The couple’s teenage son was also injured: A Lake Worth man accused of fatally shooting his pregnant wife and then trying to kill himself has been arrested. Paul Daniels, 36, was arrested Thursday morning on a first-degree murder charge in connection with the death of his 27-year-old wife, Donna Daniels. Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office investigators said Paul Daniels shot his wife in the driveway outside their home in the 400 block of Stevens Road. Investigators said he then shot himself in the head. Donna Daniels was pronounced dead at the scene. Paul Daniels was taken to Delray Medical Center, but he’s expected to survive. According to the arrest report, Donna Daniels was five months pregnant. Investigators said the couple’s teenage son was also injured in the shooting, but he’s expected to survive. Their daughter told investigators she feared her father was going to shoot her as well. Wow, so this guy was out shooting up himself and his family in broad daylight??? SMH. Source Palm Beach Post More On Bossip! Where’s The Meat? Super Skinny Dudes That Chop Down Absolute Dimes Celebrity Cribs: Check Out Michael Jordan’s $29 Million Chicago Compound Up For Sale [Photos] Eat Your Heart Out RihRih: Karrueche Flexes On Twitter As Breezy Is On His Best Boyfriend Behavior A “Lil Positivity”: A Gallery Of African-American Professionals That Are On The Come Up
After contentious debate, the Georgia House of Representatives has passed House Bill 954, which would require that abortions done after 20 weeks gestation be performed in a way that the fetus could potentially be removed alive, reports the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Quoting statistics from the Department of Community Health, the bill’s primary sponsor, Rep. Doug McKillip , R-Athens contends that “in the past five reporting periods, between 568 and 1,541″ abortions were performed after 20 weeks gestation. “We are going to save 1,000 to 1,500 lives,” he said. Many people are not so enthusiastic, pointing to potentially dangerous problems for doctor, mother and child if this bill were to take effect: “The language of the bill has clauses of limited exceptions, but this interpretation can require days, months or years of legal review,” said Dr. Ruth Cline of Athens, an obstetrician. “This is not a realistic option when caring for a patient when every minute is critical for optimal care. No physician could afford to risk that his or her care would be examined after the fact to confirm that the law had been followed if criminal penalties were a probability,” she said. “It is time for the government to get out of my examination room in my office,” she said. “If you legislators want to practice medicine, go to medical school!” The bill still has to pass through the senate. Read more at the AJC. RELATED: Susan G. Komen Pulls Support From Planned Parenthood VIDEO: Chilli Tears Up When Talking About Abortion Anti-Abortion Billboards Invoke Race In Metro Atlanta
His office says she’s lying, but something tells us she ain’t. Karen Lewis, the Chicago Teacher’s Union President, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel have a testy relationship at best. But it wasn’t always that way. The two leaders met privately last year ahead of Emanuel’s inauguration. They went for dinner and to attend a dance — both are fans of the art form — and to develop a working relationship. “We were both seeing who the other person was,” she said. Lewis said she got her answer about Emanuel’s character rather quickly. “In that conversation, he did say to me that 25 percent of the students in this city are never going to be anything, never going to amount to anything and he was never going to throw money at them.” She said the comment took her aback, and she looked at him askance. “Even if you feel that way, you can’t say that to me,” she said. “And he sort of poo-pooed it and we moved on.” The Mayor’s Office said Lewis made up the anecdote. “That’s simply false,” said Emanuel Press Secretary Sarah Hamilton. “The Mayor is committed to making sure that every single child in Chicago has access to an excellent education, which is why he is fighting so hard to transform the Chicago public schools that have failed our children year after year.” Lewis says the mayor says one thing in public and another in private. “I’ve only been in office a year and a half — I’m a classroom teacher — and nobody told me that when you say crazy stuff you’re not supposed to discuss it. And we talk about transparency and opening things up and having a real conversation about things… If you say one thing privately and another thing publicly, then how do we negotiate that?” During the interview, which will play in full on Friday’s edition of Ward Room the Television Show, Lewis said what really rubbed her the wrong way about the comment, and what prompted her to speak out, was that the mayor is often seen walking and talking with students who could be the very same ones