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Click Here VERIZON DROPS AKON AFTER SIMULATED STAGE SEX: Company also pulls sponsorship of Stefani/Akon tour. *So much for those TV spots featuring Akon watching his own Verizon Wireless V Cast. The communications company severed ties with the Senegalese singer Friday after video surfaced that showed him simulating sex onstage with a 15-year-old girl. "This week the partnership ended," Verizon said in a statement to Fox News. "We have music services on our cell phone service and we were promoting him as one of the artists. The other part of the sponsorship was the Gwen Stefani tour, of which he was an opening act. We are no longer sponsoring the tour." During an April 12 concert in Trinidad, Akon announced a "dance contest" that featured a grand-prize trip to Africa. Danah Alleyne, the 15-year-old daughter of a pastor, won the "contest" - but the prize was not a trip to Africa. Akon announced that he was "Africa," and proceeded to simulate multiple sexual positions with the girl as the crowd cheered. "I got carried away," Alleyne said in a public apology last month after a local TV station aired the footage. "I started to dance, as well, but I never thought it was going to be like that. I was shocked. My head was hitting the floor." Verizon said they have removed Akon's featured ringtones, as well as music and artwork from Akon's platinum-selling album "Konvicted," from Verizon Wireless stores and handsets. JAY-Z WAS NOT IN A PLANE CRASH: Mogul makes it safely to Mayweather-De La Hoya fight. *Def Jam was busy Friday trying to squash rumors that Jay-Z was involved in a plane crash while en route to Saturday's Mayweather-De La Hoya fight in Las Vegas. Apparently, someone contacted gossip Web site TMZ.com and reported that the rap mogul was on a four-seat propeller plane when it crashed in the Smoky Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina. Def Jam has called this report "false." However, TMZ did confirm that three unidentified men were on a plane that crashed near Asheville, but Jay-Z was not among the passengers. Jay-Z made it to the fight in one piece, joining other celebrities Jack Nicholson, Magic Johnson, Diddy, Jim Carey, Will Farrell, Helen Mirren, her husband Taylor Hackford, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Lopez and hubby Marc Anthony, who sang the National Anthem. Mayweather won the fight in a split decision and has vowed to retire. R. KELLY'S WIFE SPEAKS OUT IN ESSENCE: Andrea Lee Kelly talks about the sex tape; the child porn charges and lots more in new issue. *After years of remaining silent amidst one controversy after another involving her husband R. Kelly, wifey Andrea Lee Kelly is putting ALL the business on the street in the new issue of Essence magazine, on newsstands May 11. In an article titled "Notes on a Scandal," Andrea Kelly opens up about her relationship with the superstar, the raising of their three children ? two girls, ages 9 and 7, and a 5-year-old boy - and her husband's alleged sex tape with a girl said to be 14. Although Andrea Kelly has never seen the footage and never actively sought to do so, she firmly believes that the man in the tape is not her husband. "C'mon," she said. "Who would believe all that? That's why they call them allegations," she said of his numerous criminal counts of child pornography. Despite her avid support for the R&B crooner, Andrea Kelly says she will not accompany him to court during his trial because she prefers to be home with their children. "I will take care of the home front," she said. "There is a war going on, and they don't send every soldier to Iraq. I've got to be homeland defense." "I know the allegations against my husband don't reflect on me as an individual," she continued. "They don't reflect on me as a mom or as a wife, and they don't reflect on me in my everyday life. ... 'But' I don't want to sit here and act as if I have some halo over my head. A person has to ask, 'How much did I allow?'" In fact, it was the children who encouraged Andrea Kelly to remain silent for so long as allegations and rumors about the artist swirled around her. "They may say, 'Mom and Dad went through a storm,' " she said. "But it's not the storm I want them to remember, it's how their mom came out of it." The Kellys first met when Andrea was 20 and auditioned to be a dancer for his "12 Play" tour. She got the gig and was soon promoted to choreographer. It was during this time that Kelly, then 27, married Aaliyah, then 15. The union was later annulled, clearing the way for Andrea and Kelly to become "a love story," she says. They married in 1996, when she was 22. She went on to choreograph and dance for Best of Both Worlds, Key in the Ignition and TP2.com Tours, as well as awards shows and videos for "Happy People," "Thoia Thoing," and "You Remind Me of Something." Several years after her husband's alleged sex tape hit the Internet in Feb. 2002, Andrea Kelly claimed she was the victim of R-ruh's physical and verbal abuse and in Sept. 2005 asked for an emergency protective order to keep the singer away from her. She later rescinded the order, but she eventually separated from Kelly and moved out of their home. She tells Essence they're now attempting to reconcile. "I'll tell you, whatever happens to us, I will love that man to the day I die," she said. -"I'm no fair-weather wife. I have children. I would never do anything to hurt their father. We have a bond that we will have for the rest of our lives because we have children. ... That we filed for divorce is not that important." Continue reading the revealing interview