Bruno Mars is Billboard’s TOP Artist of 2013
Billboard has crowned Bruno Mars as its Artist of the Year over many musicians who grabbed more headlines through the year such as Miley Cyrus, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga.
“It’s flattering. It’s just an honor. I’m proud to be a part of this whole team that I have,” said Mars of this accomplishment.
“No one is handing Bruno Mars a record to make,” Julie Greenwald, chairman/COO of Atlantic Records Group, told Billboard. “He’s writing, producing with collaborative partners, singing, playing, choreographing – a quintuple threat who’s great at executing his vision.”
Billboard pointed out that Mars’ album generated three Top 10 singles and that his Moonshine Jungle world tour ranked in the Top 25 tours of the year. He returns to the road on Feb. 28 and his tour is slated to reach Los Angeles at some point next year, as the itinerary is still to be announced.
Kevin Durant Opens Restaurant “Kd’s Southern Cuisine” In Oklahoma City
OKC Thunder baller, Kevin Durant, opened his own restaurant, “Kd’s Southern Cuisine,” in Oklahoma City’s Bricktown area KD teamed up with the Hal Smith Restaurant Group for the new restaurant, featuring southern-style food such as chicken fried steak, barbecued pork ribs, chicken and waffles, fried catfish, and collard greens. In speaking on his new venture, Kevin said that he hopes it feels like home to those who stop by:
I always want people to come in and enjoy themselves anywhere they go. I like seeing people smile. Hopefully they come into my restaurant and it feels like a home, family type of feel and they can just enjoy themselves for a few hours.
The restaurant has a two-story wine room that carries more than 800 bottles of wine, while a private dining room in the back of the restaurant comes complete with bar and space for a DJ. There’s two menus, one with items ranging from under $10 to around $25, and a second “Baller’s Menu” with items like a 14 oz. prime New York strip steak with two side dishes for $52.Originally scheduled to open on Monday, its grand opening was pushed back to Wednesday (Dec. 11th), due to the winter storm that hit the area late last week.
Brad Pitt And Shia LaBeouf Appear In On-Set Peek At "Fury"
Looking like they stepped right out of the early '40s, Brad Pitt and Shia LaBeouf posed on the set of their new movie, "Fury."
Taken by director David Ayers, the snapshot is one of the series of daily pics posted. This one is captioned, "Day 56."
In the photo, Brad and Shia pose in their gritty uniforms along with three of their similarly-dressed co-stars.
Set for release next November, "Fury" follows a crew of Americans in Nazi Germany toward the end of World War II who embark on a brave mission.
Christina Milian, Jas Prince & Violet + Rocsi Hit 'Disney On Ice Presents Rockin' Ever After'
Christina Milian brought cutie patootie Violet to see Disney On Ice.Singer/actress Christina Milian brought her adorable 3-year-old daughter Violet for some fun times:
Christina's rumored fiance Jas Prince ws there for some family time.
Cute!
And Rocsi Diaz was there to interview the celebs--like Tori Spelling and her husband and kids--for "Entertainment Tonight".
By the way, Christina is starring in the USA tv movie A Snow Globe Christmas with Donald Faison.
R. Kelly & Miley Cyrus Spotted At The 2013 Jingle Ball In NYC
The 2013 Jingle Ball in NYC had a full celeb lineup this year it was Miley Cyrus, Robin Thicke, R. Kelly, Pitbull, Paramore, Enrique Iglesias, Fall Out Boy, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Selena Gomez, Fifth Harmony, Ariana Grande, Jason Derulo and Austin Mahone. But, we spotted pics of Miley Cyrus and R. Kelly at the event.
Miley was brought to the stage by Lindsay Lohan and still twerked it on out…
R Kelly got busy as well!
Good Times!
Meagan Good Attends “Anchorman 2″ London Premiere
Meagan Good sizzled on the red carpet, while hitting up the London premiere of Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. The 32-year-old actress stepped out in a gold deep V-neck gown, that also flashed some leg, and topped off the look with a dark red lip.
She blew a kiss as she posed for the camera, and also joined in with the rest of the cast for a group snap. Catch more pics from the evening inside.
She looks Nice But as a Pastor’s Wife????? That’s another story!
J. Cole Engaged To College Sweetheart?
Word on the Internets is that J. Cole is engaged. The Roc Nation rapper allegedly popped the question to his college sweetheart, although there is still no confirmation.
Reports MTV News:
Has J. Cole really put a ring on it? The Roc Nation rapper has addressed his longtime relationship with college sweetheart Melissa Heholt in previous interviews, never revealing too many personal details, but this week reports are claiming that Cole might've made it official with his girl.