she says he said he would never help. You can tell this chick ain’t been in politics but for a minute cuz she threw ol’ Rahm RIGHT UNDER THE BUS! Might be bad news for her, cuz that guy is super well connected and has been doing his line of work for a long time. Poor kids of Chicago though, riiiight? Source More On Bossip! Stand By Your Man: Rihanna Is In Full Support Of Chris “Gimme Dat” Brown While He Awaits Word On Cell-Phone-Stealing Charges, Sends Lyrical Sub-Tweets About Getting Him Back! Exhibitionists Pt. 1: The Most Revealing Celebrity Twitpics Of All Time Matrimony-dom: Evelyn Lozada Spills The Beans About Her Wedding Plans With Chad Ochocinco! Jesus Take The Men’s Wearhouse Card: The Funniest Photoshop Pictures Of Jaheim’s Blue Suit [Photos]
We take a look at what taking home Sunday’s big prize could do for this year’s Best Picture winner. By MTV News staff Jean Dujardin and Missi Pyle in “The Artist” Photo: The Weinstein Co. If the 2012 Oscars unfold as expected Sunday night, “The Artist” will walk away with a Best Picture win at the close of the ceremony. With that triumph, the silent, black-and-white film will become the second lowest-growing Best Picture winner in modern history. A populist fave, this movie is not. And that’s often the case. While box-office record-breaker “Titanic” took home the Academy’s top honor in 1998, the Best Picture ranks are littered with ho-hum performers. Some, like “Schindler’s List” and “Million Dollar Baby,” received huge bumps from their wins. “The Silence of the Lambs,” which hit theaters in February 1991, received no bump at all, as it was already out of theaters. Yet others received small re-releases and added a few million to their totals. To put the likely “Artist” win in historical context, MTV News took a look back at the past 20 years of Best Picture winners, ranking them from lowest to highest grossing (all figures come from Box Office Mojo and are not adjusted for inflation or ticket price). 20. “The Hurt Locker” Pre-show box office : $14.7 million Date of show : 3/7/2010 Date of release : 6/26/2009 Total box-office haul : $17 million 19. “Crash” Pre-show box office : $53.3 million Date of show : 3/5/2006 Date of release : 5/6/2005 Total box-office haul : $54.6 million 18. “Schindler’s List” Pre-show box office : $59.8 million Date of show : 3/21/1994 Date of release : 12/15/1993 Total box-office haul : $96.1 million 17. “The English Patient” Pre-show box office : $63.2 million Date of show : 3/24/1997 Date of release : 11/15/1996 Total box-office haul : $78.7 million 16. “No Country for Old Men” Pre-show box office : $64.3 million Date of show : 2/24/2008 Date of release : 11/9/2007 Total box-office haul : $74.3 million 15. “Million Dollar Baby” Pre-show box office : $64.9 million Date of show : 2/27/2005 Date of release : 12/15/2004 Total box-office haul : $100.5 million 14. “Shakespeare in Love” Pre-show box office : $73.2 million Date of show : 3/21/1999 Date of release : 12/11/1998 Total box-office haul : $100.3 million 13. “Braveheart” Pre-show box office : $73.3 million Date of show : 3/25/1996 Date of release : 5/24/1995 Total box-office haul : $75.6 million 12. “Unforgiven” Pre-show box office : $78.9 million Date of show : 3/29/1993 Date of release : 8/7/1992 Total box-office haul : $101.2 million 11. “Slumdog Millionaire” Pre-show box office : $98.4 million Date of show : 2/22/2009 Date of release : 11/12/2008 Total box-office haul : $141.3 million 10. “American Beauty” Pre-show box office : $108.5 million Date of show : 3/26/2000 Date of release : 9/15/1999 Total box-office haul : $130.1 9. “The King’s Speech” Pre-show box office : $114.2 million Date of show : 2/27/2011 Date of release : 11/26/2010 Total box-office haul : $135.5 million 8. “The Silence of the Lambs” Pre-show box office : $130.7 million Date of show : 3/30/1992 Date of release : 2/14/1991 Total box-office haul : $130.7 million 7. “The Departed” Pre-show box office : $131.4 million Date of show : 2/25/2007 Date of release : 10/6/2006 Total box-office haul : $132.4 million 6. “Chicago” Pre-show box office : $134.0 million Date of show : 3/23/2003 Date of release : 12/27/2002 Total box-office haul : $170.7 million 5. “A Beautiful Mind” Pre-show box office : $154.7 million Date of show : 3/24/2002 Date of release : 12/21/2001 Total box-office haul : $170.7 million 4. “Gladiator” Pre-show box office : $186.9 million Date of show : 3/25/2001 Date of release : 5/5/2000 Total box-office haul : $187.7 million 3. “Forrest Gump” Pre-show box office : $317.1 million Date of show : 3/27/1995 Date of release : 7/6/1994 Total box-office haul : $329.7 million 2. “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ” Pre-show box office : $364.1 million Date of show : 2/29/2004 Date of release : 12/17/2003 Total box-office haul : $377.0 million 20. “Titanic” Pre-show box office : $494.5 million Date of show : 3/23/1998 Date of release : 12/19/1997 Total box-office haul : $600.8 million The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Stick with us for everything you need to know leading up to the awards show, and head to Next Movie for a printable Oscar ballot. On Sunday, tune into MTV.com at 5 p.m. ET for our two-and-a-half-hour red-carpet live stream and updates on the night’s big winners. To join the live conversation, tweet @MTVNews with the hashtag #Oscars. Related Videos 2012 Oscar Nominees Related Photos 2012 Oscar Nominees
