This Week's Top Pop Stories

Here are the top stories from this week's Day in Pop and the top Day in Pop digest stories

Diddy Cause 9/11?

(Gibson) A Los Angeles woman has filed a lawsuit against Diddy, his former girlfriend, Kim Porter, and Rodney King, the man who was beaten by Los Angeles Police in 1991. According to NME.com, Valerie Joyce Wilson Turks is suing Diddy (whose real name is Sean Combs) for, among other things, causing 9/11 and stealing from her a poker chip worth in excess of "100 zillions of dollars."

Turks submitted to the Los Angeles Superior Court: "[Diddy] went through Kim Porter and Rodney King and knocked down the World Trade Center and then they all came and knocked my children down. Set me up to be on disability and disabled my baby. He put my baby in a wheelchair."

She continued: "I won a lot of money at the casino in Mississippi and Sean Diddy Combs has my chip to my money. I want my chip, please help me. It's well worth over 100 zillions of dollars. - more on this story

Gladys Horton of The Marvelettes Dies

(Gibson) Gladys Horton, the co-founder of hit Motown group The Marvelettes, has died. The singer passed away late on Wednesday (January 26) in a Los Angeles nursing home, according to Spinner.com. She was 66. Horton's cause of death is unknown, although her son said that she had been recovering from complications from a stroke she suffered last year.

Horton was born in a Detroit suburb in 1944, and sang in the high school glee club as a teenager. She recruited four other girls from the club to form a singing group, which was dubbed Casinyets (as in, "can't sing yet").

In 1961, the group landed a Motown contract with an audition performance of "Please, Mr. Postman" – the song that would grant them stardom. With Horton singing lead, they recorded the tune with The Funk Brothers. By the time it was released in the summer of '61, the group had taken a new name, The Marvelettes. Soon, "Please, Mr. Postman" would top the Billboard pop charts. - more on this story

Clint Eastwood To Direct Beyonce in A Star is Born Remake

(Gibson) Clint Eastwood will produce and direct a new remake of the film A Star Is Born, starring Beyonce Knowles. Warner Brothers is rumored to have an interest in casting Will Smith as the male lead opposite Knowles, but that role has yet to be determined.

This will be the third remake of the classic story about an aging movie star who helps a young singer and actress find fame. The original film debuted in 1937 and starred Janet Gaynor and Fredric March; the second film came in 1954 and starred Judy Garland and James Mason; and the most recent version was in 1976, starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson.

Knowles, age 29, has previously starred in the films Dreamgirls, Obsessed and Cadillac Ranch, in which she portrayed singer Etta James. Eastwood, who starred in his first film in 1955, has produced and directed dozens of films — including the more recent blockbusters Million Dollar Baby, Mystic River and Invictus. - more on this story

American Idol Loses Viewers But Still Enjoys Big Opening

American Idol premiered with its 10th season on Wednesday with an audience of 26.1 million viewers (down 13 percent from last year's premiere).

The Idol folks looks at the possible and offers this contrast, "other US hit TV shows such as Glee peak with an audience of around 11 million."

Simon Fuller, creator and producer of American Idol commented, "Everyone involved has put their heart and soul into making this the best season of American idol. We have never worked better together as a team and I am very proud." - more on this story

Cher Makes History

(Gibson) Cher is now the only artist in the history of pop music in the United States to have a no. 1 song on a Billboard chart in each of the last six decades.

The Daily Express reports that, with Cher reaching the top spot on the Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs chart with the Diane Warren song

"You Haven't Seen the Last of Me," she now can claim a #1 hit in six different decades. The tune is from the soundtrack to Burlesque and won the Best Song award at last weekend's Golden Globes ceremony. - more on this story

The Oak Ridge Boys Vs Oprah Winfrey

(Webster) Late night host David Letterman addressed the new Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) on a recent episode with a video spoof featuring The Oak Ridge Boys.

According to Letterman, those who are not willing to pay extra to access OWN, should instead tune-in and watch the new celebrity network, OBN, The Oak Ridge Boys Network.

His spoof included a classic video of The Oaks singing the infamous line, "Giddy up ooom poppa omm poppa mow mow," from the group's 1981 hit single, "Elvira." 2011 marks the 30th anniversary of the song, and The Oaks are still performing it regularly on tour across the U.S. and Canada about 150 days each year. - Watch a video of the spoof

Etta James Battling Leukemia

(Gibson) Etta James, the woman most famous for "At Last," has been diagnosed with leukemia, according to The Associated Press.