here:http://www.essence.com/essence/lifestyle/voices/0,16109,1617096-1,00.html EVE CHARGED WITH DRUNK DRIVING: LA City Attorney makes it official. *Things just got serious for rapper Eve in Los Angeles. The former Ruff Ryder had a rough ride of her own on April 26 when she crashed her gold Maserati into a center divider on Hollywood Blvd. and was arrested at the scene. On Friday, the Los Angeles City Attorney's office charged her with driving under the influence, with registering a blood alcohol limit in excess of 0.08 percent, and not showing proof of insurance. She is scheduled to be arraigned on May 17. Authorities would not say what her blood alcohol reading was, however, TMZ.com cited a police source last week who said her level was "double the legal limit." The 28-year-old artist, born Eve Jihan Jeffers, is facing probation of three to five years, a minimum fine of $390 and an alcohol treatment program. Eve's fourth album, "Here I Am," is due for release on Geffen Records sometime in the coming months, led by the current single, "Tambourine." The CD includes production by Dr. Dre, Timbaland, Pharrell Williams, Swizz Beatz and Scott Storch. STERLING DEBUT 'WORTH' THE WAIT: New Def Jam artist preps disc.by Kenya M Yarbrough *Def Jam's relative newcomer Sterling Simms is preparing his debut disc with some heavy-hitting singles reminiscent of '80s popular music. The CD titled "Worth Your While" is set to be released soon and has R&B fans already taking notice. The first single from the Atlanta transplant by way of Philly is called "Nasty Girl." The sexy track is making its way on the airwaves and video hot spots even in the midst of the music industry's lyrical content controversy. Simms assures that with this track there's not much to worry about. "All artists have a responsibility to our listeners," he said. "We are the voice of the people. When we speak, we speak not only of things that we're feeling, but of things going on around us. I can definitely feel where people are coming from. In some ways, we should watch ourselves and watch how we deliver things and portray things. 'Nasty Girl', I think, is still innocent. It's sexy, but done with class." He described that the song is about the girl in the club that gets a lot of attention on the dance floor. "'When' you're in the club there's always the one girl on the floor that's doing slightly too much, but not so much that it comes off offensive.It's just enough to catch your eye. She's dancing and she's into the music, she's feeling good, and she's feeling sexy. That's the girl that I'm talking about." Simms likens most of his music and the "Nasty Girl" track in particular to the styles of mega '80s artists Michael Jackson and Prince. He explained to EUR's Lee Bailey that he's a part of the faction of artists leaning toward that era of loud clothes and fun music. "I'm trying to take it back to that '80s and early '90s era," he said."Back when music felt good and it was full of fun. I think over the years, music has gotten a little too serious." Simms counts the King of Pop and his Purple Highness as some of his influences, in addition to Teddy Riley, Guy, New Edition, and Boyz II Men. "If you listen to those records right now, at any party, it's gonna feel great. It's just where music was and I think music is going back to that. If you listen to the Diddy and Keisha Cole record; if you listen to Ne-Yo, it's that same fun, timeless feel. That's where it's going back." Even though Simms believes music has gotten too serious, he realizes the importance of getting serious in his career. He shared that he wasn't always the responsible and mature man he is to day. He attributes much of his 'growing up' to his mother and grandfather, and to his native Philadelphia and new home of Atlanta. "You have to get serious at some point in your life," he said. "It's good to have fun, but life is short and you have to get serious. When my career started taking shape, that's when I started getting serious. Philly made me the man I am, and Atlanta cultivated the artist." The self-proclaimed Atlantadelphian considers himself a live-and-learn type and attributes his growing pains to the fact that he always had to test the waters. "If you tell me not to play with fire, the moment you turn your back, I'm going to figure out why you told me not to play with fire," he laughed. One thing he did figure out was music. His grandfather was a musician and had a studio in his basement, where Simms cultivated his love for the art. "I've always loved music. I've always wanted to do music. I thought, if I spent my life on music, I wouldn't be mad. 'My grandfather' was always on my back to do music. It was really a dream of my family. There are so many people in my family that do music; the list goes on and on. I'm the first one to really get this far, but now I'm getting a lot of new cousins." New cousins are about the only new thing in Simms career. The singer has been in the music scene for quite some time, although his Def Jam debut is the biggest move to date. He signed with Def Jam last year, but before that, he had a recording contract with Midnight Marauders (through Sony) though he didn't get much attention on the boutique label and ended up taking off his artist hat to focus just on songwriting. "We were a small label and we weren't generating any money for the company, so we were one of the companies that got cut back," he said. "I was kind of forced to start all over again. When that happened, it was like a turning point. I was tired of the ups and downs and pressures of being an artist, so I started just writing again. I was discouraged as an artist." Fortunately