[CrimsonTide4]

The Rhythm and Blues Foundation is moving its headquarters to
Philadelphia. The foundation was created to help R&B stars and honor
them in their later years. A lot of our musical legends have fallen on
our hard times due to financial hardships and medical illnesses. Many
are forgotten and cast to the side and the foundation is there to give
them a hand. I had a chance to talk to legendary producer Kenny
Gamble, who is responsible along with Mayor Street and Governor
Rendell, for bringing this to Philly. He says Philadelphia is the
perfect home for the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. Philadelphia has a
deep musical history and now it will be known as the home of Rhythm
and Blues. A lot of exciting plans are in the making and later this
year the big roll out of events will take place. I will keep you
posted on the many events and galas that will be happening in the
city.

Is singer Brian McKnight engaged to the mystery brunette I told you
about a few weeks ago? My sources in New York were with him in at a
radio promotion and apparently the young woman was referred to as his
fiancée. Brian is promoting his new CD, Gemini. His people are being
quiet, but actions speak louder than words. This woman is always with
Brian, right by his side, as he promotes his latest work. I love the
album. Brian has admitted this album reflects the real him. Is there a
message in the music? Check out the song "What We Do Here." Hmmmmmmmm?

The first season of the hot television series, Desperate Housewives is
coming out on DVD this summer and it will feature scenes too hot for
TV. Last week was a crazy one for actress Marcia Cross, who plays the
uptight housewife "Bree Van De Camp." Reports came out that she was
about to come out of the closet and reveal herself to be a lesbian.
Cross says this is not true and she believes the rumors started
because she is 42 and single. Cross's most public romance was years
ago with the late actor Richard Jordan and that was when she starred
on Melrose Place. Desperate Housewives will be tackling the subject of
homosexuality when Cross's characters discovers that her son "Andrew"
is gay.

Alicia Keys is looking fabulous. She looked stunning at the Grammys.
Is it because she is about to embark on a movie career? The Broadway
show "Dreamgirls" is being made into a movie and producers want Alicia
to star in it. Could the new look reflect her new state of mind? She
is reportedly dating the ex-husband of Vanessa Williams, former
basketball star Rick Fox. Whatever it is, she has said goodbye to the
"boy look" and hello to "glam." Alicia is supposed to be to coming to
Philly to do a show. She will be performing along with John Legend on
April 10th at the Liacouras Center, Broad and Montgomery Streets.

Last year was not good health wise for Bernie Mac and now he has
revealed what was wrong. For the past 20 years he has suffered with an
autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the body's tissue most
frequently the lungs. Sarcoidosis is the name of the disease. Actress
Tisha Campbell Martin and basketball great Bill Russell have it.
Sarcoidosis was one the factors leading to the death of football star
Reggie White. Doctors say sarcoidosis is a treatable illness and not
deadly. Bernie says his hectic work schedule working on his television
show and filming back to back movies lead to his latest flare up.
Bernie was sick for weeks and production on his television show was
halted. Bernie is doing much better now as he paces his work schedule.

Celebrity fashion stylist Steven Cojocaru is no longer with the Today
Show. His Thursday fashion segments were a riot and he was very
popular. After suffering a bout with kidney disease he underwent a
successful kidney transplant. Many thought he would give his first
interview to the Today Show, but Cojo gave his story to Oprah Winfrey
and now the Today Show has fired him. Today Show anchor Katie Couric
was furious at his lack of loyalty. So how did Oprah land the
interview? Cojo adores Oprah and he wanted to do the story with her.
He will still continue television segments for Entertainment Tonight
and The Insider.

Michael Jackson needs your prayers! A prayer network has been set up
on his website where you can light a virtual candle and offer a
message of support. He's been admitted to the hospital with what was
previous called an "undisclosed illness" which has turned out to be
the flu. This health crisis has caused a delay in jury selection, all
part of a damaging week for Michael. Former child star Corey Feldman
has revealed that Michael showed him nude photos when he was young.
Years ago Feldman and Michael were very close. They would even dress
alike, but after the 9/11 disaster their relationship changed when
Michael left Feldman stranded in New York. Martin Bashir, the British
film producer who produced the controversial, "Living with Michael
Jackson" special two years ago, is at it again. He has a new
documentary about the "King of Pop" called Michael Jackson's secret
world showing Michael with minors.

