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FANTASIA SAYS SURGERY ENDED 'PURPLE' RUN: 'American Idol' champ says throat tumor was behind reason to quit show.
*Fantasia Barrino has come clean about why she left The Color Purple before its official end on Broadway. The actress said she developed a tumor on her throat that left her feeling drained and too exhausted to keep up her nightly schedule.
"I couldn't get enough sleep and sometimes onstage, I could taste blood ... every now and then," she tells Sister 2 Sister magazine. "They (producers) would send me to the hospitals and they would say, 'Well, she's dehydrated; that's what's making her tired.' They would put IVs in me. But it just wasn't enough."
Eventually, Barrino sensed that something was seriously wrong and visited a top throat doctor in Los Angeles. With the use of a small camera, the physician discovered what he thought was a cyst. The singer recalls, "I went into surgery and he came out and told my mother it was a tumor."
Barrino is now healthy following surgery, but the entertainer says she is still "hurt" by some of the negative publicity that surrounded her missed shows. At the time, there were rumors that she had gotten pregnant.
"It really hurt my feelings. ... I told my manager, 'Please, somebody protect me,' because I've never missed a show. ... I like to perform," said Barrino. "I felt like, after I had my surgery, nobody knew about it. 'The Color Purple' didn't know about it, my record company didn't know about it, and I was very hurt by that. ... I wasn't receiving any flowers, any balloons."
OPRAH POURS A MILLI INTO STEADMAN'S HOMETOWN: TV mogul donates to an educational scholarship fund for youth.
*Oprah Winfrey has pledged $1 million to an educational scholarship fund for the youth of Whitesboro, New Jersey, the hometown of her longtime boyfriend, Stedman Graham.
On Saturday, the couple attended Whitesboro's 20th Reunion Festival, where Winfrey served as the keynote speaker.
“I’m committed to help him help this community," Winfrey told the crowd, as Graham stood next to her. "Today I’m contributing $220,000 as my first installment in a $1 million plan for the educational scholarship fund of Whitesboro. Keep dreaming ladies and gentlemen, keep dreaming.”
During her speech, Winfrey spoke of how Graham reminisced about his hometown of Whitesboro when they began dating and how he wanted the town to be all it could be. She said he worked to get sidewalks, street lights, a baseball field and a community center built in the town.
ANOTHER CUB ON THE WAY FOR TIGER: Golfer says he and wifey are expecting second child in winter.
*Tiger Woods announced Tuesday that he and his wife are about to welcome another little one to the family.
"Elin and I are proud to announce that we are expecting our second child in late winter," the golf star wrote on his official Web site Tuesday.
"This has been a year of contrasts," Woods, 32, began. "I had a solid start to the season, won the U.S. Open in an exciting playoff, and then unfortunately had to shut it down after successful knee surgery."
"And now, I have some wonderful news to report. Sam is going to be a big sister."
The couple's first child, Sam Alexis Woods, was born in June 2007.
PETA TARGETS DMX…AGAIN: Animal rights group gives suggestions to prosecutor in pit bull case.
*People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals are furious with DMX for his animal cruelty charges in Arizona and are hoping to ensure that the county prosecutes him to the full extent of the law.
The rapper, born Earl Simmons, is accused of neglecting 12 pit bulls housed on his Cave Creek property north of Phoenix. Authorities also found three dead dogs, buried on his property back in 2007.
In its letter to Maricopa County Attorney Andrew P. Thomas, PETA writes:
As Simmons' alleged conduct might well demonstrate, repeat crimes are the rule rather than the exception among animal abusers, so we implore your office to take every measure necessary to ensure that Simmons, if convicted, is barred from owning or harboring animals for as long as possible. We also ask that, if convicted, Simmons serve a meaningful period of incarceration and be required to undergo a thorough psychological evaluation followed by mandatory counseling at his own expense. The safety of the community might depend on it. Thank you in advance for your diligence in this matter and for your time and consideration.
ALL-WILLIAMS QUARTERFINAL TODAY AT U.S. OPEN: Venus and Serena to play each other for the 17th time in professional careers.
*Venus Williams and her sister Serena will play each other in a quarterfinal match scheduled for today at the U.S. Open in New York.
The meeting will be their first since June, when Venus beat Serena in the finals of Wimbledon. Today's match will also be the 17th Williams vs. Williams showdown of their professional career.
"If I had a sister and she wasn't very good, then it would be just not really a big deal because I would beat her," Venus said Monday, after she and Serena assured a quarterfinal matchup.
Serena added: "I'm glad we're both pretty good at it, because I always use her," she said. "If I'm going somewhere and they give me a nice gift I'm like, 'Well, my sister, she's not here, but she would love that.' If she was no good then I wouldn't be able to do that. And I always keep it. She doesn't even know about it half the time. I guess maybe she'll know about it now."