for his fans, the story didn't end. Simms began working with different producers in the Atlanta area as a writer and ran into a producer named Teddy Bishop who has worked with Toni Braxton and Jagged Edge, to name a few. "We were writing some joints for Tyrese at the time and I demo out all my records when I write them. He came into the studio and heard about four or five records and asked, 'Who wrote 'em? And who's singing 'em?'" Once he learned that Simms was the singer on the records, he convinced him to return to singing. And the rest ... To learn more check out his on and poppin' hot track "Nasty Girl," go to http://www.myspace.com/sterlingsimms. SPIKE LEE DEFENDS 'MALCOLM X': Convicted terrorist John Walker Lindh says the movie inspired him to adopt Islam. *In receiving an award at the San Francisco Film Festival on Thursday night, Spike Lee acknowledged that his film "Malcolm X" may have inspired former San Francisco Bay resident John Walker Lindh to convert to Islam, but not to become "American Taliban." "He was inspired to become a Muslim by the film, not to become a terrorist," Lee told Reuters at the black-tie dinner. Lindh, 26, was captured in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks prompted a U.S.-led invasion and jailed for 20 years under a plea deal. At the same dinner, Lindh's lawyer James Brosnahan confirmed that his client was inspired by a scene in "Malcolm X" showing that all Muslims are equal under the religion. Brosnahan took exception, however, to Lee's description of the Washington D.C.-born Lindh as a terrorist, saying he never fought against Americans. DE NIRO STILL LOVES THE SISTAS: British singer Jamelia says actor tried to holla at a private party. *British soul sensation Jamelia said she was aware of the rumors surrounding actor Robert De Niro and his preference for black women, but she never thought she'd encounter the phenomenon face to face. The singer, who is currently dating soccer star Darren Byfield, told Britain's Daily Mirror she met the Italian star after her performance at a celebrity-studded private party. "I'd heard he's got a thing for black women, but I thought it was just a rumor. So I was amazed when he told organizers at this party that he wasn't leaving till he met me," she told the paper. "At the end of the night we were finally introduced, but he was so full on, straight away -- talking about how I was a delicious chocolate thing," she added. "Then he started to churn out more chat-up lines, like, 'Don't you want to be my leading lady?' and, 'Come on, I'm not taking no for an answer.' "He was very persistent, but I had to put a stop to it. I was flattered but I told him in no uncertain terms that it was not going to happen. I said I had a boyfriend." Jamelia and Byfield share a daughter, Tiana, born in Oct. 2005. SHARPTON MARCH TARGETS RECORD LABELS: About 400 protesters convene Thursday to say 'enough is enough.' *Civil Rights activist Al Sharpton followed through with plans to march against record labels Thursday to protest racist and sexist language in the music industry. Some 400 people gathered for the midtown Manhattan trek past Universal Music Group and other record company buildings, shouting chants such as "Decency Now" and "Enough is Enough." "We're saying there must be one standard. You can't have different standards for different people," said Sharpton, according to Reuters. "Once we finish with the record companies, we must deal with the HBOs and others." Warner Music Group said in a statement on Thursday: "We take issues regarding the role of women and minorities in society very seriously. ... We edit explicit lyrics, including those that are the focus of the current public debate, from content." As previously reported, Sharpton had several of James Brown's children marching with him on what would have been the late singer's 74th birthday. EUR FILM REVIEW: Spider-Man 3Touchy-Feely Sequel Shows Spidey's Sensitive Side Film Review by Kam Williams *Sometimes more is less, and this, unfortunately, is the case with Spider-Man 3. Director Sam Raimi has upped the ante in terms of just about every aspect of his latest installment of the storied Marvel Comics franchise. This means that the first blockbuster of the 2007 summer season features plenty of twists, more intense fight sequences, more implausible cartoon physics, the next-generation of dazzling computer-generated special effects, increasingly inscrutable adversaries, a new romantic interest, an evil Spidey alter ego, a couple of love triangles, zanier comic relief, and even several singing performances. The upshot is that what we're dealing with here is a scatterplotted production which cost close to a quarter-billion dollars to make and needed 140 minutes to introduce, develop and mesh all the additional material. Yet, what's most remarkable about this unorthodox adventure is the inordinate amount of attention it devotes to the ensemble's emotional states. When was the last time you saw a superhero shed tears or forgive the nemesis who's just explained why he's been trying to waste him? Perhaps such concern with feelings is a sign of our more enlightened times, but I'm not sure how many fans of the genre really care to empathize with a diabolical villain or to see an ordinarily invincible protagonist portrayed as being quite so vulnerable. Consequently, the pre-teens in this review-proof picture's desired demographic are likely to be squirming impatiently in their seats during its extended breaks from the action dedicated to plumbing the psyches of so many sensitive characters. At the point of departure, we find Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) and Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) right where we last left them, blissfully in love. She has just landed the starring role in a Broadway musical, while he's dividing his time between fighting crime and his freelance job as a photographer for the Daily Bugle, which is located in Manhattan's famed Flatiron Building. The critics pan MJ's opening night performance, and tensions between the couple arise after well-meaning Peter fails to offer the shoulder she needs to lean on. So later, she never lets on when she's replaced by an understudy or that she's miffed about his being kissed while accepting the key to the city by the cutie pie he saved (Bryce Dallas Howard). As a result, his secret plan to propose to her at a fancy restaurant goes awry, the help of an obsequious maitre d' (Bruce Campbell) notwithstanding. Back at the newspaper, Peter now has a competitor, Eddie Brock, Jr. (Topher Grace), and the two find themselves competing for the approval of their irascible boss, J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons). The film's funniest moment transpires during a hilarious scene when the short-fused editor fumbles with his blood pressure pills. Meanwhile, a new archenemy emerges after police chase a perpetrator (Thomas Haden Church) into a demollecularization sand pit at the moment of a scientific experiment. The man instantly morphs into Sandman, a shape-shifting misanthrope who proves to be more than a match for the cops. Thus, it falls to Spider-Man to deal with this menace, when not addressing numerous other sidebars, such as solving the murder of his Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson), tender moments with his Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) about his intention to pop the question, attending to his temporarily amnesiac best friend, Harry (James Franco), and wrestling with the demons which emerge when he dons a costume turned black by an evil force from outer space. Just remember, Spidey's agonizing, introspective and second-guessing himself every step of the way, like Woody Allen in a mask and stretchy pants. Your friendly neurotic Spider-Man. Very good (3 stars)PG-13 for intense action sequences)Running time: 140 minutesStudi Columbia Pictures BONE THUGS CONTINUE TO BURY HATCHET WITH TWISTA: Single 'C-Town' is their third post-feud callabo. *Bone Thugs-N-Harmony members are living up to the group name with their new track "C-Town," which features a guest turn from their former rival, Twista. "We're unifying the Midwest. We had problems in the beginning, but that's too long ago to bring up," group member Layzie Bone says of their former feud. "We're making music, man." "C-Town" will be featured on the Cleveland group's new album "Strength & Loyalty," due tomorrow (May 8) via Full Surface/Interscope. It's the third collaboration between Twista (Carl Terrell Mitchell) and members of Bone since their beef over who best represents the Midwest began in the early 90s. Twista guested on the Layzie Bone track "Midwest Invasion," which first appeared on the 2005 X-Ray compilation "This is Hip-Hop." And Krayzie Bone joined Twista for "Spit Your Game" on last year's Notorious B.I.G. project "Duets: the Final Chapter." "It definitely was a rivalry at one time, but it was all senseless, nonsense," says Krayzie. "We were just young and not even realizing what was going on. Now we're like, 'Man, what were we even beefing about?' We don't even know -- like, who rapped the fastest or whatever. It really didn't make sense. Now we're like, instead of beefing we can make money together." OPRAH BLESSES CHICAGO PREMIERE OF 'PURPLE': Broadway baby opened Thursday in Harpo's own backyard. *Again, Oprah Winfrey was decked in her best purple to support a new chapter in "The Color Purple's" journey from Pulitzer prize-winning Alice Walker novel to Steven Spielberg film, to successful Broadway musical production. On Thursday, the stage show premiered at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in her adopted city of Chicago, where she tapes the "Oprah Winfrey Show" at her Harpo Studios compound just a few blocks from the venue. While walking the carpet in muted purple silk, Winfrey compared the show's glitzy Broadway opening to the premiere on Chicago's Randolph Street. "There's an intimacy and an obvious connection that I feel here that I couldn't possibly feel in New York," Winfrey told the Associated Press. "I loved the feeling of just happening to have the show on Broadway and to be a part of having it on Broadway, but I never imagined that about a year later that we'd be able to take it around the country, and eventually the world." Winfrey, who played strong-willed Sofia in Spielberg's 1985 film, said there are now plans to take the show to South Africa. "It's pretty powerful for me, on every level, to come down the same street where I first saw the movie 21 years ago, and my name wasn't allowed to be on the marquee, and to be able to know now that I was a part of being able to bring it here," she said. "It's really a powerful feeling." MORRIS CHESTNUT IS A 'BROKEN' MAN: Bill Duke to direct actor in film based on book by T.D. Jakes. *Morris Chestnut will executive produce and star in the upcoming Screen Gems film "Not Easily Broken," a faith-based drama based on a book by Bishop T.D. Jakes. Bill Duke will direct the picture, which revolves around a couple whose strength and faith are tested after the wife is injured in a car crash and the husband becomes attracted to another woman. Shooting is scheduled to begin June 11 in Los Angeles, after Chestnut wraps his lead role of