“It’s Friday, you ain’t got no job, and you ain’t got isht to do!” *Chris Tucker voice* The author of the study said it can’t prove whether that’s due to the drug’s effects, the social environment in which it’s used or whether pot smokers are just more likely to be laid-back from the get-go. Though researcher Christer Hyggen suspects pot is the culprit, another possible explanation is that people who aren’t so happy with their work situation or motivated on the job are more likely turn to drugs. “There’s a popular belief that people who smoke cannabis are slackers and that they don’t want to work,” Hyggen, from the Oslo-based social research institute NOVA, told Reuters Health. To see how well that perception held up, he analyzed data from a 25-year-long study of close to 1,500 Norwegians. Starting in 1987, when they were in their late teens and early 20s, participants filled out surveys that included questions on their recent pot use on five different occasions, into their 40s. They also rated their attitudes on statements that reflected work commitment, such as “It is very important for me to have a job” and “I feel restless when I have no work to do,” ranked on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 reflecting the most commitment. People who reported smoking in the past year generally reported less dedication to work than abstainers, according to findings published in the journal Addiction. The results of the study are as follows: By the last survey, in 2010, the 63 repeat users had an average score of 3.9 on questions of work commitment. That compared to scores between 4.2 and 4.3 in participants who had only experimented with (cannibis) (ed.) or never tried it, including those who said their friends used the drug but they didn’t. The findings suggested that over time, “people who quit smoking cannabis increase their work commitment, and people who take up smoking cannabis reduce their work commitment,” Hyggen said. While his results can’t prove a cause-and-effect relationship, “we were able to at least close in on this association.” We’re not sure about this one, we’ve known a few folks that are known to wake up and roll a fatty before heading into the office Image via Toxipedia Source More On Bossip! Smackdown! The Chris Brown/CM Punk Feud Is Getting Pretty Intense! “I Will Choke You” And Breezy Responds! Can’t Get It Up: 10 Foods That Might Be Choking The Life Out Of Your…Libido Tell ‘Em Why You Mad: Janet “Aunt Viv” Hubert Writes An Open Letter To Wendy Williams Blaming Her For Whitney Houston’s Downfall Cake Cake Cake Cake! The Stars With The Wildest Birthday Parties
Another NFL player bites the dust and gets caught in the justice system. Former Atlanta Falcons cornerback Glenn Sharpe has been arrested for the murder of a man he allegedly killed in his home in Dekalb County. Sharpe signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He also played for the Indiana Colts, and New Orleans Saints. Peep the report! “Sharpe, 28, is accused of killing Christopher Galloway on Monday at his home near Stone Mountain, Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Adrion Bell said. The ex-Falcon was arrested Thursday afternoon at his Lawrenceville home without incident by members of the sheriff’s fugitive squad. Sharpe made his first court appearance Friday evening, where he formally heard the charges against him. Clad in an orange jail jumpsuit, he said nothing in court and as he was marched out of the courtroom to a police van waiting to take him to Dekalb County Jail. Sharpe is being held pending a bond hearing in Dekalb County Superior Court. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for March 28″. www.ajc.com
Tyler Perry doesn’t don drag or delve into religion in his latest, Good Deeds — the film isn’t part of the prolific entertainment giant’s Madea franchise (next stop Madea’s Witness Protection , slated for later in 2012), but rather of his less broad line of feel-good dramedies like Daddy’s Little Girls and Why Did I Get Married? But despite the restrained tone, it’s no less savvy an entertainment, one that Perry wrote, directed and stars in as San Francisco businessman Wesley Deeds, the wealthy, perfect son of a good family, head of the company his father created. Wesley’s life changes when he meets Lindsey (Thandie Newton), a beleaguered single mom who works as the night janitor in his office building. Like Maid in Manhattan , Good Deeds is an urban fairy tale in which the idea of a prince swooping down to woo and rescue the poor cinder