Both sisters easily won their fourth-round matches. Venus, seeded seventh, beat No. 9 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-1, 6-3. No. 4 Serena defeated wild-card entrant Severine Bremond of France 6-2, 6-2.
Other interesting all-Williams tidbits:
• Each sister has won eight times in their matchups against each other. That includes 10 battles at major tournaments, with each posting five victories.
• Wednesday will mark the first time since 2003 that they've squared off at consecutive Grand Slam tournaments.
BOBBY BROWN FINALLY ADMITS DATING HIS MANAGER: Singer tells Sister 2 Sister he will 'make the relationship work.'
*In a new interview with Sister 2 Sister magazine, Bobby Brown not only cops to dating his manager, Alicia Etheredge, but suggests that she may someday be his new wife.
"That one (relationship) is gonna work 'cause I'm gonna make it work," said Brown.
Etheredge has always maintained she and Brown are longtime friends and business partners, but she hopes to be the one when Brown chooses to settle down again.
In an interview last year, she said, "I think that Bobby is a big romantic and really does believe in love. His parents are still married after all these years and I think that he will find that again."
DETAILS ANNOUNCED FOR SNOOP'S AUSTRALIA TOUR: Visa ban lifted, allowing rapper to travel Down Under with Ice Cube and Bone Thugs.
*Now that Snoop Dogg has officially been approved to enter Australia, promoters have released the itinerary for his upcoming tour in the region with Ice Cube and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.
The trek kicks off Oct. 27 at the TSB Bank Arena in Wellington and will hit such cities as Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.
The Long Beach MC, born Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr., was originally banned from entering the country in August 2007 due to recent run-ins with the law and his past criminal record.
He was approved for a visa last week, but local organizations expressed outrage, leading immigration officials to mount another character assessment before ultimately deciding to accept his visa.
Tour dates are listed below:
Oct. 27, Wellington, TSB Arena Oct. 29, Brisbane, Entertainment Centre Oct. 31, Sydney, Acer Arena Nov. 2, Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena Nov. 5, Adelaide, Entertainment Centre Nov. 7, Perth, Burswood Dome
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS' RICHARD COLLIER SHOT: As of press time, offensive tackle had life threatening injuries.
*Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Richard Collier was in critical condition at a hospital in Florida Tuesday afternoon after being shot outside an apartment building as he and a former Jaguar teammate waited for two women they had met at a nightclub.
Collier, 26, and former Jaguars defensive end Kenneth Pettway were waiting in a Cadillac Escalade early Tuesday when a gunman began shooting into the vehicle, said Jacksonville Sheriff's Office spokesman Ken Jefferson. Collier was hit several times, but it wasn't clear where on his body.
Early Tuesday, Collier's injuries remained still life threatening. A spokesman for Shands Jacksonville Medical Center, where Collier was taken, said early Tuesday that the hospital would no longer give updates on the player's condition. There are a variety of reasons that can happen, such as a request by relatives.
Several Jaguars, including running back Maurice Jones-Drew, offensive tackle Khalif Barnes and linebackers Mike Peterson and Clint Ingram gathered at the hospital. Others convened at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, reports the Associated Press.
Team owner Wayne Weaver said in a statement he was shocked and "deeply saddened by this morning's news about Richard Collier. We have been informed that Richard has had surgery and he's in critical but stable condition. The entire Jaguars family is praying for Richard and his family at this time."
LEDISI STARS IN BILLY PORTER-DIRECTED PLAY: Once on This Island runs today through Sept. 14 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse.
*Grammy nominee Ledisi stars in the acclaimed Lynn Ahrens-Stephen Flaherty musical, Once on This Island, which kicks off the Reprise Theatre Company's 2008-2009 season at UCLA's Freud Playhouse.
Billy Porter directs the production, which tells the story of the orphaned Ti Moune. Graciela Daniele choreographed and directed the original 1991 Broadway mounting, which featured LaChanze as Ti Moune and received nine Tony Award nominations, including one for Best Musical.
"Once on This Island" is a study in contrasts: rich versus poor, immortal versus mortal, light versus dark, life versus death," says Porter. "We have taken what many think are disparate elements — hip-hop/soul, gospel, jazz, musical theatre, pop, and blues — and like the play itself, we are bringing them together to tell the story."
The cast features newcomer Kristolyn Lloyd as Ti Moune, Ledisi as Asaka with Yvette Cason as Mama Euralie, Brian Chandler as Armand/Daniel's Father, Bryan Terrell Clark as Papa Ge, Vanita Harbour as Andrea, Darina Littleton as Little Ti Moune, Jesse Nager as Daniel, Leslie Odom, Jr. as Agwe, Lance Roberts as Ton Ton Julien and Nita Whitaker as Erzulie.