Marcelles Wynters in the David E. Talbert stage play "Love in The Nick of Tyme" The actor, who made his feature film debut in the 1991 John Singleton debut "Boyz N the Hood," will next appear on the big screen opposite Queen Latifah and Terrence Howard in "A Perfect Christmas." Chestnut plays a department store Santa who tries to help a little girl find a new husband for her divorced mother, played by Gabrielle Union. Meanwhile, Duke recently finished directing the Vivica Fox/Louis Gossett Jr. film "Cover." The AIDS-related drama will be released in the fall by 20th Century Fox. TYLER PERRY IN NEED OF GREAT SINGERS: Filmmaker launches contest; deadline to send in video is May 18. And now-a message from playwright/filmmaker/actor Tyler Perry: Hey everybody, BIG ANNOUNCMENT.... Okay, so everywhere I go people are always asking me, "Tyler, how can I get in one of your plays, your movies or even on House of Payne?" So here's what I've decided to do. You know that I love great singers and most of the people that I work with are singers. If you are a SINGER (SINGERS ONLY--no poetry, no rap--SINGERS ONLY) and you think that you have what it takes to be in one of my shows here is what you need to do. Please follow these instructions very carefully because we have set a system in place. So you have to follow them to the letter. 1. Send a video of you singing one song.2. The song must be sung a cappella--no music, no tracks, no band--just your voice.3. Before you start to sing the song you must say your full name, phone number and age.4. You must be 18 years or older by May 18, 2007.5. The song that you sing has to be either from one of my plays or one of my movies (no exceptions).6. You are the only one that can be on the video.7. The video must be in either VHS tape format or DVD 8. Mail the video via regular US Mail. No Fedex, No UPS, No registered mail. The mailing address to send the mail to is: TYLER PERRY STUDIOS541 10th St. PMB 122ATLANTA GA 30318 Sorry your videos WILL NOT BE RETURNED TO YOU. NO FEDEX OR REGISTERED MAIL ONLY REGULAR MAIL Also your image and video may be used on a live taping of one of my shows. The contest deadline is May 18, 2007 and we must have all videos in by then and they will not be accepted after that date. All of the best videos will be reviewed by me personally. The top ten will be invited to Atlanta for the final competition where all ten contestants will get a chance to compete. Everyone will also get a chance to vote online at TylerPerry.com in the upcoming weeks. This is going to be FUN!!! Okay, let me hear from you. By the way I DO NOT HAVE A MYSPACE PAGE. The only way to get to me is on my message board at http://TylerPerry.com/messageboard Tyler EARTH WIND & FIRE LAUNCH TOUR: Elements continue to back 2005 album "Illumination." *Earth, Wind & Fire recently kicked off a fresh set of dates to promote its latest album, "Illumination," released in 2005 with production from such talents as Raphael Saadiq, will.i.am, Organized Noise, Brian McKnight and the team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The group's next stop is in Tampa, FL on May 10, and the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas on May 12. Then it's off to Hawaii for a couple of concerts before EWF returns to the continental US for two-night stands in Atlantic City and Grand Ronde, OR. Details are listed below. May 200710 - Tampa, FL - Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center12 - Paradise Island, Bahamas - Atlantis Resort19 - Honolulu, HI - Diamond Head Crater20 - Kahului, HI - Maui Arts & Cultural Center25 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena26 - Danbury, CT - Ives Concert Park29 - New York, NY - Beacon Theater31 - Boston, MA - Bank of America Pavilion June 20071-2 - Atlantic City, NJ - The Borgata5 - Vienna, VA - Wolf Trap7 - Portsmouth, VA - NTELOS Wireless Pavilion12 - Sterling Heights, MI - Freedom Hill Amphitheatre13 - Kettering, OH - Fraze Pavilion15 - Chattanooga, TN - Riverbend Festival16 - Birmingham, AL - City Stages17 - Biloxi, MS - Beau Rivage Casino19 - Fayetteville, AR - Arkansas Music Pavilion22 - Aspen, CO - Jazz Festival23 - Rio Rancho, NM - Santa Ana Star Center24 - Prescott, AZ - Toyota Center26 - Del Mar, CA - Del Mar Fairgrounds27 - Phoenix, AZ - Dodge Theatre28 - Tucson, AZ - venue to be announced July 20073 - San Jacinto, CA - Soboba Casino 6 - Kelseyville, CA - Konocti Field Amphitheater7 - Bakersfield, CA - Brighthouse Amphitheater8 - Murphys, CA - Ironstone Amphitheatre at Ironstone Vineyards 10 - Fresno, CA - William Saroyan Theater 13 - Stateline, NV - Harveys Outdoor Amphitheatre at Lake Tahoe14 - Oakland, CA - Paramount Theatre 15 - Costa Mesa, CA - The Pacific Amphitheatre 18 - Sacramento, CA - Community Center Theater 20-21 - Grand Ronde, OR - Spirit Mountain Casino 22 - Woodinville, WA - Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery JAMES BROWN B'DAY CELEBRATED AT APOLLO: Family and friends use occasion to address music industry woes. *Friends and family of James Brown gathered Thursday at Harlem'shistoric Apollo Theater to celebrate what would have been the entertainer's 74th birthday. Brown's close friend and mentee, Rev. Al Sharpton, honored theGodfather's special day in part by leading a rally that called on the music industry to police what he called racist and sexist language. Protesters marched through Manhattan to the headquarters of major music labels like Sony, Universal and Time Warner. Brown's family echoed Sharpton's message later Thursday at theApollo Theater's private gathering. "How did we get from 'Say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud,' to