By Roger Friedman

HollywoodNews.com: orget the nominees. This year, the Grammys are finally doing it right. It’s a celebration of the world of music. They’ve just announced a Beach Boys reunion with Brian Wilson, Al Jardine and Mike Love. Add to that performances from Paul McCartney, and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. That would be enough. Dayenu! But of course Adele is performing, and so are hot new groups like Foster the People, The Civil Wars, and (less newish) Maroon 5.

Chris Brown is going to be incredible — it’s time to move on from his troubled past. Diana Ross, who gets a Lifetime Achievement Award on Saturday night, is a presenter. Carrie Underwood and Tony Bennett are performing together. The show sounds like it’s going to take five hours. But it will be worth it. There’s a rumor that Lady Gaga is opening the show. No word yet on Van Halen. LL Cool J is hosting. All they’re missing is Lana del Rey (just kidding!)

To read more go to www.showbiz411.com

Follow Hollywood News on Twitter for up-to-date news information.

Hollywood News, Hollywood Awards, Awards, Movies, News, Award News, Breaking News, Entertainment News, Movie News, Music News

HollywoodNews.com: Gwyneth Paltrow and Beyonce have become good friends over the years, so much so that Paltrow was apparently happy to give the singer and her husband, Jay-Z, a pricey stroller for their new baby girl.

It is reported that Paltrow gave Beyonce and Jay-Z an $880 stroller from Bugaboo for their daughter, Blue Ivy, states UsMagazine.com. Paltrow was one of the first stars to tweet about Beyonce and Jay-Z welcoming their first child together.

Beyonce reportedly already bought a $3500 NurseryWorks VETRO Lucite crib for her new daughter.

What do you think about the extravagant gifts?

Follow Hollywood News on Twitter for up-to-date news information.

Hollywood News, Hollywood Awards, Awards,  Movies, News, Award News, Breaking News, Entertainment News, Movie News, Music News

Image by PR Photos

HollywoodNews.com: Christina Aguilera has been open about having a broken relationship with her father, Fausto, but it seems she may now want to do something about it.

Aguilera recently commented that she may want to face that relationship after reporting that he was emotionally and physically abusive in the past, states Hollyscoop. “I’ve talked about how rough things were for me, and I’m sure he’s heard it. He can’t be thrilled about it. So maybe one day we can do lunch…I’m 31 years old now. Maybe it’s time,” Aguilera commented.

Aguilera has reportedly not seen her father in about 12 years.

Do you think they’ll mend their relationship?

Follow Hollywood News on Twitter for up-to-date news information.

Hollywood News, Hollywood Awards, Awards,  Movies, News, Award News, Breaking News, Entertainment News, Movie News, Music News

Image by PR Photos

HollywoodNews.com: Beyonce and Jay-Z are apparently taking their daughter’s name very seriously as they are reportedly trademarking the name Blue Ivy.

The two have allegedly filed documents with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to prevent businesses from using the now very famous name, states Hollyscoop. It is rumored that attempts to use the name have already been turned down by the office.

Beyonce and Jay-Z are allegedly doing this in order to make sure that it doesn’t seem they are endorsing different businesses.

Do you think this is a good move?

Follow Hollywood News on Twitter for up-to-date news information.

Hollywood News, Hollywood Awards, Awards,  Movies, News, Award News, Breaking News, Entertainment News, Movie News, Music News

Image by PR Photos

By Beck/Smith

While some other ex-boy band members might not have much career action these days, Joey Fatone couldn’t be busier. Maybe that’s because the one-time *NSYNC singer’s professional life is diversification personified. He’s a man on the move, crisscrossing the country as he juggles multiple demands. “I’m hustling,” declares the pop star cum actor-dancer-host — who has now added Celebrity Foodie to his list of personas.

Viewers of the “Rachael vs. Guy Celebrity Cook-Off” saw Joey make a respectable showing as an amateur chef this week. He made it to the final four and picked up a $5,000 prize for his charitable foundation by acing an on-the-spot challenge — before Lou Diamond Phillips became the winner and Coolio came in second. Now, Joey’s about to head out on the road to shoot more episodes of his new Live Well network cooking show, “My Family Recipe Rocks.” He tells us that “Family Recipe” — in which he visits everyday people making extraordinary dishes in their home kitchens — actually came about before he even signed on to the competition show.

“We’ve already done 10 episodes. We’ve gone to West Palm Beach, Chicago, Vegas, North Carolina…Now we have 10 more to do. In the next couple of weeks we’ll go to New Orleans and on from there. I don’t know what I’m getting,” he says. One memorable cooking episode featured fried gator with bourbon, he says. This week’s show (2/4) has a man demonstrating the “old school, Southern kind of way” to fix collard greens.

