Usher broke down in tears today in an Atlanta court -- after his
ex-wife's attorney insinuated he cares more about partying than he does
about his children.
Usher was on the stand for hours today in his ongoing custody
trial with his ex Tameka Foster -- and during questioning, Tameka's
lawyer whipped out photos of the singer partying in Europe in February.
Usher's fighting for more custody with his kids -- but Tameka's
lawyer was trying to prove he'd rather go wild at a nightclub than be a
good dad.
Usher was also grilled about his alleged drug use. The singer
admitted to smoking pot in the past, but when the subject turned to his
alleged ecstasy use Usher's lawyer objected.
Usher insisted he never used drugs in front of the children -- an
allegation Tameka made early in their custody fight -- but hedged on
the subject of seeing his children while under the influence.
To say that I am in shock over the passing Thursday of Donna Summer
would be an understatement. Over and over again I heard people remark,
“I didn’t even know she was sick.” Getting the news while I sat at my
desk yesterday was like someone sneaking in my office behind me and
hitting me in the head with a baseball bat, like where did that come
from? Sadly it was true and the thought made my life flash back in front
of me. I was a 15 year old kid sitting in the back of my Aunt Betsy’s
Volkswagon beetle as she drove to Coney Island and “Love To Love You
Baby” comes on the radio and she turned to my mother and said “This is
that song I was telling you about that I heard at the Disco, she sounds
like she’s…” and then realizing that myself and my two little cousins
were in the backseat she quickly changed the station. I was 16 in the
courtyard of Tottenville High School during lunch period and “Spring
Affair” came on the radio. There was a big whoop heard from all the kids
in the courtyard and we all broke into the Hustle. The next year I was
buying 45’s at Our Music Center and Ray behind the counter comments as
he opened a box, “Oh here is the new Donna Summer single.” I bought it
without even hearing it. I took that 45 home and popped it on to my
turntable as I couldn’t wait to hear it.
The song was called
“Can’t We Just Sit Down and Talk It Over.” I was shocked it was a
ballad! I liked it for sure but flipped it over just to hear the back
and was blown away. I played that “B” side over and over for days as I
had never heard anything like “I Feel Love” before. Soon that “B” side
became the hit and changed music forever. I’m 19 waiting for my friend
Tom to get dressed before heading out to the Ice Palace and Disco 92
played “Hot Stuff” and “Bad Girls” back to back and we were living! I’m
21 at Alex In Wonderland and “I Feel Love” comes on and halfway through
the song the track goes off! The dance floor was living inside the track
and we were all blown away by the Patrick Cowley “Megamix.” I’m 23 and
spinning at Abracadabra and played “Our Love” and the whole crowd is
singing every word and the chorus “Our love will last forever” captured a
moment of innocent celebration by a family soon to lose that innocence
as we start losing many members as A.I.D.S. swept through or community. I
am at the Intermetro Record Pool picking up product and there are
copies of “There Goes My Baby” cracked in half in the garbage. When I
asked Dewayne Dixon what happened he said the Gay DJ’s were making a
statement against Donna Summer by boycotting her music after she made a
statement about A.I.D.S. being God’s way of taking care of Gay people! I
was shocked and hurt and didn’t know what to think and I asked Dewayne,
“Do you think she really said that?” He answered, “I met Donna Summer
once and she was real nice and embraced her Gay fans whole heartedly and
I want to believe it isn’t true. I’m giving her the benefit of the
doubt.” I agreed with him and did the same and in the end we were right.
She was misquoted and had never turned her back on the Gay community
even when so many of us turned our back on her.
I’m 29 and spinning
“This Time I Know It’s For Real” at the Spectrum in Brooklyn. This was
the club where they filmed Saturday Night Fever at and I remember
turning on the lighted floor and thinking all was right in the world.
Donna’s voice was booming from the speakers, the floor was packed and I
thought to myself, “Disco never died it just got a make-over and y’all
don’t recognize it.” Disco may not have died but Donna Summer did.
