…Turman in 1984 after five years together. Aretha Franklin and her fiancé Willie Wilkerson Aretha Franklin recently said she is feeling “fabulous” again after suffering from a serious health issue in 2010. The singer was reported to have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer – claims which Aretha Franklin denied. However, Aretha Franklin did undergo an unidentified surgery in December that…
There were numerous reports this week saying that Aretha Franklin was “banned” from Whitney Houston’s funeral on Saturday. New York Daily News reported that Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston’s godmother, “angered” the late singer’s mother, Cissy Houston, with her comments during an interview on the Today Show. “Parents have to really talk to their children before they leave home,” Aretha Franklin…
…ongwriter Diane Warren, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, pop singer Darlene Love, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Antonio L.A. Reid, Ray J and Brandy. One person expected not to attend the funeral, which will take place at 12:00 p.m. EST, in Newark’s New Hope Baptist Church, is Bobby Brown, who family members are said to have told that he is not welcome. Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston's godmother, has been…
…funeral will be shown live on US television after the Houston family agreed to have a single video camera inside the church. Whitney Houston’s funeral will also be streamed on the BBC News website at 12:00 EST. Various media crews are already in place outside the church, hoping to capture footage of the guests arriving and leaving. Whitney Houston was one of the world's best-selling artists…
…est first quarter results in the industry, we will not relax our vigilance toward further improving our cost structure,” Ted Christie, Spirit’s Chief Financial Officer said in a statement on May 1. He said that Spirit would have to make certain adjustments to remain profitable. “However, we must remain focused on offsetting cost headwinds, including rising jet fuel prices and aircraft mainte…
A man has been detained at Midland International Airport in Texas, after he tried to carry explosives through security, according to officials. The man was stopped at the airport when explosives in military wrapping were found in his carry-on baggage as it went through an X-ray machine. The suspect is now being held by the FBI. The airport terminal was cleared for checks, but normal operations ha…
…the roof of the North Greenwich Arena. Pop star Dizzee Rascal and footballer Fabrice Muamba, who suffered a cardiac arrest during an FA Cup match in March, will also carry the flame. Saturday’s 36-mile relay is the first full day in London. Highlights will include visits to the Cutty Sark and the 2012 Games Equestrian Arena in Greenwich. The day will begin at Greenwich Park at 07:22 BST and…
Whitney Houston’s family is to attend the singer’s private burial in Westfield, New Jersey, later. Whitney Houston is to be laid to rest beside her father John Russell Houston, who died in 2003, at Fairview Cemetery. It follows a memorial service attended by some of the biggest names in music yesterday, including her mentor and former label boss Clive Davis, Stevie Wonder and her cousin Dionne Wa…
…ston and her voice – once acknowledged as one of the finest in pop music – was badly damaged. Her marriage to Bobby Brown, with whom she had a daughter, Bobbi Kristina, ended in divorce in 2007. The marriage had been a tempestuous one, with allegations of domestic abuse. “The biggest devil is me. I’m either my best friend or my worst enemy,” Whitney Houston told ABC&#…
…ouston was born to a middle class family in Newark, New Jersey in 1963. She was the third and youngest child of Army serviceman and entertainment executive John Russell Houston Jr., who passed away in 2003, and gospel singer Cissy Houston. It was clear that natural talent in music ran through her family. Whitney Houston’s cousins Dionne Warwick and the late Dee Dee Warwick, and also her godmother…
…former Pop Idol judges Pete Waterman and Simon Cowell had to ban aspiring stars from attempting to tackle Whitney Houston’s hits on the show. Pete Waterman says: “It got so bad in Pop Idol 1 that we literally did say to everybody that walked in, ‘Look there’s no point in you singing Whitney Houston, so if you’re going to sing Whitney Houston, don’t bother singin…
…yet to be determined. “She always had the edge,” Rev Jesse Jackson said outside the church on Saturday. “You can tell when some kids have what we call a special anointing. Aretha had that when she was 14. Whitney cultivated that and took it to a very high level. “The memories are so powerful, the music will be with us forever. We have a lot to rejoice about. Today we praise, we preach and we appre…
The controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is back under scrutiny as the European Parliament prepares to carry out a series of key votes. ACTA seeks to curb the spread of illegally downloaded copyrighted material online. However, critics say it is a potential threat to freedom of speech online. To date 22 member states have signed the treaty – but it is yet to be formally…
d: “It’s a lot of pressure but she prepared me for it.” Bobbi Kristina Brown also told Oprah Winfrey of her final day and night with her mother, Whitney Houston, before she passed away on February 11, 2012. Whitney Houston’s daughter explained: “The very last day, it was so early in the morning I went to go and get her I was like, <<Will you come and lay down with me.>>” She added: “Sh…