girl is given a contemporary twist. But the film is well aware that it’s Wesley, and the man playing him, who are the real objects of fantasy here. Loving to his icy mother (Phylicia Rashad), protective of his alcoholic, angry brother Walter (Brian White), devoted in his stewardship of the business he was left, this Deeds is actually too good, too reliable, subsuming any actual desires of his own to cater to the needs of everyone around him. He’s so safe and predictable that when his fiancée Natalie (Gabrielle Union) finds a blonde hair on a pillow in their bed, she takes it not as a sign of possible infidelity but as one that she needs to tell the housekeeper to be more careful with their dry cleaning. It’s Lindsey, who with her 6-year-old daughter Ariel has recently fallen from a precarious economic situation into full-on homelessness, who breaks through Wesley’s shell by, well, trampling all over him. Good Deeds has the shrillest meet-cute imaginable, in which Lindsey parks in Wesley’s spot in the company lot and, having no idea who he is, calls him an asshole and walks away. Later, she taunts that he’s going to run and “tell massa” on her when he catches her using an office phone for a personal call late at night. Lindsey’s abrasiveness is weirdly delightful — she’s not on the lookout for anyone to save her, and she’s going through a very difficult time — but it’s one of several reasons the romance angle of this otherwise engaging melodrama doesn’t work. The primary one is chemistry — Lindsey and Wesley have none at all. There’s a sibling quality to their banter that diminishes the potentially creepy aspects to the fact that Wesley comes to Lindsey’s aid financially, buying her and her daughter dinner and eventually providing her with a place to stay in a corporate apartment, but there’s no spark between them, even as her influence starts opening him to new possibilities in his life. Newton’s loveliness is undeniable, but it’s downplayed until late in the film — before that point, she’s harried and frequently seen wearing a cleaning crew outfit, sleeping with Ariel in her minivan or trying to hide the girl in a supply closet while she works the night shift. In contrast, Union’s character is shown beginning the day getting immaculately made up while wearing a slip and heels. Part of the fancy of Good Deeds is that Wesley, a character who, as he says himself in the introduction, has everything, has a run-in with an unapologetically insulting, frazzled woman who leaves her kid unattended in her car and runs off, and he thinks that she’s probably what he’s been missing in his life. Wesley’s so square that when he looks through Lindsey’s iPod, he notes she’s listening to “Two-P-A-C,” but the two find common ground in their love of motorcycles, and take a geographically improbable lunchtime ride across the Golden Gate Bridge to Santa Rosa (despite filling in plentiful snap zoom-filled shots of San Francisco, Good Deeds was filmed in and looks like it was filmed in Atlanta). While Wesley is both too good to be true and an absence of a charisma on screen, Good Deeds is very fair to its two main female characters even as they’re both entangled with the same man. Despite her role in the story, Natalie isn’t made into a villain, just someone who, like Wesley, has chosen something because she’s been told she should want it. And the domino chain of poverty-driven difficulties Lindsey faces is well-realized — because she can’t pay her rent on time, she’s evicted and loses the savings she’s hidden away, because she has to work she can’t check into the shelter on time, because she’s working double shifts to get back on her feet financially she’s late picking up Ariel and her teacher notified child services. It’s Wesley who never seems like a real person, but then he’s not meant to be one — he’s Prince Charming for a prospective audience of women who are less enchanted by rippling abs than by kindness and responsibility. Follow Alison Willmore on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Fans are excited for cult comedy’s return, but reshuffling ‘Parks and Recreation’ could mean trouble for the network’s lineup. By John Mitchell Amy Poehler in “Parks and Recreation” Photo: NBC Fans of cult comedy “Community” are rejoicing at the news that the show is set to return to NBC’s schedule after a three-month hiatus. It will rejoin the Thursday night lineup at 8 p.m. on March 15 to complete its third season, though no decision has been announced as to whether the low-rated, critically acclaimed comedy will get a fourth season. The show’s return will bump “30 Rock,” which has been pulling down series-low numbers in the 8 p.m. time slot since retuning on January 12, to 8:30 and “Parks and Recreation” will go on a five-week hiatus until “Up All Night” completes its season in April. “The Office” will hold on to its 9 p.m. slot. NBC has had a difficult time attracting viewers to what is easily the best comedy block on network TV, but