where we are today?" said his daughter Deanna Brown Thomas, referring to her father's famous lyrics. "We got to start taking care of our own people, we have to beaccountable to our own people," said Daryl Brown, lead guitarist of the17-piece band the Soul Generals, which backed his father for two decades. In December, thousands of fans gathered at the Apollo for one ofseveral public farewells for the pioneering entertainer, whose 24-karat gold coffin was delivered to the theater in a white, horse-drawn carriage. DIDDY SETS A TELEVISION RECORD: Mogul is first African American to have four shows on TV simultaneously. *P. Diddy is doing big things on the small screen. The rap mogul,born Sean Combs, says he'll enter the record books this spring and summer as the first African American producer to have four shows airing on television in the same year. In addition to his current MTV productions "Taquita & Kaui" and"Run's House," and a second season of "P. Diddy Presents: The Bad Boys of Comedy" on HBO, the artist will premiere a fourth season of "Making the Band" on MTV in June. "When I do something, it's got to be the biggest and the best," Diddy said in a statement. "I'm really proud to be one of TV's leading producers right now and am working hard toward achieving a television legacy like Aaron Spelling." In "Taquita & Kaui," airing Mondays at 10:30 p.m. ET, Diddydocuments the lives of two girls who met on his series "Making the Band 3." Although they didn't make the final cut, the deep friendship they formed and shared passion to make it big in the entertainment business has brought them to Las Vegas to take another shot at showbiz. Leading into "Taquita & Kaui" is the third season of "Run's House," which offers a glimpse into the lives of hip-hop royalty Reverend Run and his family. "P. Diddy Presents: The Bad Boys of Comedy" is described by the "Last Night" rapper as featuring the "edgiest, youngest, freshest comics in America." Besides creating and executive producing the show, Diddy appears in each episode. The show can be seen Fridays at midnight on HBO. D'OH! PRINCE DROPPED CHANCE TO VISIT 'SIMPSONS': Singer pulled out at the last minute over script. *Matt Groening, the creator of "The Simpsons," says he was all set to produce an episode of his long running animated series with guest star Prince, who would've followed in the footsteps of such high-powered voice visitors as Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones. But, His Royal Badness ended up pulling out of the Springfield gig at the last minute, Groening tells the New York Daily News. "Prince wanted to do the show, so we wrote him a script," Groening explained to columnists Rush & Malloy." It didn't work out, because his chauffeur had written a script too, and Prince wanted to use that one." Here are some other interesting anecdotes shared by Groening about "The Simpsons," which will shoot its 400th and final episode next season.? Groening recalls how Elizabeth Taylor once agreed to play little Maggie saying her first word, "Daddy." "We did 24 takes, but they were always too sexual. Finally Liz said, 'F? you,' and walked out."? He fondly remembers the "Simpsons" episode where "we had a news crawl like 'Fox News' across the bottom of the screen. It said things like - 'Brad Pitt plus Albert Einstein equals Dick Cheney,' 'Study: 92 percent of Democrats are gay' - We were forbidden ever to do it again. Fox said it would confuse viewers." AMERICAN IDOL - THE TOUR: Melinda, Lakisha and company to begin road work on July 6 in Sunrise, Fl. *It's that time again. Beginning March 19, diehard fans of "American Idol" will be able to purchase tickets to see the top 10 contestants perform on a North American tour. The trek will include Chris Sligh, Gina Glocksen, Haley Scarnato,Sanjaya Malakar, Phil Stacey, Chris Richardson, Jordin Sparks, Blake Lewis, LaKisha Jones and Melinda Doolitle. The sixth annual outing is scheduled to visit 55 cities in the U.S., as well as Toronto. The trek launches July 6 in Sunrise, FL, and stretches through late September. Dates are listed below: July 2007 6 - Sunrise, FL - BankAtlantic Center 7 - Tampa, FL - St. Pete Times Forum 8 - Jacksonville, FL - Jacksonville Veteran Memorial Arena 10 - Greenville, SC - Bi Lo Center 11 - Nashville, TN - Nashville Arena 12 - Birmingham, AL - BJCC Arena 13 - North Little Rock, AR - ALLTEL Arena 15 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center 16 - San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center 18 - Glendale, AZ - Jobing.com Arena 19 - San Diego, CA - San Diego Sports Arena 20 - Fresno, CA - Save Mart Center 22 - Anaheim, CA - Honda Center 23 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center 24 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion at San Jose 25 - Sacramento, CA - ARCO Arena 27 - Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Dome 28 - Portland, OR - Rose Garden 30 - Nampa, ID - The Idaho Center 31 - Salt Lake City, UT - Energy Solutions Arena August 20073 - Omaha, NE - Qwest Center 4 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center 5 - Milwaukee, WI - Bradley Center 7 - Rosemont, IL - Allstate Arena 8 - Moline, IL - MARK of the Quad Cities 9 - St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center 11 - Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center 12 - Auburn Hills, MI - Palace at Auburn Hills 13 - Cleveland, OH - Wolstein Center 14 - Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre16 - Indianapolis, IN - Indiana State Fair 17 - Louisville, KY - Kentucky State Fair 18 - Sedalia, MO - Missouri State Fair 19 - Des Moines, IA - Iowa State Fair 22 