Or did she? Everytime I hear one of her songs and I see the joy on the
face of the people around me isn’t that what was life is about, isn’t
that living. People will say her music will live on, but in her case it
actually gives us life. Providing a soundtrack for us at so many
important moments in our lives. How many important family functions have
you been to where the night ended with “Last Dance”? Donna Summer was
simply the most important female vocalist of the 70’s and her career
lived on right up to now as her later recordings still thrilled
dancefloors. Jimmy Smith asked me what song did I play after I got the
news of her death that made me cry. For him it was “Someday.” I cried as
soon as I heard the news. I recently did a Quantum Leap show that had
“Spring Affair/ Summer Fever” on it and in fact that is playing right
now as I right this. But for me the song that the mere thought of
brought the most tears to my eyes was “I Will Go With You (Con Te
Partiro).” You’re going to hear a lot of her songs I suspect this week,
but for me these are a dozen that I never get tired of hearing…
1 -
“Try Me I Know We Can Make It” – By far my favorite single by her. I
interviewed Giorgio Moroder for DMA magazine and he told me that he
spent time in a DJ booth and watched how the DJ worked the crowd through
peaks and valleys and went in the studio to condense an entire disco
night on one side of an album and he succeeded with flying colors. 2
- “I Feel Love” – This appears on the “I Remember Yesterday” album as
the last cut. Since the album was a musical tour through time starting
with the Big Band influenced title track I asked Giorgio if “I Feel
Love” was his view of what the future of music would be and he answered
yes. He was so right as in this tune and his own albums “From Her To
Eternity” and “E=MC2” you hear the roots to all the electronic dance
music we enjoy today and the Patrick Cowley “Megamix” took this to the
next level. 3 - “Mac Arthur Park Suite” – Without a doubt this was
the weirdest choice of a tune to cover but she did it brilliantly and
for me I can close my eyes and I’m at Studio 54. This song is quite
possibly the most perfect example of a disco record ever recorded. 4
- “With Your Love” – From the “Thank God It’s Friday” soundtrack, “With
Your Love” is one of those singles many people forget about but
shouldn’t. I had a party at Twist during the Winter Music Conference and
Radionic through this on and the roof came off the club. Brilliant!
5 - “This Time I Know It’s For Real” – Textbook comeback single! Stock
Aiken and Waterman were at their peak at this time and Donna never
sounded better. 6 - “I Will Go With You (Con Te Partiro)” –
Emotional, beautiful and sung to perfection. Again not the easiest
choice of a cover but like “Mac Arthur Park” Donna worked her magic and
made it totally hers. 7 - “Our Love” – This is such a perfect
recording that you could play it today and it would still pack the floor
even if the crowd is too young to remember it. 8 - “Rumor Has It” –
Power, energy and a hell of a lot of fun is this tune off her “Once
Upon A Time” album. Of all her Double LP’s this was my favorite. 9 -
“On The Radio” – What a great song and Donna sounded so powerful
singing it that her vocal seems to float in the air as her voice comes
out of the speakers. 10 - “I Do Believe I Fell In Love” – This is a
ballad and my favorite of her ballads. It’s from the “She Works Hard For
The Money” album and I love how the track over 5 minutes continues to
build in intensity to it’s climax. 11 - “All Systems Go” – This is a
personal favorite of mine from the album with the same name. there was a
promotional 12” released that was a tremendous hit for me and I never
understood why it wasn’t released commercially. This should have been a
much bigger hit than it was. 12 - “Could It Be The Magic” – When
Donna covers a tune she claims it and her recording of this Barry
Manilow single still sounds great today. Funky baselines and Donna’s
sexy vocals take this track over the top. Where the original was over
dramatic and self conscious, Donna makes it sexy, energetic and fun!
“Once Upon A Time” there was Donna Summer and all was right in the world!
Harry F. Towers is the founder of DEET Promotions and Sirenia Records.
(RNN) – Robin Gibb, one-third of the legendary group the Bee Gees, is in a coma.
Gibb has developed pneumonia and has been battling colon and liver cancer, according to The Sun. The Associated Press reported Saturday that family members, including his wife Dwina and brother Barry, were at his bedside in a London hospital.
Gibb's son described the 62-year-old as seriously ill.
Gibb was born on the Isle of Man in 1949, only 30 minutes ahead of twin brother Maurice.
The Brothers Gibb - Robin, Maurice and older brother Barry - sold more than 200 million albums during their career.
The band became synonymous with disco, but they started out in the 60s as a British pop-influenced band, much like the Beatles.
In 1969, Robin Gibb would also strike out on a solo career and garner his first hit with Saved By The Bell. The song hit No. 2 on the British charts.
In the 70s, Robin Gibb would rejoin his brothers and crank out their first No. 1 hit together, How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?
In time, the band would retool their sound and become the soundtrack of dance halls everywhere.
They hit their commercial stride on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack with hits like Stayin' Alive, Night Fever and How Deep Is Your Love?
Robin Gibb, center, was one-third of the Bee Gees,
along with brothers Barry and Maurice. (publicity photo)
The Bee Gees were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
Both Robin and Maurice Gibb suffered from twisted intestines. Maurice died in 2003 from problems related to the condition.
Younger brother and fellow singer Andy Gibb died in 1988 from inflammation of the heart.
In a March interview, Robin Gibb told Daily Mail he had been diagnosed in 2010 with cancer , but it had gone into remission after surgery and chemotherapy.
Exclusive “SKIN” Debut Performance at Georgie’s Alibi, Featuring Drag Star Faith Michaels.
by Tracie Goodwin
Music was the theme March 16–25, 2012 in Miami Beach, Florida for the 27th Annual Winter Music Conference. The Winter Music Conference is the platform for the global music industry, launching new music, technology, and trends— and featured ten non-stop days of music programming. Winter Music Conference celebrated to music and fashion on its opening weekend and indie rock meets electronic house on the closing weekend.
