Sugababes' Amelle Berrabah reportedly quits group

Sugababes member Amelle Berrabah has reportedly walked out on the group. The singer is said to have quit the band while undertaking promotional work in Los Angeles. Earlier this month, bandmember Keisha Buchanan reacted angrily to claims that she had a bust-up with Berrabah, who's family had previously alerted police that she was missing.

"I can honestly say that we all get along! I'm sure we bug each other at times but I love them girls. And there has NEVER been bullying in Sugababes EVER!" Buchanan wrote.

However, Heatworld.com reports that Berrabah has now left Sugababes, and that former Eurovision Song Contest contestant Jade Ewen has already been drafted in to replace her. Ewen, who represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest earlier this year, is currently signed to Geffen, who yesterday (September 18) released the following statement:

"Due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control, we regret to inform you that Jade Ewen will be taking time off from all promotional activity for the foreseeable future."

Berrabah replaced Mutya Buena in the Sugababes in 2005. Buena recently told the London Evening Standard she would "love" to rejoin the group, though Buchanan quickly rebuffed her offer, telling Heat "It would just never happen."
source:http://www.nme.com/news/sugababes/47400
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Pearl Jam stream new album 'Backspacer' online before release – audio

Pearl Jam have made their forthcoming new album 'Backspacer' available to hear in full before its official release.

To hear the album in full, made available to NME.COM as a UK exclusive via music streaming site We7, click below. Users outside the UK can hear 30-second clips of each song.

'Backspacer' is officially released on Monday (September 21).
source: http://www.nme.com/news/pearl-jam/47381 View Here...

Dixon Strictly judging debut a flop

New Strictly Come Dancing judge Alesha Dixon failed to impress TV audiences with her debut appearance on the show - viewers have slated the pop singer's performance.

Dixon, 30, won the TV talent contest two years ago and was drafted on to the show to replace veteran judge Arlene Phillips, 66, who was axed by the BBC.

Her replacement caused much controversy in the press, with accusations that Phillips had been sacked because she was too old.

BBC message boards were inundated with criticisms of Dixon's performance, and BBC's Radio 5 was overwhelmed with text messages just as critical after her stints on Friday and Saturday.

A TV source tells News of the World: "They thought Alesha would come on and steal the show. But they didn't take into account how popular and respected Arlene is. Now BBC1 controller Jay Hunt and the other executives are wondering how they can win the public round."

Former tennis player Martina Hingis was the first contestant voted out of the show on Saturday. source: http://uk.news.launch.yahoo.com/dyna/article.html?a=/20092009/364/dixon-strictly-judging-debut-flop.html&e=l_news_dm


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Beatles' photos spark copyright suit

A former Beatles photographer is battling over the copyright for the first publicity photos of the rock group, after the images were used to sell books and DVDs featuring the band.

New York-based snapper Albert Marrion filed suit on Thursday over memorabilia containing copyrighted photos of the group.

Marrion claims he shot the images - which are believed to be the first promo photos of the rock legends - in 1961.

The Manhattan federal court suit says Marrion discovered the photos were featured "without permission" in four Beatles books and a DVD documentary available from Netflix, Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

Memorabilia dealer Gary Schaeffer claims he has held the rights to the 16 pictures since 2001, reports the New York Post.
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Jay-Z: 'Kanye didn't kill anybody'

Jay-Z has urged the media to back off his pal Kanye West following his notorious outburst at this year's MTV Video Music Awards, insisting the backlash isn't justified because "he didn't kill anybody".

West has come under savage attack from stars and fans alike for storming the stage during Taylor Swift's Best Female Video acceptance speech last Sunday to proclaim the prize belonged to Jay-Z's wife Beyonce.

The Stronger hitmaker has since apologised both personally and publicly to the teenage country singer - but Jay-Z is stunned by how much media coverage and controversy his pal's behaviour has garnered.

The rap superstar admits it was "rude" of West and "inappropriate at the time" to rush the stage, but can understand why he was moved to do what he did.

Jay-Z says, "Of course it was rude because it was her moment, but that's the way he really felt… I think it was rude, but the way they're treating him…

"He's on the cover of every paper. He didn't kill anybody. No one got harmed. (He's) a super passionate person."
source: http://uk.news.launch.yahoo.com/dyna/article.html?a=/19092009/364/jay-z-kanye-didn-t-kill.html&e=l_news_dm View Here...