Rapper 50 Cent talked to Newsweek Magazine about his past relationship
with actress Vivica A. Fox. The Rapper says Viv was cool and he did
like her, but she needed and wanted too much publicity. He says there
were too many staged events and photographers who would show up at the
drop of a hat. He says he broke it off with her without talking to her
because she would have wanted to fix the problem and he just wanted to
be out of the relationship.

One of the final screen appearances of the late actor Ossie Davis will
be featured on the Showtime series, The L Word. The series premiere is
February 20th. The L Word is the television series that details the
lives of a group of gay woman. Jennifer Beals and Pam Grier star.
Ossie Davis appears in three episodes as their father.

Singer Tyrone Davis died last week. The 66 year Chicago native never
overcame the stroke he suffered last fall. He was best known for the
songs "If I Could Turn back the Hands of Time" and "Change Your Mind."

Raven Simone, the star of the Disney show That's So Raven is doing a
movie for the Lifetime channel. She will star in the movie For One
Night. It's about a teen who stages her town's first interracial high
school prom. She is also doing another Disney movie called All
American Girl.

You are going to see a lot of Beyonce at this year's Academy Awards.
The 77th Annual Academy Awards take place on February 27th and Beyonce
will be performing three Oscar nominated songs. She will perform "I
Believe" with Josh Groban from the motion picture Polar Express. She
will also sing "Learn To Be Lonely" from the "Phantom of the Opera"
and she will be backed by the American Boys Choir to perform the song
"Look To Your Path." The awards will have a different pace this year.
Some nominees will be given their awards at their seats. The
presenters will be at their side. Some nominees will be on stage to
accept their awards. Producers are looking for a quicker pace to the
show. Chris Rock is hosting this year's awards and he will be prowling
the stage and interacting with his audience much like his comedy
shows. Chris is already stirring up controversy in a recent interview
with Entertainment Weekly. He proclaimed, "What straight black man
watches the Oscars?" He also jokingly referred to the awards
extravaganza as a fashion show. Sources say some veteran members of
the Academy are not comfortable with having Chris as the host. It's
going to be a hot night with Chris hosting?

The Soul Train Awards air on March 12th. The show will be hosted by
Fantasia, Brian McKnight, Nick Cannon and the newly engaged Nicole
Richie. Last week she got engaged to disc jockey Adam Goldstein.
Lionel Richie's little girl has come a long way from being a spoiled,
drug plagued party girl.

The 36th Annual NAACP Image Awards air March 25th on Fox. Barack Obama
the new senator from Illinois will be getting the night's highest
honor with the "Chairman Award."

Halle Berry and Brandy's little brother Ray J? HAH! In his dreams! Ray
J tried to hit on the Oscar winner at a premiere party for her HBO
movie Lackawanna Blues. Halle politely turned him down. She is dating
actor Michael Ealy (Barbershop). The two live together and they will
be starring in the Oprah Winfrey television movie Their Eyes are
Watching God. The movie debuts on March 6th on ABC. Halle and
Michael's scenes are hot. You can see why their chemistry spilled off
screen. Halle is also going to be a presenter at this years academy
awards.

P.E.T.A. is coming after Star Jones! The popular host of The View is
known for her fabulous furs and she doesn't give a damn what anybody
thinks. P.E.T.A. is the People for the Ethical treatment of Animals.
They are sick of Star's behavior and they're going to mock her in a
new ad campaign protesting furs. The new ad campaign will feature drag
queen Flotilla Debarge, The Empress of Large, impersonating Star
Jones.

Stevie Wonder is gearing up for a busy spring. He will be releasing a
new album and he's going to be a dad again. Stevie is married to
fashion designer Kai Miller and they are expecting their second child
May 2nd --the same day his album, A time for Love is, released. Stevie
turns 55 on May 13th and he says he will be going on tour this summer.

Whitney Houston's dad speaks from the grave! A new book is coming out
later this year about the singer. The book The Rise and Fall of
Daddy's Little Girl is being written by Kevin Skinner who was an
associate to Whitney's late father John Houston. Skinner says he will
reveal all about the drugs, the affairs, the lies and her marriage to
Bobby Brown.

Tracey Edmonds the wife of Babyface is producing a television movie
about the life of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez. Left Eye was in the popular
group TLC and was well known for making headlines regarding her
personal life. She was tragically killed in a car crash in South
America a couple of years ago.