Motown caps 50th anniversary with hometown gala
Berry Gordy founded what would become Motown Records a half-century ago with an $800 loan. Today, that would get you two tickets with a bit to spare to the Motown 50 Golden Gala.
For $200 more, you can attend a VIP event and a swanky afterglow.
The event is set for downtown Detroit Saturday, with a scheduled appearance by Gordy and planned performances by Aretha Franklin, The Temptations and duet partners Stevie Wonder and Kid Rock.
The high-wattage night is a fundraiser for the Motown Historical Museum _ the original site of Motown Records Corp.
Tickets start at $350 apiece. A ticket that includes the pre-gala VIP reception and afterglow party costs $1,000.
Detroit was Motown's base of operations from 1959 to 1972.
___
On the Net:
Motown Historical Museum: http://www.motownmuseum.com
Michael Jackson glove among items at music auction
A collection of Michael Jackson memorabilia, including the now iconic rhinestone-studded glove he wore when he performed his first moonwalk dance in 1983, is being sold at auction.
The glove and other Jackson items are part of a music memorabilia auction being held by Julien's Auctions at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York's Times Square on Saturday.
Jackson wore the left-handed glove, which accompanied his fedora, when he unveiled what was to become his trademark dance on Motown's 25th-anniversary TV special. It's a modified, store-bought glove covered with a mesh of rhinestones.
The glove's pre-auction estimate is between $40,000 and $60,000.
The pop icon, who died June 25 at age 50, gave the glove to Walter "Clyde" Orange, of the singing group the Commodores, after the 1983 performance.
___
On the Net:
Julien's Auctions: http://www.juliensauctions.com
Travolta appears at fundraiser in Fla. hometown
John Travolta and his family made their first public appearance in their adopted Florida hometown since his son's death, helping raise thousands of dollars for charity at a screening of the actor's new comedy Friday night.
Travolta, wife Kelly Preston and daughter Ella Bleu greeted hundreds of fans for a sneak preview of Disney's "Old Dogs," which opens Wednesday.
An emotional Travolta thanked the crowd for supporting the family since 16-year-old Jett Travolta died Jan. 2 at the family vacation home in the Bahamas.
"We know that we are loved," Travolta said. "We appreciate it. Jett appreciates it. We love you, Ocala."
The private gala raised at least $37,500 for five nonprofit agencies: The Jett Travolta Foundation, Florida Highway Patrol Advisory Council, Project Hope, the Marion County Public Safety Assistance Trust and the Humane Society of Marion County.
The Travoltas live just north of Ocala, about 90 miles northwest of Orlando.
___
Information from: Ocala Star-Banner, http://www.starbanner.com/
Travolta, family attend opening of 'Old Dogs'
John Travolta and his family have helped raise money for charities in their home state of Florida with a screening of his new comedy
The actor, his wife Kelly Preston and their daughter Ella Bleu greeted hundreds of fans on the red carpet Friday for Disney's 'Old Dogs.'
The family expressed its appreciation to the community, ending their thanks with: "Love you, Ocala."
The private gala raised money for five nonprofit agencies selected by Travolta: The Jett Travolta Foundation, Florida Highway Patrol Advisory Council, Project Hope, the Marion County Public Safety Assistance Trust, and the Humane Society of Marion County.
In January, the couple's 16-year-old son Jett died at the family vacation home in the Bahamas.
___
Information from: Ocala Star-Banner, http://www.starbanner.com/
John Travolta, family attend opening of new movie
John Travolta and his family have helped raise money for charities in their home state of Florida with a screening of his new comedy
The actor, his wife Kelly Preston and their daughter Ella Bleu greeted hundreds of fans on the red carpet Friday for Disney's 'Old Dogs.'
The family expressed its appreciation to the community, ending their thanks with: "Love you, Ocala."
The private gala raised money for five nonprofit agencies selected by Travolta: The Jett Travolta Foundation, Florida Highway Patrol Advisory Council, Project Hope, the Marion County Public Safety Assistance Trust, and the Humane Society of Marion County.
In January, the couple's 16-year-old son Jett died at the family vacation home in the Bahamas.
___
Information from: Ocala Star-Banner, http://www.starbanner.com/
Warrant: Drug in Jackson case came from Vegas firm
A powerful anesthetic recovered from Michael Jackson's bedside after he died had been purchased in Nevada by his doctor who had it shipped to California, court documents show.
Search warrant records released Friday show that Dr. Conrad Murray bought the sedative propofol from Applied Pharmacy Services on May 12, according to receipts found in his Las Vegas medical office.
The Los Angeles County coroner blamed propofol in ruling that the 50-year-old pop music icon's June 25 death was a homicide. The coroner also cited the sedative lorazepam.
Murray, 56, is the focus of a Los Angeles police homicide investigation, but has not been charged with a crime.
The cardiologist, who is licensed in Nevada, California and Texas, told police he used propofol along with other sedatives to help Jackson sleep.