it’s certainly not the first net to have that problem (Fox couldn’t keep “Arrested Development” on the air). This latest decision, however, seems unlikely to help for a few reasons. It was a mistake to pull “Community” in the first place; the show is so full of callbacks and self-referential asides that removing it for any length of time was bound to hemorrhage casual fans who are not as familiar with the storyline as die-hards. And sacrificing the much more welcoming “Parks,” which itself has struggled in the ratings despite widespread acclaim, to bring “Community” back is not going to pull in more eyes. Instead, it’s only going to weaken the already low-rated lineup. Here’s why. “Community” is not a welcoming show for new viewers. I am an avid TV watcher and a big fan of NBC’s smart Thursday comedies, but I’ve never been able to get into “Community” because I missed the boat early on. I’m not questioning its quality — by all accounts it’s a witty and wonderfully weird show — but it is loaded with callbacks and winks to a now three-season-long narrative arc, and if you haven’t been onboard since the beginning, you’re shut out. I’ve tried and failed to get into the show, even though it should be on my must-see list. Consequently, I suspect it is going to perform even worse in its old 8 p.m. time slot than when it left it in December. If it flops at 8, the results will be disastrous for “30 Rock,” which, without a strong lead-in, seems likely to lose even more viewers at 8:30. “Parks and Rec” currently outperforms its “Rock” lead-in; it has its own devout fanbase, many of whom seem to skip “Rock” and tune in specifically for “Parks.” “30 Rock” is arguably past its prime (though last week’s episode was admittedly the best in recent memory) and it is an expensive show to produce. Some expect that NBC may even announce that next season will be its last and that it will be a truncated 13-episode run at that. Matching “Community” with “30 Rock” from 8 to 9 is going to create an hour-long ratings void for NBC that is likely to negatively impact “The Office,” which already has been losing viewers since Steve Carell’s departure, though it remains NBC’s top Thursday comedy. As for “Up All Night,” it’s been managing numbers comparable to “Parks” at 9:30. Though, that means the well-reviewed family comedy is losing 30 percent of it’s lead-in. It’s a foolhardy move to temporarily shelve the only show that is really building on its lead-in (that’d be “Parks”) — I don’t think I’m going out on a limb when I say that “The Office” ratings function pretty independently of “Parks'” — especially when it’s being done for a show that seems unlikely to rope in new viewers. The reason for the shake-up, I suspect, is rooted in the network’s knowledge that the ends of “30 Rock” and “The Office” are near. They really want “Community” to work, and they trust enough that the brief absence of “Parks” from the schedule is unlikely to alienate viewers enough that they’ll abandon the show. (And they’re right. As upset as I am that “Parks” will be gone for five weeks, there’s no way I won’t be there when Leslie, Anne, Tom and Ron Swanson return on April 19.) A smarter choice would have been to move “Up All Night” to 8 p.m., where its star power (Christina Applegate, Will Arnett, Maya Rudolph) and subject matter — a onetime party couple adjusting to parenthood — might attract viewers who normally may look to CBS for Thursday night entertainment. Keep the often-heartwarming “Parks and Rec” at 8:30. “Parks” is, like “Rock” and “Community,” a little weird, but it’s the most accessible of the three and thus the most likely to keep the “Up All Night” audience and maybe build on it. “Community” is simply going to be an awkward fit anywhere on the schedule and is unlikely to ever be strong enough in the ratings to be a top-of-the-hour lead-in. If the net insists on keeping it — though it might want to consider a deal similar to the one reached to keep “Friday Night Lights,” another little-watched but much-loved show with a fervent fanbase, alive — it should consider moving it to 9:30, where it would benefit at first from “The Office.” NBC would be wise to greenlight a 13-episode season for “The Office” to let it wrap up story lines and depart the airwaves on its own terms before it is forced off by flagging ratings. It’s already had a great eight-season run; let it go out with grace. Conclude “The Office” big at Christmastime (the show has always shined with its holiday specials) and bring “30 Rock” back to conclude its own run with a 13-episode season in the spring of 2013. And for goodness’ sake, stop shifting everything around so often. Shuffling your best shows like this makes it difficult for current fans — and especially people who do not follow the ins and outs of entertainment industry news — to find the shows they already like. Do you agree with NBC’s decision to put “Parks and Rec” on a five-week hiatus for “Community”? Leave your comment below.
