Jay-Z

U2 and Jay-Z

Shakira

Leona Lewis

Green Day

Katy Perry

Tokio Hotel

Foo Fighters

Beyonce is probably the hardest working woman in the music industry. 

During the past year-and-a-half, she’s promoted her latest CD, filmed seven music videos, embarked on a world tour, starred in a movie and made countless television appearances around the world.

You would think she needed a vacation right? Not so.  She still has a host of projects on her plate before the year ends. 

Beyonce is releasing a DVD on Nov. 23 titled “I Am…Yours” An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas.” Also, on Nov. 23,  the “I Am…Sasha Fierce: Deluxe Edition” will be in stores. 

The deluxe edition features two new songs including “Video Phone,” which is a duet with Lady Gaga.  The video will be released Thursday (Nov. 5).

She also has a Thanksgiving special that will air Nov. 26 on ABC.

Lady Gaga and Beyonce pose with Billboard editor-in-chief Bill Werde and a group of children at the Billboard Women in Music ceremony (AP photo by Evan Agostini)

 

 

Billboard magazine honored a group of women Oct. 2 during a ceremony that recognizes the female power players in the music industry.

Beyonce was named “Woman of the Year” and pop star Lady Gaga recieved the “Rising Star” award.  Thirty other women were recognized for their contributions to music.  Their names are listed below.

Judy McGrath – Chairman/CEO, MTV Networks

Julie Greenwald – Chairman/COO, Atlantic Records

Jody Gerson – Co-president, Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Kathy Willard – Executive VP/CFO, Live Nation

Sylvia Rhone – President, Universal Motown Records

Debra Lee – Chairman/CEO, BET Networks

Alexandra Patsavas – Owner, Chop Shop Music Supervision

Amanda Marks – Executive VP/GM, Universal Music Group Distribution

Claudia Palmer – Executive VP/COO, Europe, EMI Music Publishing

Julie Swidler – Executive VP of business affairs/general counsel, Sony Music Entertainment

Marian Leighton Levy – Chairman, Rounder Records

Marsha Vlasic – Senior VP of contemporary rock, International Creative Management

Tammy Genovese – CEO, Country Music Assn.

Cynthia Sexton – Executive VP of music services, EMI Music, Worldwide

Brenda Romano – President of promotion, Interscope Geffen A&M Records

Amanda Ghost – President, Epic Records

Andria Vidler – President, EMI Music U.K. & Ireland

Lia Vollack-Friedman – President of motion picture music, Sony Pictures Entertainment

Kara DioGuardi – Co-owner, Arthouse Entertainment; VP of A&R, Warner Bros. Records

Linda Newmark – Executive VP of acquisitions and strategic projects, Universal Music Publishing Group

Melissa Lonner – Senior Producer, ‘Today’

Rebeca Leon – VP of Latin talent, AEG Live/Goldenvoice

Kathy Spanberger – President of the Anglo American region, peermusic

Jennifer Schaidler – Executive VP of sales, Sony Music Entertainment

Cara Lewis – Agent, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment

Alison Smith – Senior VP of performing rights, BMI

Livia Tortella – GM/Executive VP of marketing and creative media, Atlantic Records

Marilyn Bergman – Former president/chairman, ASCAP

Liana Farnham – VP of marketing concerts/network integration, MSG Entertainment

Marilyn Santiago – Programming/operations manager for Miami, Spanish Broadcasting System

She  let Taylor Swift finish her acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Now, she pulled a child who has cancer on stage with her and serenaded her with the hit song “Halo” during a concert in Sidney, Australia.

The video clip is posted below.

Michelle Obama

Kim Kardashian

Beyonce

Nicole Richie

Taylor Swift

Freida Pinto

Cameron Diaz

Reese Witherspoon

Vanessa Hudgens

Kate Winslet

The controversy involving Kanye West’s and Taylor Swift’s incident at the MTV Video Music Awards has penetrated the walls of the White House.

During an interview with CNBC, President Barack Obama called Kanye a “jackass” when asked about his thoughts on the ingredient. 

He said “I thought that was really inappropriate.  He’s a jackass.”

Although I agree Kanye was a “jackass” for rudely interrupting Taylor Swift’s speech, I was surprised the president of the United States weighed in on this issue. 

Since he’s juggling health care, fixing our terrible economy and managing a war overseas, who knew he had time to fit the Taylor Swift and Kanye West discussion into his busy schedule.