Propofol is usually used in medical settings by anesthesia professionals to render patients unconscious for surgery. Officials say it is not meant for use as a sleep agent. However, the milky liquid drug is not regulated by state and federal authorities as a controlled substance.
Drug Enforcement Administration spokeswoman Sarah Pullen in Los Angeles said a doctor who is licensed in two states can buy propofol in one state and administer it in the other.
Records show he obtained the propofol about the same time he was hired in May to accompany Jackson on a world tour. He told police he administered 50 milligrams of the drug intravenously per night to help Jackson sleep, but was trying to use less.
In the warrant documents, investigators said Murray told them he gave propofol to Jackson in the hours before he died in a rented Los Angeles mansion.
Through a spokeswoman, Murray maintains that he didn't prescribe or administer anything to Jackson that should have killed him.
Murray's attorney, Edward Chernoff, issued a statement Friday saying he found no surprises in the newly released affidavit.
"The fact that Dr. Murray ordered five bottles of propofol is consistent with what he told investigators," Chernoff said.
The affidavit showed that authorities tracing the manufacturing lot numbers of propofol bottles found in Murray's medical bag and on Jackson's bedside table learned that Murray bought five, 100-milliliter bottles of the drug from the Las Vegas pharmacy as part of an order costing $853.
He paid $65 extra to have it sent to him by overnight express, the document states.
Authorities said the amount of the drug purchased did not appear improper, the fact that it was moved across state lines from Nevada to California was not illegal, and because propofol is not a controlled substance it would not be tracked.
A veteran DEA investigator in Las Vegas, Jayne Tomko Griffin, said the five bottles of propofol could have provided 100 doses of 50 milligrams each.
Los Angeles police fought to keep records of the Aug. 11 search sealed. A detective argued that releasing the documents before Jan. 18 would jeopardize the investigation.
Attorneys representing The Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, TMZ Productions Inc. of Los Angeles and Stephens Media LLC, the parent company of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, argued there was no reason for the documents to remain secret.
Clark County District Judge Valerie Adair decided Thursday to unseal the records. Her order was signed Friday.
___
Associated Press staff writer Thomas Watkins in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
Britney Spears' ex sentenced to jail
Britney Spears' ex-boyfriend Adnan Ghalib is being sent to jail for 45 days for leaving the scene of an accident.
Los Angeles District Attorney's spokeswoman Jane Robison says Ghalib was taken into custody immediately after being sentenced Friday.
He pleaded no contest last month to leaving the scene of an accident that injured a man who was trying to serve him with a restraining order. The order was sought by Spears' father and was eventually granted.
The process server has sued Ghalib, a paparazzo. That case is still pending.
Robison says Ghalib was also ordered to serve three years of formal probation and perform 45 days of roadside cleanup duty.
The 37-year-old was facing up to a year in county jail.
Jennifer Lopez, Adam Lambert ready for AMA stage
Jennifer Lopez plans to include fireworks and an on-stage costume change in her performance at the American Music Awards. "American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert will incorporate leather and chains into his.
Lopez and Lambert will be among more than a dozen performers at Sunday's ceremony, and they took time out Thursday to perfect their performances.
Lopez is in top form, but she's still a little nervous. She'll be singing a song fans have never heard before and performing live on TV for the first time in years.
"You know what you're doing and you feel very good about it, but at the same time, you wouldn't be human if you're not afraid," she said after her rehearsal.
She's set to perform "Louboutins," the first single from her new album, "Love?" _ due in stores next year. Flanked by backup dancers, the 40-year-old entertainer busts out her Fly Girl moves in a number that begins in a boxing ring and ends in the audience. Famed sports announcer Michael Buffer is in the act, too.
"I think it's going to be good," she said. "Dancing again, singing, the lights and the costumes _ it all feels like second nature."
Veteran choreographer Kenny Ortega, director of "Michael Jackson's This Is It," gave Lopez's performance a positive review.
"Awesome," he said after dropping by the Nokia Theatre to watch her rehearse.
Lambert, 27, said he's eager to see how the star-studded crowd responds to his provocative performance, a sexed-up rendition of "For Your Entertainment," the first single off his upcoming album of the same name.
"I can't wait to see people I look up to as artists in the audience watching. I think that will be a trip, and exciting and motivating all at the same time," he said after his rehearsal. "It will be really interesting to see what kind of reaction the number gets. It's different. It really does have an edge to it."
The performance is heavy on leather and chains and includes Lambert dragging a woman across the stage.
Other artists set to perform at the 37th annual American Music Awards include Rihanna, Whitney Houston, Green Day, Lil' Wayne, Lady Gaga, Eminem, Keith Urban, Jay-Z and Carrie Underwood.
Janet Jackson will open the show with a medley of songs, but producer Larry Klein wouldn't say whether her performance would be a tribute to her late brother.