Her ailment was revealed in documents filed by James' husband Artis Mills. He's seeking to control the finances of the 72-year-old singer, who is being treated for leukemia and also suffers from Alzheimer's disease.

James has mostly been out of the public eye in recent years. According to the documents, she's currently unable to perform many basic functions, including feeding herself. - more on this story

Beyonce Scores Biggest DVD of 2010

Music World/Columbia Records announced that Beyonce's I Am...World Tour concert film was the best-selling music DVD of 2010.

Filmed during her international concert tour, the deluxe DVD/Soundtrack edition---including the concert DVD, a live soundtrack, an exclusive, intimate documentary and explosive travelogue, and a 40-page collection of never-seen photos---was released on Tuesday, November 30, 2010 and still holds the #1 position on Nielsen SoundScan Music DVD chart. A Blu-ray version of Beyonce's I AM...WORLD TOUR is also available.

In Brazil, where Beyonce played to massive audiences, including 60,000 in Sao Paulo, last winter, the DVD has been certified platinum. It is also certified Platinum in the UK and is certified gold in six countries including France, Australia and Canada. - more on this story

Taylor Swift Named The Top Artist of 2010

Taylor Swift has been named Billboard & Nielsen SoundScan's top-selling artist of 2010 with over 4.4 million albums sold last year, according to sales figures released this week.

This is the second time in three years that she has earned that distinction as Taylor was also SoundScan's top-selling artist in 2008, and her Fearless album was 2009's biggest-selling CD.

For the second consecutive year, Taylor is Billboard's most-played artist, topping their annual all-genre Artist Airplay chart with more than 1.128 million airplay detections in 2010.

In addition, with over 34 million tracks sold to date, Taylor remains the top selling digital artist in music history, again holding the #1 position atop Billboard's chart of Top Selling Digital Artists. - more on this story

Aretha Franklin Says Health Problems Have Been Resolved

(Gibson) One month after undergoing surgery for an undisclosed ailment, Aretha Franklin says her health problems have "been resolved." In an interview with JET magazine, the 68-year-old Queen of Soul said her troubles began when she felt "a hard pain in my side." News reports later surfaced that she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a diagnosis she neither confirms nor denies.

"I am not going to even deal with that," she told the magazine. "I don't have to talk about my health with anybody other than my doctors." Franklin went on to say she's "feeling great and coming along," and added that she has a special message for her many well-wishers.

"I want to thank my fans and friends and supporters who have prayed for me and sent me beautiful cards and flowers," she said. "Please continue to respect my privacy as I continue to recover." -

Lady Gaga and Betty White Go Comic

(PR) One is an outrageous pop maven; the other, an octogenarian TV legend. But both are celebrities that captivated the public imagination in 2010 and are subjects of Bluewater Productions' biography comic books releasing this week.

"Fame: Lady Gaga" and "Female Force: Betty White" are scheduled to hit newsstands, comic bookstores and online venues on Wednesday, January 5.

"Fame: Lady Gaga" follows the unknown Stefani Germanotta as she crafted a glam-rock persona and began her climb up the pop music charts with monster hits like "Poker Face" and "Just Dance." The issue also promises to showcase Gaga in some of her more unusual and extraordinary fashion choices as well as her legendary performances. - more on this story

Lady Gaga Believes Public Wants To See Her Fail

CBS sent over this interesting preview of the upcoming Lady Gaga 60 Minutes interview: Lady Gaga believes the public ultimately wants to see her fail, to lose all she's gained, she tells Anderson Cooper in a 60 MINUTES interview that's as packed with surprises as the pop star's outrageous wardrobe.

The profile was videotaped in London, Milan and New York while the singer was on tour and will be broadcast Sunday, Feb. 13 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Her fans are waiting to see what Gaga will do when she performs at the Grammy Awards Sunday (13) evening, where she's been nominated for six of the awards. What she did before at the MTV Music Awards - pretending to die a bloody death after singing her hit song, "Paparazzi" - got Cooper's attention and curiosity. So he asked her about it. - more on this story

Myspace Music Killer?

We typically just delete self-promoting announcements from websites but we figured that this might be of some interest to some of our readers, especially since Myspace Music is practically useless since their recent redesign:

Myspace Music has had a stranglehold on the music hosting game for quite some time, but according to Chris Brickhouse, owner and operator of Stereokiller.com, their media player is outdated, their profiles are littered with Myspace navigation, and their pages take too long to load.