"We have chosen a cast of performers — including two-time Grammy nominated Ledisi whose roots are in theatre as well as African American contemporary music," notes Porter. "These artists embody and fuse these differing styles, with the hope of creating a theatrical event that embraces relevancy. And as my primary collaborator, we have Bradley Rapier, who brings his hip hop background — a style influenced in part by African tribal dances and in part from American streets — to help bring Once on This Island to life."
The UCLA run officially opens today (Sept. 3) and plays through Sept.
14. Tickets are available by visiting www.reprise.org or by calling the UCLA Central Ticket Office at (310) 825-2101.
NAMIC TO SPOTLIGHT SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Diversity group to feature CNN correspondent in forum on ethnicity and gender.
*Soledad O'Brien, CNN anchor and special correspondent, has been confirmed as a special guest speaker for the 22nd Annual NAMIC Conference, Diversity: Pipeline to Innovation.
Presented annually by NAMIC (National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications) in conjunction with Cable Diversity Week, the 22nd Annual NAMIC Conference will be held Sept. 14-16, 2008 at the New York Marriott Marquis in Manhattan.
NAMIC, in partnership with CNN, will present a special luncheon, "A Conversation with Soledad O'Brien," on Monday, Sept. 15 at 1 p.m. EDT. O'Brien will discuss "CNN Presents: Black in America," the network's multi-media initiative reported by O'Brien. by CNN correspondent, Lola Ogunnaike will conduct the interview, which will also include a Q&A session with the luncheon's attendees.
"It's crucial that we as a media industry shine a light on the issues still affecting Black Americans today," commented O'Brien. "This is a discussion that needs to be had as we face our future as a nation, and NAMIC is the perfect organization to be furthering the conversation."
For more information on the 22nd Annual NAMIC Conference or to register online, log onto www.namic.com or call the NAMIC national headquarters at (212) 594-5985.
'SPORTS CENTER' LOCKS DOWN JACKSON, SAUNDERS: ESPN's flagship show to feature analysts throughout NFL season.
*In his 30th season covering the NFL for ESPN, lead studio host Chris Berman – joined by his longtime partner Tom Jackson – will team with veteran ESPN anchor John Saunders to co-host the Sunday 7 p.m. edition of SportsCenter throughout the NFL season, beginning Sept. 7.
The move reunites Berman and Jackson with Saunders, the trio that worked together during the first three years (1987-89) of NFL PrimeTime, cable television’s highest-rated sports studio show for 19 years (1987-2005).
The pairing also reunites Berman with Saunders, who regularly co-anchored the 11 p.m. Sunday night "SportsCenter" together during the late 1980s and also teamed on ESPN’s Major League Baseball and ABC’s NHL Stanley Cup coverage.
While presenting all the day’s highlights, news and events from the world of sports, Sunday night editions of "SportsCenter" will bring an increased focus to all the day’s NFL action with highlights, discussion segments, analysis, coaches’ press conferences, interviews and post-game reports from ESPN correspondents covering games. The program will also preview the Sunday night primetime match-up.
CLOONEY HOSTS OBAMA FUNDRAISER IN GENEVA: Exclusive sold-out event raised hundreds of thousands for campaign war chest.
*Oscar winner George Clooney, who announced his endorsement of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama during the early part of the primaries, continued supporting the candidate as host of a Tuesday evening fundraiser in Geneva.
About 170 contributors paid $1,000 a head to attend a cocktail party with Clooney at a museum in Geneva's Old Town on Tuesday evening, reports Reuters. Some 75 wealthy supporters spent $10,000 each to attend "an intimate seated dinner" with the 47-year-old actor which follows at the organizer's nearby apartment, according to the American lawyer who organized the twin "private" events.
"It is fully subscribed," organizer Charles Adams said on local morning radio. "Actually most of our guests for dinner are coming from elsewhere -- people are flying in from Los Angeles, Prague, London, Zurich and so on."
Clooney, approached several months ago through a mutual friend, responded "quickly and positively" to the idea of holding an overseas event, according to Adams, who serves on Obama's National Finance Committee.
"I personally assured George Clooney that Geneva is a city where reserve is a way of life, that he won't be attacked by fans trying to tear off his shirt," he told the daily Le Temps.
The two events could infuse $900,000 into the Democratic war chest ahead of the Nov. 4 election, which pits the Illinois senator against Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona.
ITTY BITTY BITS: Marc Anthony joins wife in doggie lawsuit; American Cancer Society vs. Michael Jordan; Diddy's Sarah Palin outrage.
*Marc Anthony has been dragged into a personal injury lawsuit filed against his wife, Jennifer Lopez, for the actions of her guard dog – who allegedly attacked a flight attendant while she was traveling on a private jet. The June 2007 suit filed in Brooklyn Federal Court had originally targeted J.Lo alone, but Anthony was added as a defendant after her lawyer revealed him as the owner of the German Shepherd. The alleged victim, flight attendant Lisa Wilson, is seeking $5 million in damages from Lopez and her company, Nuyorican Productions.