“It’s been pretty crazy,” says Fatone, who is now headquartering in Orlando, Florida with wife Kelly and their two daughters. “I’m about to fly back to Vegas to do the live version of ‘The Price is Right,’ and my family will come join me for a couple of weeks. It’s a blast. You pay for a ticket, you might be called to come on down. We play Plinko and stuff like that. It’s also great because it keeps the hosting chops up for me. This is a great way to do that, because these players come from all walks of life, they’re not pre-screened, they’re normal people who come to see a show,” he says. They’re doing the live “Price is Right” in Atlantic City as well.

Joey’s also been working on his acting career, he says. His latest project is the recently-released slasher movie, “Inkubus” with Robert Englund. It’s coming to home viewing On Demand and DVD Feb. 21. “It was my first horror film. That took me completely out of my element,” says Fatone, a scary movie buff. ” It was so cool.”

To read more go to www.becksmithhollywood.com

Follow Hollywood News on Twitter for up-to-date news information.

Hollywood News, Hollywood Awards, Awards, Movies, News, Award News, Breaking News, Entertainment News, Movie News, Music News

By Roger Friedman

HollywoodNews.com: Paul McCartney‘s wonderful “Kisses on the Bottom” is not the only Beatles-eque CD of the day. Roberta Flack is delivering her long-awaited “Let it Be Roberta,” a stunning reimagining of Beatles songs like “We Can Work it Out,” “In My Life,” “Come Together,” George Harrison’s “Isn’t it a Pity,” and –shockingly–a three minute version of “Hey Jude.” On the latter, Roberta simply turns the main song into an acoustic rendering and drops the long “na-na” section. Her versions of “Let it Be” and “The Long and Winding Road” are terrific, too. Go straight to amazon or ITunes right now for these CDs. Then of course Van Halen has “A Different Kind of Truth” with David Lee Roth returning as lead singer and Wolfgang Van Halen replacing Michael Anthony as bassist. There are also two more contemporary releases: from the Fray, and from country star singer Dierks Bentley. McCartney is all set for a big Grammy weekend (MusiCares Person of the Year and the Grammy show.) I’d be surprised if Van Halen doesn’t rear its many heads also over Grammy weekend. But if the record business is looking for a push, this Tuesday is it–at least until March 6th when Bruce Springsteen releases “Wrecking Ball.”

PS Leonard Cohen released an exquisite album last week. For some reason he called it “Old Ideas.” This is like a marketing buzzkill. How about “New Ideas,” Leonard? Or how about any of the nine titles of the songs on the CD? Anything but “Old Ideas.” For a guy who lost all his money, and needs to make some, you’d think he’d pick something a little more exciting or enticing. Anyway. It’s not like the album is just Lenny crabbing away. The lyrics and melodies are magical, and he adds great female back up singers. Get it.

To read more go to WWW.SHOWBIZ411.COM

Follow Hollywood News on Twitter for up-to-date news information.

Hollywood News, Hollywood Awards, Awards, Movies, News, Award News, Breaking News, Entertainment News, Movie News, Music News

By Beck/smith

HollywoodNews.com: Madonna, back in the Superstar spotlight with her “W.E.” film and her date to perform at the Super Bowl, finally addressed the matter of her self-described biggest fan, Lady Gaga.

Of the homage to Madonna’s “Express Yourself” that is intrinsic to Gaga’s “Born This Way,” she told ABC’s Cynthia McFadden it “feels reductive.” As in reduced, abridged, less than. She also said “I can’t really be annoyed by it…because obviously, I’ve influenced her.”

Obviously indeed. Where does the line fall between being influenced by someone and plain old copying them? Grace Jones, another Gaga influence, was quoted in the U.K. saying, “I’ve seen some things she’s worn that I’ve worn, and that does kind of p— me off.” But it’s Madonna, more than other celeb, who keeps getting the Gaga déjà vu. Acknowledging that both ladies’ talents are far beyond those of more run-of-the mill stars, we decided to run a comparison check:

Madonna, nee Madonna Louise Ciccione
Vital Statistics:
Birthplace: Bay City, Michigan
Age: 53
Height: 5′ 4½”

Lady Gaga, nee Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta
Vital Statistics:
Birthplace: New York City
Age: 25
Height: 5’1”

Madonna record-holding: The Top Selling female recording artist of all time, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, with more than 300 million records sold world-wide.

