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Ashlee Gets Booed and Doesn't Mind
MTV
Ashlee Simpson had wanted to start 2005 with a clean slate, but as her first appearance of the new year demonstrated, not everyone is as eager to put her "SNL" snafu behind her as she is. You'd think being booed in such a public forum as the Orange Bowl would be traumatic, but the singer/actress insists she's unfazed.
"There was some booing that went on after the halftime show was finished," she said. "If they didn't like the performance, and that's what it was about, then sorry to them."
Some have said Simpson was booed at Miami's Pro Player Stadium because the rowdy crowd of 72,000 wasn't the same age bracket as Simpson's teen audience. Others have said it was payback for "SNL," for her being a bad sport, walking off the stage and later blaming her band for a miscue (see "Ashlee Simpson's 'SNL' Excuse Bolstered By Rehearsal Tape"). Still others have complained that she just sounded bad. But Simpson has a few theories herself about why boos were heard following the closing line of her song "La La," "I want to hear you scream!"
"Maybe they were booing at me, maybe they were booing at the halftime show 'cause the whole thing sucked," she said. "I was facing [the Oklahoma Sooners], and I was rooting for USC, and they played a clip of it, so maybe it was that those people didn't like me. You never know. But I can't make everybody happy."
Simpson also pointed out that for this performance, the circumstances were less than ideal.
"There were no ear monitors when we went onstage," she said. "No floor monitors. And trying to sing in a stadium where you can't hear yourself is kinda hard. My sister [Jessica] was like, 'I don't know how you just did that! I performed in stadiums, and if I didn't have my ears, I would have freaked.' "
Still, Simpson said she's learned a lot from both the "SNL" and Orange Bowl experiences (see "Ashlee Identifying With 'Wannabe' Character, Says She's Over 'SNL' Episode"), with the biggest lesson being that she has to "keep pushing forward and being really strong, and no matter what you go through, fight through it." After all, she said 2004 wasn't all bad — her reality show was a hit, as was her debut album, Autobiography, which ended up being one of the top 10 best-selling albums of the year (see "Usher's 'Yeah!' Was Most Played Song Of 2004").
"I go from having a #1 album and things going great and all of a sudden something like 'SNL' happens and boom! You're faced with how mean people can be and criticizing you and stuff," she said. "But I've learned a lot about myself through all of this. It's like, I'm not perfect and I'm not going to be perfect. I'm still 20, and a new artist, and I will only grow. And I look forward to continuing to not listen to what one person says and making good music."
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Jacket Jackson donated to Tsunami Relief
PopDirt
'The Insider' correspondent Marc Malkin reports that Janet Jackson has donated an undisclosed sum to the American Red Cross for tsunami relief.
"She is specifically donating money for water sanitation to help prevent disease," Jackson's rep tells said. "She is not looking for PR for herself, but just wants to use her resources to help save some lives if she can."
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Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt Separate
People
Hollywood power couple Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt have decided to separate, PEOPLE magazine reports exclusively.
"We would like to announce that after seven years together we have decided to formally separate. For those who follow these sorts of things, we would like to explain that our separation is not the result of any of the speculation reported by the tabloid media. This decision is the result of much thoughtful consideration," Pitt and Aniston said
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Aaliyah's Label Can't Sue Video Producer Who Booked Ill-Fated Flight
MTV
A New York court has ruled that Aaliyah's record company cannot sue the video producer who booked the private jet that crashed in the Bahamas in 2001, killing the singer.
The Manhattan appeals court reversed its June 2004 decision, which had allowed the company to file suit, saying on Thursday that only Aaliyah's parents had a right to sue for wrongful death (see "Aaliyah Killed In Plane Crash"), which they had already done in 2003 and received compensation for, according to The Associated Press.
The June ruling allowed Blackground Records to file suit because Aaliyah was considered the prime "asset" of the company and not just an employee.
According to the AP, Frank Penski, Blackground's appellate lawyer, said as of Thursday he had not seen the decision and did not know if his client would further pursue a lawsuit against the producer.
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Mariah Carey Soars with 'It's Like That'
GrooveVolt
Mariah Carey's never been one to cede the spotlight to fellow singers and she refused to be overshadowed again this week when the singer's team leaked her latest single, "It's Like That", to radio one day after Jennifer Lopez' "Get Right" hit the airwaves.
The release of Carey's single, from her forthcoming album, The Emancipation of Mimi, came as a surprise since most expected the singer to release "Say Something" to radio on January 25. Both "Say Something" and "Tonight" (featuring Pharrell) had been leaked via the Internet in early December.