Fergie accused of copyright infringement

Pop star FERGIE has been hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit over allegations she stole her song Voodoo Doll from a track recorded by little-known reggae group Groundation.

The singer and her Black Eyed Peas bandmate will i am, who produced and co-wrote the 2006 tune, are being sued by record bosses at Grounded Music.

They claim the stars copied the beat from Groundation's Each One Teach One, a song recorded in 2000 which Grounded Music owns the rights to.

According to legal papers obtained by TMZ.com, Grounded Music executives believe Fergie's Voodoo Doll is "substantially and strikingly similar" to the band's record and they are seeking unspecified damages.

Voodoo Doll was featured on Fergie's debut solo album, The Dutchess.
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Janet Jackson Says She 'Had Michael's Back' On 'Scream'

Though Janet Jackson had not performed the choreography from "Scream" since she and her brother Michael shot the video in 1995, it couldn't have been a more fitting tribute to him. Jackson talked about the making of that video along with how she prepared for the Video Music Awards in the half-hour special "The Making of Janet Jackson's VMA Tribute Performance," which aired Saturday (September 19), and re-airs Sunday at 12:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., and Tuesday at 7 p.m. on MTV.

According to Janet, "Scream" was a turning point for Michael, who used the video to express frustration over his legal troubles. " 'Scream,' there was so much going on at that time," Jackson recalled. "That's when the — I hate to say this but — the first allegations [of child molestation] came out and the whole bit. He was very upset and very angry and he had so much pent up in him that he wanted to get out and say. And when you listen to the lyrics, that's what it's about."

When Michael asked Janet for her help with the song, there was no way she could say no. "I played the role that I've always played in his life: his little sister that was there by his side, that had his back no matter what," she said. "That's what 'Scream' was for me."

The MTV special followed Janet as she relearned the intricate choreography for the VMA tribute along with her backup dancers, a crew of renowned choreographers including Tyce Diorio, Tina Landon, Jeri Slaughter, Travis Payne, Brian Friedman, Cris Judd, Dave Scott, Mia Michaels, Laurie Ann Gibson and Wade Robson.

Sore muscles aside, the group couldn't have been happier to get the chance to honor the man who inspired their own careers.

"As soon as I got the phone call I was absolutely thrilled and on board 110 percent," Slaughter said. "It's an honor to be in this for Michael."

After costume fittings, a cross-country flight to New York and a final run-through in Radio City Music Hall, Janet and company mounted the stage to a standing ovation, performing alongside images of Michael from the 1995 video.

"I know he was watching," Jackson said. "I know he was looking down. I hope he enjoyed it."

"The Making of Janet Jackson's VMA Tribute Performance" re-airs Sunday at 12:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., and Tuesday at 7 p.m. on MTV.
source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1621925/20090919/jackson_michael.jhtml View Here...

Amanda Seyfried makes movie leap from musical ingenue

Just six years ago, Amanda Seyfried was an Allentown, Pa., high school grad who longed to break into movies. Her dreams came true in a big way. "Mean Girls" (2004) put her on the map. "Alpha Dog" (2006) created buzz. And "Mamma Mia!" (2008) turned her into a household name.

During the last year, she's partied at the Golden Globes with Meryl Streep, performed on the Oscar telecast alongside Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron, and been profiled in Allure, Entertainment Weekly and Vanity Fair.
Most significantly, she's snagged starring roles in a quartet of flicks, each with a ritzier pedigree than the last. Up first is "Jennifer's Body," a horror shocker with Megan Fox which opened Friday in area theaters. In February, Screen Gems is releasing "Dear John," a decade-spanning romance with Channing Tatum. Also arriving in the new year are "Chloe," an erotically-charged thriller co-starring Julianne Moore, and "Letters to Juliet," the saga of an American girl vacationing in Verona who sets out to reunite a pair of star-crossed lovers (Vanessa Redgrave, Franco Nero).

Unpretentious and friendly, Seyfried admits during a midnight phone interview from her folks' Allentown home how overwhelming instant success can be.
"I can't really believe it sometimes," she says. "There are so many opportunities and they just keep growing, but sometimes I worry when are they going to stop. But none of this would have been possible without "Mamma Mia!' That movie absolutely changed my life."