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena 23 - Rochester, NY - Blue Cross Arena 24 - Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum 27 - Hartford, CT - Hartford Civic Center 28 - East Rutherford, NJ - Continental Airlines Arena 30 - Albany, NY - Times Union Center September 20071 - Allentown, PA - Allentown Fair 2 - Syracuse, NY - New York State Fair 4 - Portland, ME - Cumberland County Civic Center 5 - Worcester, MA - DCU Center 7 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center 8 - Atlantic City, NJ - Boardwalk Hall 9 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center 11 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum 12 - Duluth, GA - The Arena at Gwinnett Center 13 - Memphis, TN - FedExForum 15 - Huntington, WV - Big Sandy Superstore Arena 16 - Charlottesville, VA - John Paul Jones Arena 18 - Hampton, VA - Hampton Coliseum 19 - Baltimore, MD - 1st Mariner Arena 20 - Bridgeport, CT - Arena at Harbor Yard 22 - Manchester, NH - Verizon Wireless Arena MUSIC BITS: Kanye called on the carpet; Luda's Pepsi woes; 'Kid's Rap Radio 3'; Legend all washed up. *The New York Post's Page Six notes the strategic mind of Kanye West when it comes to promoting his fiancee's new dress line. According to the column, he "spent 30 minutes being photographed with his girl 'Alexis Phifer' on the red carpet before entering Ne-Yo's album-release party at Marc Ecko's showroom - but his date kept her coat on. West coaxed her back to the carpet and begged photogs to re-snap her, sans jacket. An insider told Page Six, 'She was wearing a dress from her Ghita label, and Kanye wanted her to show it off.'" *Ludacris is still hot over losing his promotional deal with Pepsi over protests launched by conservative commentator Bill O'Reilly. The soft-drink company fired him in 2005 after the right wing Fox News Channel host complained he was "vulgar" and attacked Pepsi as "immoral" for using him in their ads. He tells the New York Daily News: "(I was fired) just for what I was saying on records. (And replaced by Ozzy Osbourne), a man who bit the head off an animal onstage and who has an MTV show where you have to bleep out every other word. Life is unfair." * Mathew Knowles' Music World Music has announced the launch of the next installment of their children's music series "Kid's Rap Radio, Volume 3" and the debut of "Kid's Rap, Latino." Each release will feature child-friendly lyrics and arrangements of popular rap and hip-hop singles geared toward children ages 2 through 10. Kid's Rap Radio, Volume 3" will release on Oct. 2 and includes versions of top charting hits "Walk It Out" and "This Is Why I'm Hot." "Kid's Rap, Latino" will debut in stores and online on Aug. 7. The release includes all Spanish-rapped versions of "Kid's Rap Volume 1's" track listing. Hot titles include "Back Then," "Wait (The Whisper Song)," and "Go DJ." *As part of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival's effortstoward rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina, R&B singer John Legend washed clothes as part of a free mobile laundry service for families still living in federally issued trailers in hard-hit St. Bernard Parish. Not all trailers that hurricane-affected families live in come equipped with washers and dryers. Today (5/07), singer Joss Stone is scheduled to work with Habitat for Humanity and the Internet-based travel company Travelocity to promote volunteer work in New Orleans. A number of Jazz Fest performers, including Norah Jones, also have recorded or committed to record Fats Domino songs for a tribute benefiting the Tipitina's Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to providing the city's public schools with instruments and helping artists recover from the hurricane. FILM/TV/THEATER BITS: 'Anatomy' spinoff; Cheadle's cab; Morrison's 'Bluest' in Conn.; Tamyra Gray collects 'Rent.' *"Grey's Anatomy's" two hour episode on Thursday, which doubled as the potential pilot for a Dr, Addison spinoff (tentatively titled "Private Practice"), drew an estimated 21 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. The numbers beat "CSI's" 18.9 million and "ER's" 8 million, but was it enough for ABC to give a green light to a full season of "Private Practice?" In the coveted 18-to-34-year-old demo, Thursday's"Anatomy" was at the top of the Nielsen pack, nearly tripling the number of advertiser-friendly viewers the show logged in that category at the same time last year and earning the network its highest numbers in that demo in nearly 10 years. However, a majority of Internet fan forums and message boards had lukewarm responses to the possible spinoff portion, which co-stars Taye Diggs and Merrin Dungey. ABC will announce whether the spinoff has been picked up on May 15, when the network unveils its fall programming schedule to advertisers. The season finale of "Grey's" is set for May 17. *The New York Post is quoting a Queens, NY woman who said Don Cheadle took a cab that she had hailed down in the pouring rain. "I stood in the middle of the street and hailed a cab," 26-year-old Gisela Delgado told Page Six. "Five people jump out of nowhere and get in! My uncle said, 'Hey, my niece flagged the cab down,' and this guy says, 'No man, this is our cab.' I realized it was Don Cheadle and I said, 'I am going to tell Page Six' and he just laughed and shook my hand." Meanwhile, the actor's publicist said the Oscar nominee was with two people, not five, and that "both parties were hailing cabs just a few feet away from each other. The cab stopped closer to Don and his friend." *Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye" will be