*The American Cancer Society is responding to TMZ.com photos of Michael Jordan playing baseball while smoking a huge cigar. Former president Cary Presant MD, responded: "When high profile athletes publicly display unhealthful habits they can mislead young people to emulate their behavior. According to the American Cancer Society tobacco use in this country is responsible for 1/3 of all cancers and remains the most preventable cause of death in our society. 8.6 million Americans suffer from chronic smoking-related disease. Since 1964 smoking has cause more than 12 million premature deaths in the U.S."
*Diddy's latest video blog questions Republican presidential nominee John McCain's choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate. "Alaska? Come on, man. I don’t' even know if there's any black people in Alaska," said Diddy, who also goes by the moniker "Ciroc Obama." He continued: "If you really think we gonna let you win the election with these crazy decisions that you're making, you're bugging." View entire clip
here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thmueS0ngAs
CHICAGO KIDS SKIP SCHOOL TO PROTEST UNEQUAL FUNDING: Boycott to continue throughout the week.
*The Associated Press is reporting that more than 1,000 Chicago public school students skipped the first day of classes Tuesday to protest unequal education funding.
Organizers said the boycott would continue through the week with help from retired teachers who will turn office lobbies into impromptu classrooms.
The students took church buses 30 miles north to the wealthy suburb of Northfield, where they filled out applications to enroll in the better-funded New Trier district. The move was largely symbolic because students must pay tuition to attend a school outside their home district.
The turnout fell short of the thousands organizers expected, and was a tiny fraction of the more than 400,000 students who attend Chicago public schools, but protesters and their parents said they're willing to keep the boycott going as long as it takes to persuade state officials to give their district more money.
"It's on us kids," said 14-year-old Tracey Stansberry, a student at Corliss High School. "If we don't, we'll be on the bottom."
Today, boycott organizers will attempt to set up impromptu classrooms at Chicago City Hall and the state's James R. Thompson Center, as well as in the lobbies of more than a dozen Chicago corporations, including Boeing Co. and Aon Corp., that support Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics.
"If we say we're a world-class city, then we shouldn't be content with having second-class schools," said state Sen. James Meeks, who is leading the boycott of the district and is urging Gov. Rod Blagojevich and state lawmakers agreed to address school funding disparities.
EUR DVD REVIEW: Redbelt
Disappointing Mamet Martial Arts Adventure Arrives on DVD
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*A mediocre movie like this is a major disappointment coming from David Mamet. The picture represents his first foray into the martial arts genre, although his character-driven script still boasts the basic trademarks for which the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright’s is known.
This means the screen is littered with an ensemble of street-savvy con artists delivering raw dialogue staccato-style, And among the actors are some familiar faces from the Mamet repertory company, including his wife Rebecca Pidgeon, Joe Mantegna, Ricky Jay and David Paymer.
The story revolves around Mike Terry (Chiwetel Ejiofor), the cash-strapped sensei of a jiu-jitsu dojo located in downtown Los Angeles. He’s a purist who has thusfar staunchly resisted any temptation to fight on the mixed martial arts circuit, preferring to rely instead on financial help from his Brazilian wife’s (Alice Braga) fabric business to keep his fledgling studio afloat.
A disturbing chain of events is triggered the day that a distraught attorney (Emily Mortimer) shows up at the academy unannounced. For Mike’s most promising student, an off-duty police officer named Joe (Max Martini), inadvertently invades the fidgety female’s personal space, not knowing that she’s a recovering rape victim. The paranoid woman reflexively grabs his gun lying on a counter and shoots out the place’s pricy plate glass window. Already behind in rent, now Mike has this added expense to deal with.
As his money woes mysteriously mount and he finds himself indebted to loan sharks the question is no longer if, but merely when, he will break his code of honor and enter the ring to raise some much-needed moolah. Like an unnecessarily confusing and convoluted cross of Rocky and The Karate Kid, Redbelt is a flick that’s a tad too smart for its own good, given the simple message it is designed to deliver.
Fair (1 star)
Rated R for profanity and violence and drug use.
Running time: 99 minutes
Studi Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Extras: Fighter profiles, Q&A with director David Mamet, commentary by Mamet and Randy Couture, plus several additional featurettes.
To see a trailer for Redbelt, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFrHNaq-6qE
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment. Full effort is full victory."
— Mohandas Gandhi
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Sept. 3: NBA player Damon Stoudamire is 35; NFL player Jevon Kearse is 32.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Not just a bridal showcase, but www.BlackBridalGuide.com is a community where brides can chat with other brides about their pre and post-wedding experiences.
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Sept. 3, 1783: Richard Allen, founder of the AME Church, purchases his freedom with his earnings as a self-employed teamster. (Source:
www.BlackFacts.com)
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