It was indeed a very happy President’s Day Weekend in Hollywood, where studios enjoyed the rare treat of five wide February releases raking in $20 million or more. The bad news? The two newest ones brought up the rear. Sorry, Nicolas Cage and Reese Witherspoon — your Holiday Weekend Receipts are here. [All figures are four-day weekend estimates.] 1. Safe House Gross: $28,40,000 ($82,600,000) Screens: 3,121 (PSA $9,100) Weeks: 2 (Change: -29.3%) There are a few big winners among this weekend’s successes, but I’ll go with Ryan Reynolds as the biggest: On the one hand, the guy can’t open anything no matter how desperately his agents or producers want him to be able to. On the other, there is no better box-office second fiddle alive short of maybe Jeremy Renner, who wouldn’t hold that distinction for long anyway with both The Avengers and The Bourne Legacy on deck to refine both his blockbuster ensemble and leading-man creds. So go on, Hollywood! Let Reynolds back up your 57-year-old action star today! 2. The Vow Gross: $26,600,000 ($88,527,000) Screens: 2,958 (PSA $8,993) Weeks: 2 (Change: -35.4%) Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams aren’t shabby performers, either, both en route to their leading their first non-franchise $100 million grosser. Unless The Vow 2 is en route starring a certain rat and a churro , which I’m not sure counts, but you tell me. 3. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island Gross: $26,400,000 ($59,516,000) Screens: 3,500 Weeks: 2 (Change: -3.4%) There’s no doubt that just scraping below $60 million in 10 days of release is a let-down for all involved (except for Michael Caine, I guess, as long as the check cleared), but a 3.4 percent drop? Yowza . Not bad at all, especially opposite… 4. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance Gross: $25,700,000 (new) Screens: 3,174 (PSA $6,397) Weeks: 1 I don’t know where this creative development lands Nicolas Cage on his quest to become screen acting’s version of Led Zeppelin . Maybe it would be easier to break it down to Zeppelin song-title analogues, like, “What Is and What Should Never Be” or “Sick Again.” Any others? 5. This Means War Gross: $20,400,000 (new) Screens: 3,189 (PSA: $6,397) Weeks: 1 Needs less Pine , more pudding . [Figures via Box Office Mojo ] Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Live 30-minute special will feature interview clips with Houston dating back to her network debut in 1986. By Gil Kaufman Whitney Houston in 1995 Photo: 20th Century Fox/Getty Images MTV will pay respects to Whitney Houston on Wednesday (February 15) with a live 30-minute tribute entitled “Whitney Houston: In Her Own Words.” The MTV News special, airing at 7:30 p.m. ET and hosted by Sway Calloway, will feature interview clips of Houston from her network debut in 1986 through her final interview. Houston died at age 48 on Saturday in her Los Angeles hotel room of as-yet-undetermined causes. The singer had a long history with the network, dating back to her 1985 self-titled debut album. The third single from that multiplatinum smash was “How Will I Know,” which helped introduce the singer to a wider audience when it became one of the first videos by a black female singer to go into heavy rotation on MTV, blasting open the doors for a whole generation of R&B and pop divas to follow. Along the way, Houston smashed a number of records , including the best-selling single of all time by a female artist, her iconic cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” The Grammy-winning album that song came from, the soundtrack to her big-screen debut, “The Bodyguard,” also set the all-time record for soundtrack albums, with more than 44 million copies sold worldwide. During the MTV special, Sway will share personal stories from music celebrities on Houston’s impact and her peerless voice. The show will stream simultaneously on MTV.com and be available on demand immediately after it airs. In addition, MTV News will continue its coverage of the tragic death of the singer, covering everything from breaking developments to Houston’s funeral . Houston will be laid to rest in her native Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday at an invitation-only private funeral at her childhood house of worship, the New Baptist Church. The cause of Houston’s death is still unknown. Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter of the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office continues to quell any speculation. “I know there are reports that she maybe was drowned or did she overdose, but we won’t make a final determination until all the tests are in,” he told CNN . Share your condolences with Whitney’s family and friends on our Facebook page. Related Videos Remembering An Icon: Whitney’s Top MTV Moments Related Photos Whitney Houston: A Life In Photos Related Artists Whitney Houston
