspiracy-films added by: rodstradamus

Texas textbook revision alarms California, nation

New social studies standards in Texas for textbooks and instruction are prompting the California legislature to consider a bill preventing Texas textbooks from getting into California classrooms. The planned changes in textbooks and instruction approved by the Texas State School Board are widely regarded as being historically inaccurate and dismissive of the contributions of minorities. In response to the approved changes in Texas curriculum, California State Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, has introduced a bill to prevent Texas textbooks dealing with topics in history, economics and other civics classes from getting into California classrooms. http://www.examiner.com/x-4383-Portland-Progressive-Examiner~y2010m5d23-Texas-te… added by: unimatrix0

Celebrate Administrative Professionals Day 2010

Today the world celebrates the Administrative Professionals Day!  Bosses and executives should give big thanks to their administrative staff, assistants or secretaries for all their contributions. The theme for Administrative Professionals Day 2010 is “Power of Commitment”. If you’re a boss or an executive, today is the best day to show your appreciation to your administrative staff. Maybe you can buy them chocolates, throw them a party, or better yet, provide them with seminars and trainings that can be very helpful in advancing in their careers. To all administrative professionals, thank you for all your great work! Celebrate Administrative Professionals Day 2010 is a post from: Daily World Buzz Continue reading

Ryan Tedder Writing ‘Roller-Rink Skating Party’ Songs For Katy Perry

‘I feel really good about it, and Katy, I hope you like it,’ OneRepublic frontman says of tunes for Perry’s next album. By James Montgomery, with reporting by Akshay Bhansali OneRepublic Photo: MTV News When your band has a single that refuses to drop off the charts, life is pretty good. Unless, of course, you’re OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder, and you’ve got a lucrative side career going as an in-demand songwriter for some of the biggest acts in the business. Then things get complicated. See, OR’s “All The Right Moves” — the first single from their Waking Up album — continues to hang around on the pop charts even though it was released last September and its success has forced Tedder to put his other endeavors on hold. That means he’s had to keep Katy Perry , who’s been waiting for his contributions to her new album , on hold. And she can’t hold for much longer. “She and I have actually been trading text messages for, like, the last five months about this album, trying to lock our schedules in. And she was going to come to Denver for, like, two weeks, but because of our schedule I had to cancel on her, unfortunately,” Tedder told MTV News. “And it was, like, the last available time I had to work with her. … I have three songs that I think are dead-on, incredible songs for her that are just started, they’re ideas that I want to finish with her. So, literally, in the next three days, I travel with a microphone and studio stuff, so I’m going to be trading e-mails with her and hopefully get one of them on the album at the last minute. “I’m literally the last guy to come onboard, and I was one of the first people she talked to [about working on the album],” he continued. “That’s what happens when you’re in a band … most of the time, the people I want to work with, we can figure something out. But her and my schedule, literally, at every possible juncture, has just conflicted.” And to hear Tedder tell it, it would be a real shame if the songs he’s written for Perry don’t end up on her new album. After all, they’re tailor-made for what she’s going for on the disc , an over-the-top ode to the Cardigans and Ace of Base — “songs that people want to hold hands and roller-skate to,” as she put it. “The stuff that I’m doing for Katy Perry … it connects to the first album. One song is, like, the evolution of ‘Hot N Cold,’ that kind of thing. The next step from that,” Tedder said. “The other two literally sound like something you would hear in the mid-’90s at a roller-rink skating party — like, a birthday party at a skating rink. I would describe it as guilty-pleasure music, straight up. A chorus where, guy or girl, you’re like, ‘Oh crap.’ You find yourself singing it and singing it. “I’ve had the melodies and the choruses in these songs stuck in my head for, like, a week. So I feel really good about it, and Katy, I hope you like it,” he added. “But it just comes down to time. I’m married and so when I do get home, I can only work so much before I end up with all kinds of conflict I don’t want.” Are you excited to hear a potential Ryan Tedder/Katy Perry collaboration? Let us know in the comments below! Related Artists OneRepublic Katy Perry

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Ryan Tedder Writing ‘Roller-Rink Skating Party’ Songs For Katy Perry

Adam Lambert, Justin Bieber Show Off Their Style In Exclusive Photos

Cobra Starship’s Gabe Saporta and My Chemical Romance’s Gerard and Mikey Way also talk music and style with VMan magazine.

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Adam Lambert, Justin Bieber Show Off Their Style In Exclusive Photos