So popular was the Abba musical, it smashed records all over the world and, after picking up $600 million at the box-office, became the most successful songfest of all time, outgrossing "Chicago," "Cabaret" and "Grease." So far, Seyfried has done a good job keeping her feet on the ground. Self-deprecating almost to a fault, the actress jokes she's only tracked by the paparazzi if "they're having a slow day." As for Hollywood producers who promise her the moon and the stars, Seyfried says, "You can't actually take anything they say seriously. Half of them are full of (baloney)."
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Karyn Kusama, who directed Seyfried in "Jennifer's Body," isn't surprised by the actress' fast climb up the Hollywood ladder. "What's lovely about Amanda is she has this expressive face that can be very still. She has so much going on behind her eyes."

If Seyfried had been trying to find a film far removed from her "Mamma Mia!" ingenue role, she couldn't have done a better job than "Jennifer's Body." Written by "Juno" Oscar winner Diablo Cody, the flick stars Megan Fox as Jennifer, a satanically possessed cheerleader who begins feeding on the cute boys in her small Minnesota farming town. It's up to Jennifer's best friend Needy (Seyfried) to slay the beast and save boyfriend Chip (Johnny Simmons) from becoming a meaty snack.
"It's unique because it's woman's film, a slasher flick, a human comedy and a drama all rolled into one," says the 23-year-old Seyfried, who dates her "Mamma Mia!" co-star Dominic Cooper.
"Jennifer's Body" might be fun to watch but it was anything but fun to make. Seyfried was puked on (with paint substituting for black bile), submerged in cold water and bruised on the inside of her legs from straddling Fox's hips for two days straight. And then there was the already-infamous lesbian kiss between the stars. So, what was it like to smooch a sex bomb like Fox?
"It was a little strange," says Seyfried. "She's so feminine; she has such soft, nice, full lips. But she had the same smell as my sister."
Oddly enough, Seyfried has another same-sex make-out session in "Chloe," the saga of a doctor (Julianne Moore) who hires a prostitute (Seyfried) to test her husband's (Liam Neeson) fidelity, only to fall in love with the woman herself.
"I'm so proud of "Chloe,' " says Seyfried. "That's my pride and joy. It was such a difficult movie for me because there's a lot going on with my character. I just saw it and I don't know what the reaction is going to be, but I don't give a damn. It was the best experience for me."
source:http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20090920/LIFE/909200313/1041/RSS05 View Here...

Beyonce to perform in Malaysia despite dress code

Beyonce Knowles says she will perform in Malaysia in October, two years after canceling a show in this Muslim-majority country after protesters threatened to disrupt the concert because of her sexy image and clothing.
The R&B superstar's upcoming show is already drawing the ire of conservatives in this country, where female performers are required to cover up from the shoulders to knees with no cleavage showing..

Knowles said on her Web site that she will take the stage at a stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's biggest city, on Oct. 25. "Beyonce for the first time ever has decided to make Malaysia part of her 'I am.' World Tour," her Web site said..

Knowles canceled a planned concert two years ago following protest threats by Malaysia's opposition Islamic party. At the time her talent agency said the show was called off due to a scheduling conflict..

Instead she went to Indonesia, which has less stringent rules about how performers should dress and behave..

Sabki Yusof, youth vice head of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, said Sunday that they would send a protest note to the government over the concert. He said it was the government's "responsibility to protect the people of Malaysia" from what he described as immoral Western influences..

"We are not against entertainment as long as it is within the framework of our culture and our religion," Sabki said. "We are against Western sexy performances. We don't think our people need that.".

He said besides the protest note, the party had no plans so far to disrupt the concert. Organizers for Beyonce's October show could not immediately be reached for comment..

Artists such as Avril Lavigne and Gwen Stefani have performed in Malaysia under similar protest threats by conservative Muslims, forcing the artists to don attire that revealed little skin..

In the most recent controversy, the government late last month at first barred, then reversed the order forbidding Muslims from attending a Black Eyed Peas concert because it was sponsored by a beer company. With the ban lifted Muslims can now watch the U.S. hip-hop stars at a theme park near Kuala Lumpur on Sept. 25..

In family and personal matters, Muslims, who make up two-thirds of Malaysia's 28 million people, are governed by Islamic law, which forbids the consumption of alcohol. The laws do not apply to non-Muslims.
source: http://new.music.yahoo.com/gwen-stefani/news/beyonce-to-perform-in-malaysia-despite-dress-code--61994233 View Here...