Lady Gaga record-holding: First music artist to get a billion viral views on You Tube; Most Followers of anyone on Twitter — 13 million – according to 2012 edition of Guinness Book of World Records.

Madonna, Structure: Flab-free perfect muscular dancer’s body, and toned yoga arms
Gaga, Structure: Flab-free almost androgynous-looking body with bones apparent

Madonna, watch it with those things: Cone bras
Gaga, watch it with those things: Machine gun bras

Madonna, ancestry: Italian and French Canadian
Gaga, Ancestry: Italian and French Canadian

Madonna, outrageously eye-catching in: “Erotica” book S&M gear, “Sex” book nudity including nudity hitchhiking; topless with black leather, whips in a stable evoke bestiality in a W photo spread; male drag and more.
Gaga, outrageously eye-catching in: “Alejandro” video S&M gear, meat dress, plastic bubble dress, Muppet dress, antlers, horns, no pants, male drag, lobster hats, dozens of other wacky performance art-ish outfits.

Madonna, Family: One of eight children of an automobile design engineer father, she lost her mom to breast cancer when she was a young child. The traumatic life event scarred and strengthened her.
Lady Gaga, Family: Elder of two sisters. Her father Joseph is an internet entrepreneur, mother worked in telecommunications. Resists description of childhood as “affluent,” but it was at least comfortable.

Madonna, Coming of Age: Dropped out of the University of Michigan, where she attended on a dance scholarship, and headed to New York City on her own to make it as a performer with $35 in her pocket. “The bravest thing I’d ever done.” She worked at Dunkin’ Donuts until her dance gigs supported her, eventually getting into the music scene, singing, playing drums and guitar in her earliest bands.
Lady Gaga, Coming of Age: Dropped out of NYU, where she was a musical theater student at the Tisch School on early acceptance (age 17). A pianist from age 4 and song writer from age 13, she went and got her own apartment in the City (her father agreed to pay the rent for a year) to make it as a performer. Before she hit it big, she says burlesque dancing was her No. 1 source of income.

Madonna, Religious Background: Had a strict Catholic upbringing. Now she strongly supports the Jewish related Kabbalah faith.
Gaga, Religious Background: Grew up in the Roman Catholic faith, attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart private all-girls school on Manhattans Upper East Side.

Madge, Provoking the Church: In the “Like a Prayer” video, she danced in front of burning crosses and it was so controversial that she lost her endorsement with Pepsi. Ongoing tweaks, such as her “Immaculate Collection” compilation album. More recently, upset the church leaders by performing a song during her concerts while hanging from a cross.
Gaga, Provoking the Church: Her “Alejandro” video with Gaga sucking on rosary beads and wearing a nun’s habit in scenes suggesting S&M and group sex led to Katy Perry’s Tweet: “Using blasphemy as entertainment is as cheap as a comedian telling a fart joke.” Her “Judas” song caused the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights to accuse her of blasphemy, too.

Relationship status, Madonna: Twice divorced (Sean Penn, Guy Ritchie), son Rocco with Ritchie, daughter Lourdes with Carlos Leon. She’s been linked to choreographer Brahim Rachiki and studly male model Jesus Luz in recent years.
Relationship status, Gaga: Single, boyfriend of six months is handsome actor and model Taylor Kinney

Madonna and girls: She made headlines by deep kissing Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera at the VMA awards.
Gaga and girls: Proclaims her bisexuality.

Madonna influences: The Supremes, Martha Graham, Karen Carpenter, Led Zeppelin, Rudolf Nureyev
Gaga influences: Madonna, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Andy Warhol, Grace Jones, Yoko Ono

Madonna, Quote: “People think being a star is about being fabulous, having your picture taken all the time, going to parties in limousines, having everyone worship and adore you, being rich, rich, rich… …having it all. And you know what? They’re absolutely right.”
Gaga, Quote: “I’ve made it my goal to revolutionize pop music. The last revolution was launched by Madonna 25 years ago.”

To read more go to www.becksmithhollywood.com

Follow Hollywood News on Twitter for up-to-date news information.