The Winter Music Conference also featured events, including the famously popular Georgie’s Alibi bar, in Wilton Manors, Florida, featuring a special exclusive performance Sunday, March 18th by Recording Artist LaMont Wheatwho debuted the soon to release single “SKIN”, featuring Faith Michaels brought to you by MyGayRadio.com, www.EternalMuzik.comand Aiden Solis Productions. LaMont, moved the audience with "I've Got It," “Still Standing” a tribute to World AIDS and closed out his live performance with “I believe in You and Me” paying tribute to the late Whitney Houston. LaMont said, “ Whitney's has been a great loss for all of us, and the impact she had and her influence on me as a vocalist is something I will always carry with me.”
The Winter Music Conference, in Miami Beach is an annual week long event that can only be explained as the Olympics for DJs and clubbers alike. Nowhere else on the planet and at any other time, can you find more DJ’s and parties to attend in a single week. This is where electronic music artists come from all over the world to give fans and colleagues a taste of the music they have been preparing,” says House Music TV.com.
St. Patrick’s Day during the Winter Music Conference was action packed and featured live performances where LaMont Wheat introduced Faith Michaels at Boom Nightclub, in Wilton Manors, Florida, before she performed her 2011 music video award winning single Fetish. Faith Michaels had previously left the crowd spellbound and wanting more when she performed Neva at the newly opened Wilton's Bier Garden.
The Winter Music conference featured many other artists who were in attendance from around the globe, such as the Italian base production team Joe Crugliano and Samuel of The Style, Paris-based DJ/producer Dan McConomy of The Stereo Flow, among others, resulting in various collaborations.
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About Winter Music Conference
Winter Music Conference, in its 27th consecutive year, is one of the most publicized annual music gatherings in the world. A pivotal platform for the advancement of the industry, WMC attracts thousands of artists and music industry delegates from 70 countries and over 100,000 event attendees each year for a concentrated schedule of more than 400 events, parties, seminars and workshops.
About LaMont Wheat
LaMont Wheat is a Los Angeles based international Electro/R&B singer, songwriter and producer. His reedy vocals are a hybrid between Teddy Pendergrass and Luther Vandross with a modern twist. His popular single, “I’ve Got It” is being played in heavy rotation on radio stations around the globe. LaMont’s voice and sound are quickly gaining popularity and is sought after by many producers and labels for his catchy melodies and lyrics. Originally from Texas, he recognized his passion for music at an early age and founded his high school’s first inspirational choir called the, “Voices of Youth”. In college, LaMont sang with a gospel trio that toured nationally as an opening act for many Gospel artists, such as Shirley Caesar, John P. Kee, Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams and Daryl Coley. Keeping in tune with his Gospel roots, he is affiliated with the legendary “Los Angeles Gospel Messengers”, a community choir founded by the late Rev. James Cleveland. LaMont wrote and produced his first CD entitled “Love Goes On”, which was released in 2004 under his record label, “LaMont Music”, followed by the release of “That Girl” (2006) and “I’ve Got It” (2011). He has shared the stage with many musical icons, such as PM Dawn, Kelly Price, Faith Evans, Joe, Jennifer Hudson, Brian McKnight and Jennifer Lopez. LaMont was also featured on FOX’s “Good Day LA” Christmas morning concert in 2010. LaMont recently collaborated in the studio with original “Dream Girl” and actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, and recorded renditions of “Still Standing”, a song co-written by LaMont and inspired by Sheryl’s 21 year old HIV/AIDS awareness foundation. "Still Standing" released as a tribute to World AIDS December 1, 2011 and made the top 100 new releases on iTunes two days in a row and will be featured and performed on the main stage at the XIX International AIDS Conference July 22-27 in Washington DC.
When I think of soulful Iconic sounds, I think of the motown era and we are all familiar with the soulful tunes of Teddy Pendegrass. Teddy had a way of delivering a song that left you moved, touched and inspired. So often the creations of music greats go forgotten, and every now and then they are remembered and paid respect through a remake of their original creations.
Teddy is sure to be dancing to the most recent remake of his tune "The More I Get- The More I Want It" by Davidson Ospina featuring David Walker. This remake is jubulant and filled with the passion of old with a new zest and sparkle of modern house. The production is on point and David's vocal interpretation will leave you wanting to hit the replay button.
There is something to be said about "when two or three are gather"... you saints out there know the rest. Let's just say that Melonie Daniels and Barbara Tucker both bring their legacy, spirit and soul to this project providing radiating background vocals that mixed together breahes life into the space of any dance floor, club, party or arena. There is a sense of community when artist come together and create. Create out of love and out of passion; sharing their gifts without reason. Only the creators of this great remake knows what it took in order that they come together and share of themselves in love, but one thing we know for sure is that the world will be enlivened and impacted by their creation and generosity.
"The More I Get- The More I Want It" is set to world premier in March, but you can get a sneak preview here at BBINT Magazine. Be sure to like us on facebook and keep updated with entertainment news breaking around the world.
