Did Luther Vandross have to die? According to his manager Carmen Romano….. No! Romano claims Luther did not keep appointments he was supposed to keep, and he claims it was a constant struggle to get him the attention he needed. Romano was clearly at odds with Luther's mom and his family. Why would he make these claims so soon after Luther's death? Once the dust settles, I'm sure Romano will have more to say. The music world is still in shock over Luther's death. Sources say he was having physical therapy at the time, and he was walking when he suddenly collapsed. Luther never recovered from the stroke he suffered two years ago. Friends of Luther say he was always searching for love, losing weight and then gaining it back. He may be gone, but his great music will live on forever. Producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are putting together a tribute album in honor of Luther. Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige and Celine Dion have already committed to the project. There is no word on the release date.
The music world also lost another great voice. Renaldo "Obie" Benson, who was the bass voice in The Four Tops, died late last week. Obie was a member of The Four Tops for over 50 years, and he died from lung cancer. A few weeks ago, one of his legs was amputated because of circulation problems, and he suffered a heart attack after that surgery. There are only two remaining members of The Four Tops, Levi Stubbs, who has been unable to tour because of a stroke he suffered a few years ago, and Duke Fakir. Lawrence Payton died in 1997.
Hot on the heels of Terry McMillian announcing her upcoming divorce from her young husband because he was gay, Star Jones, from the TV show The View, says she knows her husband is not gay because she asked him. And, she had a FBI check on him. Star claims this was the first thing she asked him when they met. Star's husband Al Reynolds has been the subject of rumors for a while. Why is he always the subject of rumors? Could it be the parties he used to attend on Fire Island? Or, the Halloween party when he wore a "Bam-Bam" outfit and speedo underwear? Or, the many men he hangs around with? Hmmmmmmmmmmm! Last week at the BET Awards, he and Star were given a limo for the night. After the festivities, Al dropped his wife off and went out with friends. The limo driver took him out for the night, and Al visited a lot of gay bars. How do we know? The limo driver had to make a list of all his stops and turn it in when he gave the BET network the bill for the limo use. Star says she believes her husband, but can she believe the stories he tells her? Let's hope he's not deceiving her. Is this a new trend? First Terry McMillian! Who's next!?
R Kelly is back with his latest CD, TP3-Reloaded. The CD comes with the DVD mini-movie of his hit, Trapped In The Closet, Chapters 1-5. Chapters 6-13 will be out by Christmas as the story continues. R Kelly is due back in court in a couple of weeks on those child pornography charges.
Was Actress Katie Holmes given $10 million to act like she's love with Tom Cruise? If so, give that girl an Oscar because she is giving an award winning performance. The two are currently starring in their own summer blockbusters, War of the Worlds and Batman Begins. Look for a wedding soon……
Check out Terrence Howard on the cover of the latest edition of Essence magazine. Terrence has to be the hottest actor in Hollywood these days. I fell in love with him after seeing him play bad boy "Quentin" in the Malcolm Lee movie, The Best Man. He has also had roles in Crash, Lackawanna Blues, Dead Presidents, The Jacksons TV movie, the TV show Sparks & Sparks and Glitter. On July 22nd, he stars in the John Singleton movie, Hustle & Flow. Hustle & Flow also stars Anthony Anderson and Rapper Ludacris. Everybody is raving about Terrence's portrayal in the movie of a pimp who dreams of being a rap star. Terrence is one busy guy. He will also be in the movies, Four Brothers, with Tyrese and Mark Wahlberg, and the fall release of Get Rich Or Die Trying with Rapper 50 Cent.
After their recent performance on the BET Awards, will the Fugees have a reunion tour and album? I hear it's in the works. But despite their appearance on the show, there is still tension among Lauryn, Wyclef and Pras. Lauryn and Wyclef used to be lovers, but he wouldn't leave his wife. Wyclef couldn't handle Lauryn's solo success, and Wyclef and Pras had a huge falling out when Pras topped the charts with his song, Ghetto Superstar. The group was supposed to come out and perform at the end of the show, but something went down and it didn't happen. The BET awards are set to re-air on July 12th on BET.
Alicia Keys will be releasing an MTV Unplugged album in October.
Is Beyonce the Cellulite Soldier? She is gracing the cover of the latest issue of the National Enquirer. She's wearing a thong, and it's all hanging out. Aaauuuugghh, the price of fame.
The ultimate kiss and tell book is in bookstores. Karrine Steffans is a video vixen who has been around the block and on the highway! Steffans, AKA 'Superhead,' spills the beans on the men she slept with, including Shaquille O'Neal, Ja Rule, Bobby Brown, P Diddy, Vin Diesel, Ice T, Usher, and Rocker Fred Durst. The book is called Confessions Of A Video Vixen. She doesn't leave anything out, and she admits she basically prostituted herself to live a better life. Was it worth it? Steffans has given up being a Ho, and she is currently dating Comedian Bill Maher.
So, do you like the Bobby Brown reality show, Being Bobby Brown. This show is hysterical! I think Whitney is the scene-stealer. Clearly, this show should be called Being Whitney Houston. Her lines are classic. "Hell to the no!" "Just be me for one day!" "…Bobby Brown, I will kick your ***!" Six more episodes are scheduled to air on the Bravo network.
Singer Kelly Price recently auditioned for the role of "Effie" in the movie version of Dreamgirls. This was the role made famous by Jennifer Holiday on Broadway. I think Kelly would be perfect for the role. She says she's just waiting for the phone to ring. Beyonce, Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy are already on board for the project. The movie is scheduled to be released in late 2006.
The VH1 Hip-Hop Honors are taking place on September 26th. LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane, the late Notorious B.I.G., Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and Salt N' Pepa will be honored. John Singleton's groundbreaking 1991 movie Boyz In The Hood, with Ice Cube and Morris Chestnut, will also be honored.
Comedienne and Actress Monique is going to have a full plate during the next few months. She's four months pregnant with twins, and she's planning her wedding to her sweetheart Sidney Hicks. Monique is on top of the world. She says she will be able to handle the babies, her teenage son and her new man. She says she looks forward to the births and her upcoming wedding. And after some time off for marriage and motherhood, she will be back.
India Arie is currently topping the charts with her latest hit, Purify Me. This song is from the soundtrack to Diary Of A Mad Black Woman. India is also hard at work on a new album due out this fall. The two CD set is called India's Song, and it will focus on life, relationships, love and politics. Speaking of Diary Of A Mad Black Woman, the Tyler Perry movie took in $2 million in DVD sales.
Frankie Beverly graces the cover of Jet magazine, and he talks about his 30-year career with Maze. He's currently living in San Francisco with his family. He says he loves being a grandfather, and he also opens up about the love of his life, Pam Moore, a TV anchorwoman. Frankie Beverly & Maze will be releasing a new album, Anticipation, next year.
Civil Rights Icon Coretta Scott King is ill. The 78 year-old widow of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was hospitalized briefly in April with a heart condition. She attended Oprah Winfrey's Legend's Ball, but she has been ordered by doctors to scale down her schedule and not travel. 