…the score for a new film about Liberace, Behind the Candelabra. Starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon, and directed by Steven Soderbergh, the HBO biopic is currently in production and is due out in 2013. Composer Marvin Hamlisch, who wrote the scores for films and shows including The Sting and A Chorus Line, has died in Los Angeles, aged 68 Marvin Hamlisch’s scores for Broadway included…
An era of unprecedented sporting domination came to an end at the London Olympics today, with a stunning victory for Michael Phelps in his last competitive race. Swimming the butterfly leg of the 4X100 medley relay, Michael Phelps, 27, displayed his characteristic power to close down the leading Japanese team and claim a record 18th gold medal and pull clear as the most successful Olympian of all…
If you don’t have any idea, or you don’t have enough time or simply you don’t want to spend money to get a Halloween costume, here are some fun ideas that will have you being the life of the monster bash – and most of these items you probably have around your home: • Carry a quarter and a hammer. What are you? A Quarter-pounder. • Dress in pink and carry a feather. What are you? Tickled pin…
were also more likely to base their age assessment on her face. Nearly two thirds (65%) said it was the face that gave their age assessment rather than the clothes themselves which were judged by just 31% – suggesting that style has a powerful subliminal effect on the appearance of physical features. When sporting on-trend skinny jeans and a short summer mac, three quarters of respondents be…
…ight gain. Study author Monica Lind says: “These phthalates are making people obese. Many are used in body products like fake tan and they are absorbed into the body and bloodstream through the skin.” 3. Multi-tasking For most women, continuously switching between chores is part and parcel of daily life. But new research has found that serially switching tasks exhausts the part of our brain that r…
Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, an Iranian woman who was sentenced to death by stoning in her country on an adultery conviction could be hanged instead. Iranian authorities said today they were moving ahead with plans to execute the woman but are reconsidering what punishment to carry out. Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani is already in prison serving a ten-year sentence on a separate conviction for the mur…
…nor and glamorous figure in European royalty circles, renounced her American passport in November, according to her lawyer. Her maiden name, Denise Eisenberg, appeared in the Federal Register on April 30 in a quarterly list of Americans who renounced their U.S. citizenship and permanent residents who handed in their green cards. By dumping her U.S. passport, Denise Rich, who was born in Worcester,…
funeral service at New Hope Baptist Church in her hometown of Newark, New Jersey. Meanwhile Ray J, who was dating Whitney Houston in the months before her death, has finally broken his silence. Ray-J, 31, released a statement that said: “Over the past few days, I’ve tried to process the emptiness that I am experiencing. What my heart feels cannot be expressed in words. The world lost an icon…
…o. She had also finished making a film, Sparkle, a showbiz saga about a trio of singers, which Sony has announced will still be released in August. Whitney Houston’s most recent romantic partner was a 31-year-old rapper, Ray J, who is chiefly famous for being the man in a homemade sex tape shot in 2003, which made reality star Kim Kardashian famous. Ray-J is also the cousin of rapper and drug advo…
…been thought Bobby Brown would be kept away amid resentment he led Whitney Houston astray and fears he was trying to get his hands on her $40 million fortune. The 90-minute service will take place at 12:00 p.m. local time at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey, where Whitney Houston was first discovered as a teenager. It will reportedly be a mixture of religious music and celebrity…
…o.>>” Jordin Sparks, the former American Idol winner, who is four years older than Whitney Houston’s own daughter, Bobbi Kristina, recalled her favorite on-set memory of the superstar. The 22-year-old singer told Access Hollywood: “[Whitney] had an iPod and she’d be blasting gospel, and I’d put on Teach Me How To Dougie or something. She’d say, <<You listen to t…
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev: Nurses who looked after Boston bombing suspect could not stop themselves caring for himThe nurses who treated Dzhokhar Tsarnaev have told how they could not stop themselves from soothing him with the words: “I am really sorry, hon.” Medical staff said that…
Ariel Castro prison activityAriel Castro, who is accused of imprisoning three women in his Cleveland home for a decade, spends most of his time in jail resting or asleep, with breaks for pacing, showers…
Richard DeCoatsworth: Former police officer once hailed as hero arrested in Port Richmond Richard DeCoatsworth, a former Philadelphia police officer once hailed as a hero and given a seat next to First Lady Michelle Obama at a speech by President Barack Obama, has…
Poweball jackpot: One lottery ticket bought in Florida wins its lucky owner $590 million jackpotA Florida lottery player beat odds of one in 175 million to take home the $590 million Powerball jackpot. After a frenzied few days of buying the $2 tickets across the…
Obama administration knew IRS was targeting conservative groups since June 2012Obama administration knew since June 2012 about an investigation into complaints from conservative tea party groups that they were being harassed by IRS, and the probe was…
Ariel Castro's three dogs found in better health than his victimsTwo dogs found by police at Ariel Castro's home and another one in his car could have served as pets for his three captives and were apparently in better condition than the…
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