In Obama’s defense, he made the comment BEFORE the interview actually began, and he was unaware that it was going to be recorded.  He assumed it was off-the-record. 

TMZ obtained a leaked version of the audiotape, and the off-the-record transcript is posted below.

Interviewer: Were your girls as hacked off as mine were that Kanye gave Taylor Swift the Joe Wilson treatment?

Obama: “I thought that was really inappropriate. You know it was like she’s getting an award. Why are you butting in? I hear you. I agree with you.”

Interviewer: So does that count as the first question?

Obama: “The young lady seems like a perfectly nice person. She’s getting her award. What’s he doing up there? He’s a jackass. No, now this… all this stuff, I’m assuming all this stuff. Where’s the pool? Come on guys. Cut the president some slack. I got a lot of other stuff on my plate. Yeah. Cause I remember last time it was the fly thing.”

Interviewer: No that worked out well for you. You were a ninja.

Obama: Except PETA.

Leno asked Kanye about the MTV Video Music Awards incident where he snatched the microphone and interrupted country singer Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech.

Jay Leno also asked about what Kanye’s deceased mother would have thought about the incident.  The clip is posted below.

Pop singer Kelly Clarkson is the latest celebrity to have harsh words toward Kanye West after the incident with Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Clarkson wrote a lengthy blog on her Web site criticizing Kanye, and she used profanities too.   The full blog is posted below.

Dear Kanye,

“What happened to you as a child?? Did you not get hugged enough?? Something must have happened to make you this way and I think we’re all just curious as to what would make a grown man go on national television and make a talented artist, let alone teenager, feel like sh*t. I mean, I’ve seen you do some pretty shi**y things, but you just keep amazing me with your tactless, a**hole ways.”

“It’s absolutely fascinating how much I don’t like you. I like everyone. I even like my a**hole ex that cheated on me over you…which is pretty odd since I don’t even personally know you.”

“The best part of this evening is that you weren’t even up for THIS award and yet you still have a problem with the outcome. Is winning a moon man that much of a life goal?? You can have mine if it will shut you up. Is it that important, really??”

“I was actually nominated in the same category that Taylor won and I was excited for her…so why can’t you be?? I’m not even mad at you for being an a**hole…I just pity you because you’re a sad human being.”

“On a side note, Beyonce has always been a class act and proved again tonight that she still is. Go TEXAS!!

Taylor Swift, you outsell him ….that’s why he’s bitter. You know I love your work! Keep it up girl!”

From Kelly Clarkson

However, toward the end of the show when Beyonce won an award, Beyonce let Taylor come on stage to speak and finish giving her acceptance speech. 

The video clip is posted below.

While Taylor was giving an acceptance speech, Kanye West walked on stage, grabbed her microphone, and said Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time.  Kanye was disappointed because Taylor won. 

It was highly disrespectful of Kanye to interrupt Taylor’s acceptance speech.  It was Taylor’s moment to shine, and Kanye ruined it. 

Beyonce has plenty of MTV awards sitting at home in her trophy case.  It’s okay if Taylor wins one trophy.  The video clip of the incident is posted below.

Everyone knows Beyonce looks good and sounds good in real life, but we will soon find out how she sounds in animated form.

Beyonce will provide a voice-over for a character on the Nickelodeon cartoon “Wow Wow Wubbzy.”

She will do voice-overs for four episodes beginning April 27. 

Meanwhile, Beyonce is on a break from her world tour which will resume April 26 in Croatia.

Tim Henley

Rihanna was spotted hanging out with  singer Brandy, and they later met Jay Z and Beyonce for dinner at a restaurant.

The photos are posted below courtesy of Splash News Online.

Etta James said she was only joking when she dissed Beyonce during a concert in Seattle.

James told the New York Daily News, “I didn’t really mean anything. Even as a little child, I’ve always had that comedian kind of attitude. That’s probably what went into it.  Nobody was getting mad at me in Seattle.  They were all laughing, and it was funny.”

During the concert, James told the audience “That women he had singing for him, singing my song, she gon get her (explicative) whipped.  I can’t stand Beyonce.  She had no business up there singing my song that I been singing forever.”

She was referring to how Beyonce sang a remake of Etta’s song  ”At Last” during Barack Obama’s inauguration ball.

I don’t believe Etta was joking whatsoever. I think she meant what she said.  In case you haven’t heard the audiotape, click here to listen and decide for yourself if you think she was joking.

Tim Henley