Donna Summer’s funeral in Tennessee has brought together musical legends from across the world, including famed record producer David Foster. In addition to Summer, he worked with Michael Jackson, the Bee Gees and many other big name acts from the 1970s to the present day. Giorgio Moroder is also present at the funeral, having produced several disco hits with Summer, including “Love to Love You Baby” and “I Feel Love.” Donna Summer died last week at the age of 63. The late singer’s entire family is also at the ceremony, a private event taking place in Nashville (private, though up to 1,000 people are attending). The Queen of Disco will be greatly missed. [Photo: WENN.com]
Disco icon Donna Summer passed away today at the age of 63, reportedly succumbing to cancer. But while most folks remember the singer for once-ubiquitous disco classics like “Bad Girls” and “Love to Love You Baby,” and while many a film used her hit singles to great effect (recall the “Hot Stuff” scene from The Full Monty , or her own turn as an aspiring disco singer in Thank God It’s Friday ), let’s take a look back at a relatively underrated Donna Summer gem: The love theme from 1977’s The Deep . By 1977, Summer had already made a name for herself with a number of disco hits, but then came The Deep . The film’s “Down Deep Inside” combined the sultry vocals of Summer with the orchestral stylings of prolific James Bond composer John Barry, with appropriately dreamy results. Summer’s lyrics layered over Barry’s arrangement, plus a disco beat (of course) helped make the theme song from the Peter Yates-directed underwater adventure thriller a charted dance hit; it also earned Summer and Barry a shared Golden Globe nomination for Best Song. A slower version of the song included in the film’s soundtrack LP turns the theme into a sublime, seductive ballad. Of course, Summer went on to contribute to a number of movie soundtracks: Thank God It’s Friday appearance the following year also yielded her hit single “Last Dance,” and just a few years later she contributed “On the Radio” to 1980’s Foxes . And who could forget the inspirational “The Power of One,” from the soundtrack to Pokémon: The Movie ? (Certainly not Herman Cain .) R.I.P. to the Queen of Disco.
Trayvon Martin , the 17-year-old who was shot and killed by a neighborhood watchman George Zimmnerman had the drug THC in his system the night of this death , according to new reports: The revelation came as prosecutors in the case prepared to release to the public hundreds of pages of new evidence along with videos and crime scene photos. Martin’s death sparked public outrage after police released Martin’s shooter, George Zimmerman, without any criminal charges for the killing. Zimmerman, 28, is a multi-racial Hispanic man who shot the black high school junior at close range on Feb. 26, and claimed self-defense, though Martin was unarmed. Zimmerman was later charged with second-degree murder, and the killing provoked widespread debate about racial profiling The autopsy report shows traces of the drug THC, which is found in “kush”, in Martin’s blood and urine. The autopsy also shows that Zimmerman shot Martin from a distance of between 1 inch and 18 inches away, bolstering Zimmerman’s claim that he shot Martin during a struggle that landed Zimmerman on his back, Martin straddling him and banging Zimmerman’s head on the ground. Martin’s autopsy report also revealed that there was a quarter-inch by half-inch abrasion on the left fourth finger of Martin, another indication of a possible struggle. The teen, who lived in Miami, was in Sanford while serving a suspension for a bag of maryjane being discovered in his possession. Slowly but surely the facts are starting to come out about this tragic night. Not only did the official autopsy find that drugs were found in Trayvon’s system, it’s also come to light that Zimmerman’s fatal bullet was fired from within a very close distance, which suggests that his claims of the night may be withstanding. With all these damning facts coming to surface today, will this change public opinion of how this case is viewed? Source
The Bad Boy of R&B is back with a heavy heart… Bobby Brown Debuts New Single “Don’t Let Me Die” Dedicated To Whitney Houston People will call it calculated and opportunistic, Bobby Brown releasing a single about Whitney Houston three months after his ex-wife’s death. But then you consider the lyrics and depth of “Don’t Let Me Die,” which Bobby performed on Wednesday’s episode of “Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” and this is Bobby at his realest and rawest, the New Edition bad-boy humbled. Brown stood onstage Wednesday, bathed in blue light, singing about the woman he loved, the woman he lost. “I didn’t realize that every breath I took was from you,” he sang. “You were my air.” Bobby and Whitney were married from 1992 until 2007. The couple had one daughter, Bobbi Kristina, who’s now 19. The marriage was marred by erratic behavior and drug abuse. The two split up. Things unraveled. Bobby drifted away from his ex-wife and daughter. Eventually, the drug abuse claimed the “Queen of Pop.” Following Whitney’s death in February, some of her relatives didn’t want Brown at her funeral. Bobby was invited, but left over a seating snafu. Maybe music was the proper venue for Brown’s goodbye, anyway. The lyrics for “Don’t Let Me Die” address his missteps and stumbles. Yes, Bobby loved Whitney. Sure, he’s probably still hurting. But something about this just smells WRONG! Judge for yourself. Hit the flip to hear Bobby’s new tune. Image via WENN Source
Very sad day in the world of music Chuck Brown, the 75-year-old father of D.C. Go-go music, died on Wednesday, Tom Goldfogle, Brown’s manager confirmed. Brown had been treated in the intensive care unit of Johns Hopkins hospital in Baltimore, according to sources. Brown had been missing from the stage for about two months, prompting rumors on the Internet that he had died earlier this year. Earlier this month, 9News Now confirmed that Brown was at Hopkins where he was admitted after complaining of arthritis. Doctors discovered blood clots in his legs. The blood clots were removed, but Brown also contracted pneumonia while hospitalized. Brown’s 1970 hit, “Bustin’ Loose,” hit #1 on the charts. The song was later sampled in the 2002 Nelly song, “Hot in Herre.” DC Go-Go music will never be the same without the legend, may he rest in peace. Heaven must be bustin’ loose! #GimmeTheBridgeNow Source Continue reading →
Mary Kennedy, the estranged wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has died. She was 52. Law enforcement sources say she was found dead in her Mount Kisco, N.Y., home this morning. The cause of death has not been reported. Mary and RFK Jr. were married in 1994. She was Robert’s second wife. The couple, who separated nearly two years ago, has four kids together. The radio host, political activist and nephew of JFK filed for divorce from his wife mere days before Mary Kennedy was charged with DUI in 2010. According to Radar Online, a source revealed that the cause of death was suicide, though police have yet to even confirm or deny this report. In any case, may she rest in peace.
BET Releasing “106 & Park” Co-Hosts Terrence J And Rocsi Word on the street is that “The Game” stars Tia Mowry and Pooch Hall aren’t the only ones saying goodbye to the network. It’s rumored that “106 & Park” co-hosts Terrence J and Rocsi will also be history very soon. The two reportedly only have another 3 months at the network. The timing seems right for Terrence J to leave since his career has been doing so well. He’s been a regular on “The Game” and had a big role in “Think Like A Man” not to mention his woman Selita Ebanks is a supermodel. Rocsi on the other hand — well we guess she always has radio to fall back on. That and dating rich men, riiiiiight? This is still unconfirmed so what do you think, True or False?
Bobby Brown On Ellen Show Talking Whitney Houston You know the Browns are not one to shy away from the press. With Bobby Brown doing this interview, we are left praying for her exploitation to cease. Turn the page for this interview.