Hollywood News, Hollywood Awards, Awards, Movies, News, Award News, Breaking News, Entertainment News, Movie News, Music News

By Roger Friedman

HollywoodNews.com: Popular seventies recording act Sister Sledge–”We Are Family” was their monster hit– and country star Ronnie Blakely of the movie “Nashville”–have filed a class action suit against Warner Music Group. This is a big deal. The suit is based on Eminem’s successful similar suit against Universal Music Group from last year. It’s based on the record companies’ alleged non payment of royalties on digital downloads, mostly to “legacy” artists whose contracts never foresaw the advent of ITunes and the disappearance of physical records.
The Warner suit has far reaching implications because it encompasses not just Warner, but its especially lucrative catalog business via Atlantic Records (Aretha Franklin, Sam & Dave, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett) and Rhino Records (which has repackaged all that material for decades). It’s also a class action suit, which means dozens of artists from the heyday of Warner-Elektra-Atlantic-Rhino can join the suit as it progresses. Damning for WMG are former CEO Edgar Bronfman’s quarterly proclamations to shareholders over the last six years that “digital sales are booming” (I’m paraphrasing) while everything else was in the toilet. Recordings of those analysts calls are sure to be played before some jury in the future.

The suit can be distilled thusly: “However, in breach of its contractual obligations under its Standard Recording Agreements, WARNER has treated its transactions with Digital Content Providers as “sales” rather than “licenses.” In so doing, WARNER has applied the incorrect formula for calculating royalties owed to Plaintiffs and Class members, taken unjustifiable deductions (including, but not limited to, the Net Sales Deduction, the Container Charge deduction, and the AudiophileDeduction), and applied a royalty percentage that is, in general, less than half of what it should beapplying in its computation.”

The suit was filed by four law firms. The principal is Pearson, Simon, Warshaw, and Penny in San Francisco.

To read more go to WWW.SHOWBIZ411.COM

Follow Hollywood News on Twitter for up-to-date news information.

Hollywood News, Hollywood Awards, Awards, Movies, News, Award News, Breaking News, Entertainment News, Movie News, Music News

HollywoodNews.com: Adam Lambert is doing some rumor control after it came out that he may be the new frontman for Queen for an upcoming tour.

A report quoted Adam as commenting on his performance with the band for last year’s MTV EMAs: “The intention is to pay tribute to Freddie and the band by singing some f***ing great songs. It’s to keep the music alive for the fans and give it an energy that Freddie would have been proud of,” states The Hollywood Reporter.

However, while that quote was used to interpret Adam as claiming he’d be a part of a tour with the band, the young singer cleared things up over Twitter: “Oooh them clever reporters takin my quotes outta context…. I haven’t confirmed any guest appearances. I was talking about the EMA’S. That being said, I’m truly flattered by your jump to such glorious conclusions mr journalist!! .”

Do you want to see him with Queen?

Follow Hollywood News on Twitter for up-to-date news information.

Hollywood News, Hollywood Awards, Awards,  Movies, News, Award News, Breaking News, Entertainment News, Movie News, Music News

Image by PR Photos

By Roger Friedman

HollywoodNews.com: Madonna may be getting ready for her big Super Bowl half time show on Sunday. But her movie, “W.E.” has opened to the worst reviews of her entire horridso called film career. “W.E.”–cleverly redubbed “WTF?” by Kyle Smith in the New York Post, has scored a measly 18% on Rottentomatoes.com. That’s out of 100%. Critics around the country and the world-especially the British papers–hate it. I told you this would happen last September when “W.E.”–Madonna’s misinterpretation of the love story of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor–opened at the Toronto Film Festival. Since then much has happened–including Madonna’s ex-communication of cast member Abbe Cornish, who, according to sources, “she simply doesn’t like.” Only actress Andrea Riseborough, who plays Wallis Simpson, has made the publicity rounds.
Ironically, just as Madonna is performing in Indianapolis on Sunday, the full weekend box office numbers should be out–and they won’t be pretty. That is unless you’re interested in seeing the Duchess of Windsor dance to Chubby Checker’s “The Twist” while her husband watches from his death bed. Or listening to Madonna dismiss the couple’s visit to Hitler and their support of Nazi Germany. Or see actor James D’Arcy– a six foot two slim model–play Edward, the five foot seven nincompoop who abdicated (thank goodness) the British crown to marry an already twice wedded American who reportedly cheated on him.

“W.E.” is an odd and off putting movie, that’s for sure. The dialogue is crass, the sense of history is derived from skipping high school classes. But I must take credit for one thing — I dubbed this film “Wally and Wallis” in July 2010 as a tribute to “Julie and Julia.” Now everyone’s hopping on the bandwagon. But when people from two different eras–one dead, one alive because she’s breathing–start talking to each other, you know there’e trouble.

To read more go to WWW.SHOWBIZ411.COM

Follow Hollywood News on Twitter for up-to-date news information.

Hollywood News, Hollywood Awards, Awards, Movies, News, Award News, Breaking News, Entertainment News, Movie News, Music News