Carey's new album will hit store shelves March 22. The album includes production from The Neptunes, Kanye West, R. Kelly, and Jermaine Dupri. "For the first time in my life, I feel free and unashamed to be who I really am," Carey said. "I am celebrating that I've grown into a person and artist who no longer feels imprisoned by my insecurities. I can now honestly say, 'This is me, the real me, take it or leave it.' "
"It's Like That" aired first on Hot 97 in New York City. Since the leak, over 40 stations have begun playing the track which is getting a great response. The singer is planning to shoot the video with director Paul Hunter. "I'm actually in LA, getting ready to meet with Paul Hunter, who you know, did Honey with me a long time ago and did the Drop It Like It's Hot video," she told DJ Angie Martinez.
Carey is also launching the fashion line Kiss Kiss next year, planning to pen a series of children's books and plans to take on Broadway. The Emancipation of Mimi, will be her first album since the release of Charmbracelet in 2002.
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WildWritings.com's Top 5 Headlines of 2004
WildWritings.com
5. Britney Marriage #2 ("Hm, is this for real?")
4. Ashley Lip-Synching Mishap on SNL ("Can you believe it!?")
3. Britney Marriage #1 ("That 48 hour one")
2. Michael Jackson Molestation Charges ("..he just gets more wierd every year")
1. Janet Jackson Superbowl Malfunction ("Damn! Damnnnnnnn")
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J. Lo Sued By First Ex-Husband Over Firing
MTV
Jennifer Lopez's first ex-husband has sued the singer/actress for alleged breach of contract over his sacking as the manager of her Madres restaurant in Pasadena, California.
Ojani Noa, who was married to Lopez from 1997 to 1998, claimed in a suit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court that he was fired as the restaurant's manager despite assurances from his ex that he would not be let go without "good cause or reason," according to reports.
Noa quit his job managing Los Angeles' Conga Room to take the $1,000-per-week job at Madres in April of 2002, and said he was fired six months later without notice.
In the suit, which seeks unspecified damages, Noa claims he has attempted to speak with Lopez numerous times about the firing but that she has not returned his calls. A Lopez spokesperson could not be reached for comment at press time.
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Geri Halliwell Looks To Emulate Dido
PopDirt
The Daily Star reports that former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell is looking to ditch her pop image to be a more serious performer like Dido. "Geri's had enough of doing the same old videos and shows where she's flaunting her curves and acting like a teenager," an insider revealed. "She's told her people she wants her career to take a new, more adult direction. As far as she's concerned, that means a total image overhaul to kick it off. She's using Dido as an example of what she's going for. She's 32 and wants to appeal to a different audienc
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Mariah Carey's Dreaming Of A Disney — And Broadway — Christmas
VH1
Jessica Simpson might be the holiday pinup of 2004, thanks to her recent album and TV show, but Mariah Carey is a close second, even though her Christmas album was released 10 years ago. Thanks to the online resurgence of Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You," Carey's dreaming of a Disney — and a Broadway — Christmas.
Carey's signed on to perform at the 21st annual Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade, where she'll sing "Joy to the World" as well as "All I Want for Christmas," which currently ranks as a top-10 seller — and was recently the best-selling holiday song — on iTunes. The two-hour parade, which will be hosted by Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa, will be broadcast at 1 p.m. ET on December 25 on ABC, and will also feature performances from Ashanti, "American Idol" favorites Kelly Clarkson and Diana DeGarmo, and country stars Wynonna Judd and Shedaisy.
But that's not all — Carey's also planning ahead for next year, when she would like to make her Broadway debut. It's too early for many details on the project, but the singer hopes to create, produce and star in an annual Christmas musical, according to her label publicist.
For now, she's content to star on her upcoming album, The Emancipation of Mimi (due out March 22), for which she's enlisted a slew of collaborators (see "With Help From Kanye, R. Kelly, Snoop, Mariah Readies New LP"). Most of her current guest stars are from the hip-hop world, and past collaborator Jay-Z said that's because the singer, whom he describes as "really a regular person," is a hip-hop fanatic. "She has a wealth of information about hip-hop," he said. "She listens to a ton of hip-hop."
At the same time, Carey's current collaborators are trying to help her get back to her roots, a key reason why she feels the album is an "emancipation" (see "Janet Has Damita Jo, Madonna Has Esther — Now, Mariah Has 'Mimi' ").
"I brought Mariah back to Mariah Carey," said producer Jermaine Dupri, who worked with her on four songs. "Her singing is something kids could follow. All those kids like Christina Aguilera, they looked up to Mariah when they first came out. That was the person they liked voicewise. In the studio, I'm telling Mariah, 'This is what you gotta do, you gotta get yourself back to what kids is following.' "
"I always looked up to Mariah," said collaborator Pharrell Williams, who worked with her on two songs. "She broke a lot of records — literally. And our records, they feel wonderful. For me, it was a pleasure."