presented in Connecticut as a stage production at New Haven's Long Wharf Theater and Hartford Stage. Adapted from Morrison's first novel by Lydia Diamond, the show premiered at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater Company in 2005 as part of its Young Adult my Series before moving to New York's New Victory Theater. Other productions were in Washington D.C. and Chapel Hill, N.C. The Connecticut shows will begin at Hartford in February 2008 before transferring to New Haven in March. *"American Idol" finalist Tamyra Gray returns to Broadway as thecharacter Mimi Marquez in the Tony-winning musical, "Rent." Her run at the Nederlander Theatre will begin May 29 and end Nov. 25. The role of Mimi was originated by Daphne Rubin-Vega on Broadway and by Rosario Dawson in the 2005 film adaptation. Meanwhile, original Rent stars Adam Pascal (Roger) and Anthony Rapp (Mark) will re-create their roles on Broadway July 30-Sept. 9. Gray made her Broadway debut in the Bollywood-themed musical Bombay Dreams. EVENT CALENDAR: Sapp/Clark-Cole in NJ; NABJ's Hall of Fame inductees;Marsalis honored. *Christian Pentecostal Church of Christ in Irvington, NJ willpresent an Anniversary Praise Party at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 25, honoring its Senior Pastor, Elder Jerry Smith, and featuring performances from gospel music legends Pastor Marvin Sapp and Dr. Dorinda Clark-Cole, and author Deborah Smith. The event, which is free and open to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis, marks Pastor Smith's one-year anniversary at the church. Sapp will also serve as master of ceremonies for the Praise Party. Visiting pastors are scheduled to give testimonial messages, and published author Deborah Smith will be on-hand for a book signing. *The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) will induct a renowned journalism educator, two broadcast pioneers and an accomplished media executive into the 2007 NABJ Hall of Fame, the association announced today. At its spring meeting in Chicago, the NABJ Board of Directors voted to induct Xernona Clayton-Brady (Trumpet Awards founder and broadcast pioneer who served as one of the highest-ranking corporate executives at Turner Broadcasting System over a span of 30 years.), Merv Aubespin (past president of NABJ from 1983-1985), John L. Dotson, Jr. (former president and publisher of the Akron Beacon Journal and co-founder of the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education), and Jim Vance (co-anchor of the longest-running anchor team in our Nation's Capital). CNN will receive the group's Best Practices Award, while Black Entertainment Television was named recipient of its Thumbs Down Award. *Wynton Marsalis, artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, was presented with the 2007 Montblanc de la Culture Award, which supports the arts in ten countries, at a gala held during the Tribeca Film Festival Thursday night. The evening's festivities included surprise tributes and performances by individuals who have been influential to Marsalis' life and career. Wynton's father, Ellis Marsalis, tap dance maestro Savion Glover, percussionist Roy Haynes and legendary 81-year-old jazz artist Clark Terry, Marsalis' longtime friend and mentor, performed to honor Marsalis. Created in 1992, the Montblanc de la Culture Award honors individuals in 10 countries who commit their time and resources to enhance the arts and culture. SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SUSPENDS PRESIDENT: Ralph Slaughter put on hold amidst questions about sexual harassment policies. *Southern University, the nation's largest historically blackuniversity system, suspended its president with pay Saturday through July 5 and ordered him to cooperate with an investigation into the way sexual harassment charges against a fellow administrator were handled, reports the Associated Press. Slaughter and the board were criticized last month by Baton Rougelawyer Mark Falcon who complained that they had thwarted his inquiry into sexual harassment complaints made against board Chairman Johnny Anderson by some university employees. Falcon submitted a report saying he could not determine the validity of the allegations. Anderson stepped down as board chairman April 21, saying he wanted to avoid any appearance that he was influencing the investigation. He has denied the allegations. Neither Slaughter nor his attorney, Jill Craft, could be reached immediately for comment. Anderson also is chief of staff for Gov. Kathleen Blanco, whoordered the investigation by Falcon. Falcon said the university system did not cooperate with his investigation and that Slaughter was insubordinate. Slaughter has said he turned over all his documentation to a federal grand jury. He said he withheld some material from Falcon to protect the privacy of the alleged harassment victims. The board instructed Southern's human resources director Saturday to investigate the handling of the allegations. EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE "Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other." ? John F. Kennedy: 35th President of the United States. CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS May 7: Singer Jimmy Ruffin is 68. Singer Thelma Houston is 61. Singer Eagle-Eye Cherry is 35. WEBSITE OF THE WEEK Jasmyne Cannick's blog addresses the issues others simply can't or won't. Gay, straight, entertainment, or political. Updated daily:www.Jasmynecannick.com. Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com. BLACK HISTORY May 7, 1976: William H. Hastie inaugurated as the first Black governor of the Virgin Islands.