This week several outlets, including MediaTakeOut, continue to report that the North Carolina rapper popped the question to Heholt, who he began dating as a sophomore at St. John's University in Queens. The official Twitter account of Cole's alma mater, retweeted a message which read, "Congrats to @JColeNC on his engagement to his @StJohnsU college sweetheart #SJU #ColeWorld."
If this proves to be true, the "Crooked Smile" rapper should look forward to some decent tax breaks. J. Cole was on the bill at Cali Christmas last night and recently dropped a verse on Justin Timberlake's "TKO (Black Friday Remix)."
J. Cole's latest album, Born Sinner, is in stores now.
Drake Sued For Bailing On 2 Chicago Concerts
One of the people making a nice chunk of change off of Drake is his lawyer since the Toronto native stays getting sued. The "No New Friends" rapper is being sued for allegedly backing out on a couple of Chicago concerts in 2012.
Reports TMZ:
Drake is a little too full of himself ... bailing on 2 concerts to which he committed before blowing up, and agreeing to perform only if he was paid a fame premium -- this according to a new lawsuit.
Several Chicago concert promoters claim Drake agreed to do the shows in 2012, just before he became very rich and very famous. According to the suit, the now-famous Drake said he would take the stage ONLY if the promoters would up the ante.
The show was set for March, 2012 at a venue that held 8,500 people. Drake performed 3 months later at a nearby venue that seated 28,000.
The promoters say they invested more than $200K and they want their dough.
Wait, Drake became "very rich and very famous" in 2012? But his proper debut, Thank Me Later, dropped in 2010, though. It was pretty successful. See what we did there?
Tatyana Ali PARTIES In New York City With Sexy Model Rey Lopez, Announces New Album!
Tatyana Ali, who stars in "Young & The Restless" and the Lifetime Holiday film Dear Secret Santa, was spotted out and about in New York City braving the arctic temps of the city. Tatyana and her "companion" (we see you chick....), male model Rey Lopez, were seen walking through SOHO before heading over to the ZINK Magazine Holiday party where they sipped cocktails with Dylan McDermott and Nigel Barker.
Outside of her acting career, fab chick Tatyana made a big announcement yesterday for her longtime fans. You may recall that she had a few hit singles back in the day ("Daydreamin", "Boy You Knock Me Out") and now she's returning to her love for music. The former "Star Search" finalist has plans to release a new album of music in January! We'll keep you posted about album deets.
In the meantime, you can catch Tatyana in Dear Secret Santa (with Jordin Sparks, Della Reese, and more) on Lifetime...y'all know it will come on 20 more times before the Holiday.
Jovan Belcher’s Body Exhumed
Former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher’s body has been exhumed more than a year after he killed his girlfriend and himself so that his brain can be examined for signs of a degenerative condition linked to repeated concussions.
Jovan’s family had his body exhumed on Friday at North Babylon Cemetery in the Long Island, New York, community of Bay Shore, the family’s attorney, Dirk Vandever, told The Kansas City Star. Vandever didn’t immediately respond to an email and phone messages left on Saturday by The Associated Press.
An examination of Belcher’s brain could determine whether he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy last December when he killed his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins, with whom he had an infant daughter, in their home. Belcher then drove to the Chiefs’ practice facility and shot himself in the head in the parking lot.
Bennet Omalu, an expert on the destructive brain condition, said he “would bet one month’s salary that (Belcher) had CTE” and the local medical examiner should have performed a test for it.
CTE is a progressive disease linked to multiple concussions. It has made headlines in recent years with the deaths of some former professional athletes, and lawsuits filed against the NFL by others worried about the still unclear toll of a sport that can bring repeated blows to the head. Symptoms include memory problems, behavior changes including aggression, and eventually dementia.
Dan Ferguson, a spokesman for Jackson County, stressed the medical examiner’s job is to determine cause of death and that removal of an organ or tissue strictly for research isn’t allowed.
Belcher’s brain also could have been donated for research, but Vandever said Belcher’s family wasn’t contacted about such a donation.
The fact that it’s been a year since Belcher died could complicate the exam. But Omalu said important scientific findings remain possible, noting that he has found clear evidence of Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases during autopsies performed on bodies buried longer than Belcher’s.
Judge who let off 'spoiled' rich teen who killed four in DUI previously put Black Kid aged fourteen in prison for TEN YEARS
The judge in the controversial Ethan Couch case hasn’t always been so lenient and last year sentenced a 14-year-old African American boy to 10 years in prison after he punched someone and they died.
Judge Jean Boyd is facing calls to be removed from her position after she handed out the remarkably lenient sentence - 10 years probation - to 16-year-old Couch who killed four people and injured seven while on a drunken joyride.
The case has attracted nationwide attention after a psychologist claimed that Couch suffered from ‘affluenza’, a condition in which his wealth and privilege kept him from understanding the consequences of his actions.
