Good news Gerald Levert Fans. There is a new CD being released of Gerald’s previously unreleased tracks. The first song has been released entitled Can It Stay-be sure to listen out for it!
Gospel Great Bishop Walter Hawkins passed away last weekend. Hawkins was part of the gospel musical dynasty The Hawkins Family. Walter, along with his brother Edwin and sister Lynette led the charge with some of the greatest gospel music ever recorded. Walter was married to Tramaine Hawkins, and they had two children and two grandchildren. Bishop Hawkins was 61 and battled pancreatic cancer. Oh Happy Day, The Potter’s House, Changed, Be Grateful, Goin’ Up To Yonder, Marvelous and I’m Going Away are just a few of the classics from the Hawkins musical dynasty.
It’s wedding number two for Martin Lawrence. Lawrence tied the knot last weekend with longtime girlfriend Shamicka Gibbs. The bride was beautiful, and the guests list included Eddie Murphy and Denzel Washington. Lawrence’s latest movie, Death At A Funeral with Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, Kevin Hart, Danny Glover and Zoe Saldana, comes out on DVD August 10th.
Speaking of weddings, Our Family Wedding with Forest Whitaker, Carlos Mencia, America Ferrera and Lance Gross is out on DVD now.
The fake relationship between Producer The Dream and Christina Milian has come to a halt. I never believed this relationship despite their infant daughter and recent wedding. The Dream, born Terius Youngdell Nash, has a new project out, and he was recently photographed frolicking on the beach with his personal assistant. In a statement released earlier this week, he announced that his marriage to Milian was over. This came as quite a shock to Milian. She says she was blindsided. She is still caring for their child, and wearing her wedding ring. She did not sign a prenup when she married The Dream. Sources say The Dream realized he made a mistake, and now he is trying to back out of it claiming he broke up with Milian shortly after the birth of their daughter, Violet, last February. Milian says this is not true, and they were just together a month ago and everything was fine. If The Dream can prove they separated when he says, then Milian gets less money. In that case, she may get only child support. Milian lost out on former boyfriend Nick Cannon. You can bet she will not let this money get away from her. The Dream’s fortune has come from writing and producing for artists like Beyonce, Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Diddy and Mary J. Blige.
He’s a got a hit reality show, but he can’t get a football gig to save his life. Terrell Owens, a.k.a. T.O, says he can’t understand why no football team has signed him. His last team, The Buffalo Bills, only kept him for a year. Owens has had previous stops with the Cowboys, Eagles and 49ers. He has a rep as troublemaker, but he has never been disciplined by the NFL for off field conduct. His reality show is currently in its second season. The T.O. Show airs Sundays at 10pm on VH1.
Representatives from The Michael Jackson Fan Club say they will clean up the damage left by vandals at the mausoleum where Jackson’s body is being held. Overzealous fans are leaving ink tributes on the tomb at Forest Lawn. The fan club say they fear if this continues, fans will be barred from the gravesite forever. In other MJ news, a California lawmaker has put forth a proposal to have Jackson’s Neverland home made into a state park.
Faith Evans is coming back with a new album at the end of summer. Something About Faith is coming out September 14th.
Did I Do That? Is former child star Actor Jaleel White, whose best known as “Steve Urkel” from the TV show Family Matters, going to be asking that question this time in real life? White has been having problems with his baby momma. White has been in an ongoing custody with Bridget Hardy, who is the mother of his child. Hardy claims White punched her in the breast, slapped her in the mouth and pushed her into a toilet so hard it broke the tank. White says these charges are not true.
Whoopi Goldberg is headed to London for the musical Sister Act. The musical is based on her 1992 film. She is doing 23 shows as she reprises her role from the film. She will be back in time for new episodes of the The View in September.
In more Whoopi news, Goldberg has been catching a lot of flak for talking about her friendship with Mel Gibson saying she believes he’s not a racist. The Oscar winning actor has been in the headlines with his nasty breakup with his Russian girlfriend/babymomma Oksana Grigorieva. She recorded conversations of him spewing hatred towards everyone. The violent outbursts were shocking and disheartening. Has one of America’s favorite movie stars gone mad? Where is Danny Glover, his Lethal Weapon co-star? What does he think of this? Gibson has certainly ruined his career with his hate filled rants and reports of beating his babymomma.
Terry McMillan’s long awaited sequel to Waiting To Exhale called Getting To Happy arrives in bookstores September 7th.
Lisa Wu Hartwell of The Real Housewives Of Atlanta is refuting reports that she may be the housewife let go on the new season of the show. Hartwell says the season will be exciting when new episodes start in September. Hartwell is married to former NFL Player Ed Hartwell, who has just released a calendar showing off his fabulous body.
Denzel Washington has signed on for the spy thriller Safe House as one of his future projects. Washington, who just a Tony Award for his Broadway performance in Fences, has a new movie called Unstoppable coming out in November.
The Oprah Winfrey Bio by Kitty Kelley is being made into movie. The book was not the blockbuster that publishers thought it would be. So, it comes as a surprise that a movie is being made based on the book.
Maxwell says he will have a new album by next winter, and Fantasia’s long awaited release Back To Me comes out late August.
Janet Jackson is the cover girl for the new issue of Essence magazine. She will be releasing her first book, True To Me, soon and she is currently on location with Tyler Perry and Whoopi Goldberg for the movie For Colored Girls.
Idris Elba is hot on the cover of Ebony magazine. His new movie Takers arrives in theatres on August 27th. Speaking of new movies, on August 20th, it’s Lottery Ticket with Loretta Devine, Ice Cube, Bow Wow, Mike Epps & Terry Crews.
Cop Out with Bruce Willis &Tracy Morgan hits the DVD shelves on July 20th.
Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney is being honored at The White House. McCartney is getting the Gershwin Prize For Popular Song from The Library Of Congress. Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock and Corinne Bailey Rae are among those honoring McCartney. The ceremonies will air on PBS July 28th.
