Dap-Kings singer Sharon Jones dies
Sharon Jones, the powerhouse who shepherded a soul revival despite not finding stardom until middle age, has died at the age of 60.
Jones’ representative, Judy Miller Silverman, said that Jones died in hospital after battling pancreatic cancer. Loved ones and members of her retro-soul band, the Dap-Kings, were among those surrounding her, Silverman added.
The story of Jones' battle with cancer, first diagnosed in 2013, was told in Barbara Kopple's documentary Miss Sharon Jones released earlier this year. Though she triumphantly returned to the stage in 2015 after the cancer went into remission, Jones late last year announced its return. Jones mounted another comeback with the defiant single I'm Still Here and hit the road again this summer with the Dap-Kings despite undergoing chemotherapy.
* Associated Press
Eddie Redmayne locked Fantastic Beasts script in a safe
Oscar winning actor Eddie Redmayne has revealed that he kept his Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them script in a safe.
The 34-year-old, who stars as magizoologist Newt Scamander in the fantasy film, says he occasionally defied the team’s orders to smuggle the tome off set.
“I never ever have done a film where you have to literally lock up the script,” he said “First, you’re not really allowed a paper script. I was like, ‘I need a script to write notes on it’. Occasionally, I would smuggle my script home.”
Redmayne, who has five-month-old daughter Iris with his wife Hannah Bagshawe, also found out about the role in a “wonderfully top-secret way” when he visited a venue in Soho, London.
“As I went to this place, it was pouring rain, and downstairs in the basement, there was a fire and David.” he said “The whole thing had a Diagon Alley vibe to it. I had this embarrassment that I looked like one of those actors that turned up dressed for the part.”
*IANS
Amitabh Bachchan puts spotlight on poverty
Ahead of today’s (Saturday’s) Global Citizen Festival India (GCFI), Amitabh Bachchan has highlighted the plight of some of the world’s poorest nations. The 74-year-old shared a photograph of himself shaking hands with the British band Coldplay’s frontman Chris Martin.
“Come support poverty eradication,” Bachchan captioned the image on Twitter and his official blog. “This concert being performed for the eradication of poverty in our universe, and for the well-being of the poor!” he wrote, “A sense of pride envelops us as we speak about the venture and why not.” The festival is focused on creating an impact in areas of education, equality, and clean water and sanitation.
In addition to performances from Coldplay, GCFI will feature The Vamps, Jay Z and Demi Lovato.
* IANS
Kanye West declares support for Donald Trump
Rapper Kanye West has come out in support of Republican President-elect Donald Trump, drawing boos and whistles from fans. West told the audience at a concert in San Jose, California that he didn’t vote in the US presidential elections “but if I would have voted, I would have voted for Trump.” The rapper remained quiet during the acrimonious 2016 election campaign while Hollywood stars and other music heavy hitters like Beyonce, Katy Perry and Bruce Springsteen supported Democrat Hillary Clinton. “I hate the fact that because I’m a celebrity, everybody told me not to say that I loved the debates,” West said, in videos of remarks posted by concert-goers on Twitter and YouTube.
“I loved his (Trump’s) approach,” added West, who last year declared he was considering running for US president himself in 2020.
* Reuters
Marilyn Monroe dress sold for $4.8 million
The figure-hugging dress Marilyn Monroe wore for her sultry rendition of “Happy Birthday before then U.S. President John F. Kennedy at a 1962 gala has been sold for $4.8 million (Dh17.6) at an auction in Los Angeles.
Ripley’s Believe it or Not purchased the Jean Louis designed dress covered in sequins, the Beverly Hills-based Julien’s Auctions.
With its color matching her skin tone, the dress, which was so tight that Monroe had to be sewn into it, gave the impression she was nude. “Marilyn Monroe singing ‘Happy Birthday Mr. President’ is certainly one of the most famous impromptu performances in American history,” said Darren Julien, President and CEO of Julien’s Auctions.
* Reuters
Judge makes $36 million ruling against Bobbi Kristina Brown’s former boyfriend
A Georgia court made a judgment of more than $36 million (dh132.2 million) against Bobbi Kristina Brown’s former boyfriend after he was held legally responsible for her 2015 death.
The judgment against Nick Gordon, who has not been criminally charged, totalled $36.25 million, according to attorneys David Ware and Glenda Hatchett, who represented Brown’s estate.
Brown’s estate, who brought the lawsuit, accused Gordon of causing her death by giving her a “toxic mixture” and also stealing from her bank account while she was comatose. Gordon has denied the allegations and said he tried to save Brown’s life.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge T. Jackson Bedford ruled against Gordon by default in the lawsuit after neither Gordon nor his lawyer attended a hearing in the case in September, Ware said.
“The Defendant will not escape justice nor ever profit from his misdeeds. We hope that in some small way this will allow Krissy’s family to continue their quest for peace,” Ware said in an emailed statement.
* Reuters