"It's a surprise," he said.
Fans voted online to choose the winners of the American Music Awards, which honor the year's top-selling artists in eight popular genres. The ceremony will be broadcast live on ABC from the Nokia Theatre.
___
On the Net:
___
AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang contributed to this report.
Q&A: Debut CD from Wale taps into his emotions
Wale wanted to infuse his debut album with a woman's touch, so the rapper recruited singing divas like Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Chrisette Michele and Jazmine Sullivan to get that feeling across.
"I need a woman to help me convey the message because they're more emotional and my album is 100 percent about emotion," the 25-year-old said of "Attention Deficit," released this month.
"(It's) about feeling imperfect, about feeling like the world is on your shoulders, about feeling good about yourself, feeling great, feeling like the underdog _ it's all about those emotions," he said.
The newcomer first garnered underground buzz with the release of his various mixtapes, but his mainstream success has not been as potent. The album's first single, the upbeat "Chillin," only peaked at No. 99 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart.
But the Nigerian-bred, Washington, D.C.-raised entertainer is pressing on. He recently opened up on Jay-Z's tour and says he lives by his personal motto, "Obsess Over Success."
"You have to be obsessed with being successful," he said.
___
The Associated Press: You say your album is about emotions _ was it emotional to record?
Wale: Some, because it's about real life. The mixtapes are just songs for the sake of being songs, whereas my album is reality, about real situations in my life that tell a story. If I mentioned a girl named Dominique, if you know me, you know Dominique, whether it was high school or early childhood ... From top to bottom it's direct, honest details about my life.
AP: How was it different to record a studio album vs. a mixtape?
Wale: You learn a lot in the beginning. I've been so independent and hands on for the past four years, and now it's like, you got to do an album. You got people telling you what you can and can't do. ... I'm learning as I go. I learned a lot from album No. 1 that album No. 2's going to be a breeze.
AP: I know you recorded a lot of the songs in Miami. Why there?
Wale: I tend to record better when I am in Miami for some reason, I don't know, maybe because I'm outside and I see (producer) Scott Scorch's Phantom outside and that just makes me get hungry, or I see Rick Ross outside with all his jewelry and I'm like, "I got to go back in. I'm not at this level yet."
AP: Are things like cars and jewelry what motivate you?
Wale: What makes me happy is just being comfortable. Being able to go into my house and play video games all day and know that I'm taken care of and there's money in the bank. Or be able to provide for my family when I decide to have one and I just want to get to that level. Not necessarily the Phantom, it would be nice though.
AP: Your parents are from Nigeria _ how did their culture influence you growing up?
Wale: Everything is a lot stricter. I grew up in D.C. and so it was bad, real bad at that time. And a lot of African parents are easily influenced by the news or whatever they see or hear. Like if somebody gets shot in Southeast (area of D.C.), my mother's like, "Come inside right now because they're shooting right now." It was tough but it made me what I am today. My discipline is very intact as well as my work ethic.
AP: You growing up difficult?
Wale: I had a problem with authority. I never really liked people telling me what to do, and it's benefited me because I'm in this game right now with no major co-sign and I don't even have (people like Lil) Wayne, Kanye (West), or this or that person like a lot of my other peers, which is all good. But it's like I got to do it on my own, and I've learned to do a lot on my own.
___
On the Net:
Miley Cyrus tour bus overturns in Va., killing 1
The driver of a Miley Cyrus tour bus was killed Friday when the bus overturned, but the 16-year-old "Hannah Montana" star wasn't on board, Virginia State Police said.
Sgt. Thomas Molnar said the bus ran off the left side of Interstate 85, struck an embankment and overturned. The accident occurred around 8:15 a.m. in Dinwiddie County, about 40 miles south of Richmond. Speed and weather weren't considered factors.
The driver, William G. Douglas, 53, of Austin, Texas, died at the scene, police said.
Marty Zilio, 48, of Canada, was injured in the crash and treated at a local hospital. He was one of nine members of Cyrus' production crew who were riding in the bus. They escaped the crashed bus through the front windshield.
A wrecker arrived late Friday morning to haul away the black and maroon luxury tour bus, which was on its side in a ditch off the highway where it had apparently skidded for several hundred feet.
The bus was hauled by the wrecker up to the next exit off I-85, where two other tour buses and members of the tour were waiting. About two dozen members of the tour, some still wearing pajama bottoms, began transferring backpacks and laptops from the wrecked bus into two other buses parked outside a restaurant. They declined to speak to reporters.
Molnar said the bus was one of four traveling together after the singer's two-show stint Wednesday and Thursday in Long Island, N.Y. The group was heading to Greensboro, N.C., where she is scheduled to perform Sunday. Cyrus was not traveling with the group at the time of the crash, authorities said.
Miley Cyrus is the daughter of country star Billy Ray Cyrus, who also appears on the family friendly Disney sitcom "Hannah Montana."
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Addison Road