Entertaining Posts

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Amy Winehouse cancels entire tour

LONDON | Tue Jun 21, 2011 7:00am EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - British singer Amy Winehouse, whose career has been blighted by alcohol and drug abuse, has canceled all her scheduled concerts after she was jeered by fans in Serbia recently for a shambolic performance.

Winehouse, 27, sporting her trademark bouffant hairdo and figure-hugging dress, struggled to perform her songs and keep her balance at the gig in the Serbian capital Belgrade, and on some tunes the audience did most of the singing.

"Amy Winehouse is withdrawing from all scheduled performances," a spokesman said on Tuesday.

"Everyone involved wishes to do everything they can to help her return to her best and she will be given as long as it takes for this to happen."

The Grammy-winning, chart-topping singer of hits including "Rehab" and "Love is a Losing Game" had been due to perform a series of European dates including Athens on Wednesday and Bilbao on July 8.

The tour had been scheduled to wind up on August 4 in Portugal.

The news is a major setback for the artist and her entourage. Only three weeks ago she checked out of a rehab clinic and confidently looked forward to her upcoming tour.

Winehouse, who has struggled with addiction throughout her career, rose to fame in 2006 with hit single "Rehab" and won four Grammys awards in 2008 including best new artist and album of the year.

She was unable to attend the ceremony in Los Angeles because of legal problems, and she is yet to release a follow-up recording.

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)

Monday, June 20, 2011

50 Cent writes anti-bullying book for teens

LOS ANGELES | Mon Jun 20, 2011 7:27pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rapper 50 Cent, who rose to fame with songs that told of drug use and violence, is aiming to steer teenagers away from schoolyard bullying with a book called "Playground" that will reach stores in January, his publisher said on Monday.

The story 50 Cent will pen is about a 13 year-old bully who learns to mend his ways after witnessing the harm he caused, according to Penguin Young Readers Group.

It is partly based on 50 Cent's own life. The rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, grew up in the New York City neighborhood of Jamaica, Queens, in an area that had heavy crime during his youth.

"I had a strong desire to write 'Playground' because I wanted to explore how a kid becomes a bully," 50 Cent, who has a teenage son, said in a statement.

"I drew on events from my own childhood and adolescence, but was excited to see the story take on its own life," the rapper said.

50 Cent began winning fans in the late 1990s with songs like "Thug Love" and "How to Rob," but after an attempt on his life, his record company dropped him. He staged a comeback in the early 2000s with his album "Get Rich or Die Tryin'," and since then he has recorded albums and performed in movies.

He published a 2005 autobiography called "From Pieces to Weight" and followed that in 2009 with a life strategy book "The 50th Law," co-written with Robert Greene.

Even though the rapper, who has sold over 22 million albums worldwide, hopes to discourage teens from bullying, he has engaged in his share of public feuds over the years.

In 2009, he traded barbs with rapper Rick Ross, taunting him in lyrics and on video for formerly working as a corrections officer. Before that, 50 Cent traded insults with rappers The Game and Cam'ron, among others.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Ryan Dunn, star of Jackass movies, dies in fiery crash

By Dave Warner

PHILADELPHIA | Mon Jun 20, 2011 12:46pm EDT

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Actor Ryan Dunn, a star of the "Jackass" movie franchise, died early Monday when the 2007 Porsche he was driving careened off a highway and burst into flames.

An unidentified passenger also died in the crash at 2:38 a.m. local time.

Police in West Goshen Township, a western suburb of Philadelphia, said they found the car off the road in a wooded area. They said it was "fully engulfed in flames."

A police statement said a "preliminary investigation revealed that speed may have been a contributing factor to the accident."

Dunn, 34, born in Medina, Ohio, lived in nearby West Chester, Pennsylvania, police said.

Shortly before the accident, Dunn posted a photo to his Twitter account at 1 a.m. which apparently showed him drinking with friends.

The daredevil actor, part of the stunt-crazy crew in the Jackass movie franchise, also starred in "Haggard: The Movie," in which he played himself.

(Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Greg McCune)

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Amy Winehouse cancels shows after Belgrade blunder

LOS ANGELES | Sun Jun 19, 2011 4:57pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - English pop singer Amy Winehouse, whose promising career has been crippled by substance abuse problems, cut short a European tour on Sunday after fans in Belgrade jeered her shoddy opening-night performance.

Winehouse, 27, sporting her trademark bouffant hairdo and figure-hugging dress, struggled to perform her songs and keep her balance as her band gamely played on. On some tunes, the audience did most of the singing.

On other occasions, Winehouse lectured her bandmates, and anxiously clutched her arms. She appeared to be reading the lyrics from a teleprompter. The singer was headlining a Serbian festival, whose lineup included techno singer Moby.

A representative said upcoming festival dates in Istanbul on Monday and in Athens on Wednesday would be canceled. Her next show is scheduled for July 8 in Spain.

"Despite feeling sure that she wanted to fulfill these commitments, she has agreed with management that she cannot perform to the best of her ability and will return home," a statement said. "She would like to apologize to fans expecting to see her at the shows but feels that this is the right thing to do."

Belgrade media and fans heaped abuse on her in the aftermath of the show. One fan, writing on Winehouse's website, described her as "another punkass junkie and lush."

Another took a more sympathetic view. "I was there, and it was (a) sad thing to watch. Shame on her management, to allow her on stage in that state. She's not to blame -- she needs help."

Winehouse has been getting help for years as she struggled with addiction. She rose to mainstream fame in 2006 with the hit single "Rehab," and won four Grammys awards in 2008 including best new artist and album of the year. She was unable to attend the ceremony in Los Angeles because of legal problems, and she is yet to release a follow-up recording.

(Reporting by Dean Goodman; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Springsteen saxophonist Clemons dies: reports

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