Judge Jean Boyd is facing calls to be removed from her position after she handed out a remarkably lenient sentence of 10 years probation to Ethan Couch who killed four people while on a drunken joyride
Last year Judge Boyd sentenced a 14-year old boy to prison for killing one person with a powerful punch. The teenage suspect’s name was never made public since he was prosecuted as a juvenile.
'Just after 10 p.m. on October 6, the teen was riding in a Cadillac with two friends when he suddenly jumped out of the vehicle in the 1700 block of Vaughn Avenue and punched [Mark] Gregory, who was 5-foot-1 and weighed 106 pounds,' said the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office in a statement.
'We were horrified. We just couldn't believe it. The district attorney and I were just sitting on pins and needles. But, when nobody would take him, [it was] a sigh of relief.'
Lauterbach said she's still disgusted at her experience with the judge.
'She's too easy on them,' Lauterbach said. 'I don't think she needs to be sitting on that bench.'
Boyd is expected to retire next year, but a petition has been launched at change.org demanding that Texas Governor Rick Perry remove her from the bench immediately.
Instead of prison, Couch is set to spend time at the swanky Newport Academy male residential rehabilitation center in California with his parents footing the bill
'This sentence is a slap in the face [of] the families of those who were killed. He's sent to California to a spa-type center while the families of the victims get to go to a cemetery,' wrote a supporter of the petition, Stephen Pyka of Texas.
'This is another disgusting display of the wealthy trying to change the rules when they break them. This judge should be removed for aiding a murderer,' noted another supporter, Nina Eagle of Appomattox, Va.
The relatives of one of the seven friends who were piled into Couch’s pickup truck have spoken out about the ‘living hell’ they have been in since the accident six months ago.
Sergio Molina was in the back of a pickup truck being driven erratically by Couch when he slammed into four people on the side of a road.
Sergio, who is now 16, is still alive but has a completely different existence than he did before the accident as he is paralyzed, ‘minimally conscious’ and needs constant medical attention.
Speaking to CNN, Sergio’s older brother Alex Lemus said that doctors warned them of getting their hopes too high.
‘That’s all we can hope for, is how he is now for the rest of his life,’ Lemus said.
He attended Couch’s trial in place of his brother, who can barely move without assistance.
When the judge handed down a sentence of 10 years’ probation and no jail time for the crash, Lemus said that he had trouble processing his anger.
He said he was ‘disappointed, so outrageously angry that I couldn’t say anything’.
His mother, Maria Lemus, still breaks down in tears when thinking about all of Sergio’s dreams that seem so far out of reach in light of the accident.
‘He was the best son, he was the kind of boy who had a lot of dreams,’ Lemus said.
‘He was his first dream was to be a soccer player. He was sweet.’
Sergio’s family estimates that they have accrued more than $1million in medical bills over the past six months, and they are now suing Couch’s family and his father’s business - the car that the boys were in was owned by the company - for up to $20million.
‘That kid killed four people and crippled my little brother and doesn’t even have to serve one year? If he were poor like us, he would’ve gotten 10 years, I bet,’ Alex Lemus told The Dallas Morning News.
They are not the first victims relatives to speak out in light of the controversial ruling, as Eric Boyles, who lost his wife Hollie and 21-year-old daughter Shelby in the accident said he is dissatisfied with the easy sentence, and thinks Couch should have been tried as an adult.
Since he was tried as a juvenile, Couch faced a maximum of 20 years in prison but would have been eligible for parole after two years.
'You look at 180 years of future life taken from the four individuals...Even a two year deal, a two year sentence before he's eligible for parole, didn't seem exactly fair under those circumstances,' Boyle said.
Additionally upsetting to Boyle is the fact that Couch will receive his counseling at a 'country club'-style treatment center- with a pricetag of $450,000 per year and features equine therapy and organic menu options- in ritzy Newport Beach, California.
State District Judge Jean Boyd appeared to agree with the defense.
She told the teen that he is responsible for what happened, but she said she didn't believe he would receive the therapy he needed in jail. If he violates the terms of his probation, he could be sent to prison for 10 years.
Defense attorneys asked that he be sent to a private rehabilitation home near Newport Beach, California, which costs an enormous $450,000 a year. His father said he'd foot the bill.
Prosecutors said the juvenile justice system also offered counseling.
Breanna's mother, Marla Mitchell, said she was 'mad' about the sentence and embraced the families of the other victims outside of the courtroom.
'He'll be feeling the hand of God, definitely,' she told WFAA.com. 'He may think he got away with something, but he hasn't gotten away with anything.'
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘BA BA BA BA BA-NA-NA-NA’
Ahhhhhh it’s so fluffy!!!! I love Despicable Me so I’d get super excited to see these two Minions rolling back some prices with me. How about you guys?
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!
EFREM
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