"The Myspace media player downgrades the bitrate of the music, making it sound 'fuzzy' and play at a lower volume, whereas our media player doesn't require flash... The music is exactly the same quality as uploaded," said Brickhouse. "They degrade the songs to save disk space... We won't sacrifice the music quality for a few bytes of space." - more on this story

Semisonic's Dan Wilson Helped Adele To The Top

(Sacks & Co) "Someone Like You," Adele's hit single co-written and produced by Grammy-winning songwriter Dan Wilson, has reached the no 1 spot on the U.K. Singles Chart aided in large part by Adele's performance of the song on the BRIT Awards.

Wilson has three co-writing credits and one production credit on Adele's new album 21, out now in the U.S. on Columbia Records.

In a recent 4-star album review The Guardian notes that "it's former Semisonic man Dan Wilson who is responsible for the album's highlight, the gorgeous 'Someone Like You,' certain to be coming soon to a montage near you." - more here

Hans Zimmer Teams With Rodrigo y Gabriela For Pirates of the Caribbean

Hans Zimmer's first-time collaboration with Rodrigo y Gabriela will be part of the "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" soundtrack which is set to hit stores on May 17, 2011.

"We'd always felt it a creative necessity that the 'Pirates of the Caribbean 4' score have an original sound all its own and to distinguish itself from the first three films. With the inspiring addition of Rodrigo y Gabriela's unique artistry under the direction of maestro Hans 'Long John' Zimmer, this iconic score franchise take its next step forward with an imaginative, fresh and individual new sound," says Mitchell Leib, President of Music and Soundtracks for the Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Group and Disney Music Group.

Walt Disney Pictures' and Jerry Bruckheimer Films' "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," with screenplay by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio, suggested by the novel by Tim Powers opens in theaters May 20, 2011, in Disney Digital 3D -

Garth Brooks, Leon Russell Among Songwriters Hall of Fame Class of 2011

The Songwriters Hall of Fame Class of 2011 includes John Bettis, Garth Brooks, Leon Russell, Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly and Allen Toussaint.

They will be inducted at the organization's 42nd Annual Induction and Awards Dinner on Thursday, June 16th at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. Additional special award honorees will be announced soon.

"We are inspired by the striking caliber and range of the 2011 Songwriters Hall of Fame class," says SHOF Chairman, legendary songwriter, and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Jimmy Webb. "John, Garth, Leon, Billy, Tom and Allen each represent a unique breed of artist, warmly respected by their peers and revered by all lovers of song. As songwriters, their work has forever enriched our world's music." -

Morrissey To Open The Vaults

(Gibson) Plenty of Morrissey action coming up in April according to NME.com. Two unheard songs recorded around the time of the former Smiths singer's 1988 solo debut, Viva Hate will be released April 18, according to fansite True-to-you.

"Safe, Warm Lancashire Home" and "Treat Me Like A Human Being," will feature as B-sides for the re-release of Morrissey's 1992 single "Glamorous Glue."

On April 25 EMI are releasing 'The Very Best Of Morrissey', an eighteen-track compilation that includes a bonus DVD containing 11 music videos - more on this story

Britney's New Video Just One Big Product Placement?

(TMZ) If Britney Spears made half a million dollars from product placements in her new music video ... would you hold it against her?

Sources connected to Britney's video tell TMZ ... Spears netted a cool $500,000 for various product placements in her "Hold It Against Me" video.

We're told the dating site Plentyoffish.com, one of several companies featured in the vid, forked over "a couple hundred thousand" to feature their site on Brit's computer during the vid and saw immediate results ... a 20% spike in traffic the day after the video premiered. - more on this story

Lady Gaga Sets New Record

Interscope announced that "Born This Way," the first single and title track from Lady Gaga's upcoming album, is the fastest selling single ever on the iTunes Store worldwide, hitting #1 in all 23 countries and selling over one million tracks in just five days.

In addition to breaking the iTunes record this week Lady Gaga gave a spectacular performance of the song on Sunday's Grammy telecast, where she won her 3rd, 4th and 5th Grammys.

Lady Gaga's third full-length album, Born This Way (Streamline/Kon Live/Interscope), is scheduled for release on May 23rd. -

Toby Keith Teams With NFL Stars To Form Pros 4 Vets

(PR) Toby Keith has announced the formation of "Pros 4 Vets" with fellow Co-founders and NFL superstars Tommie Harris of the Chicago Bears, Roy Williams of the Cincinnati Bengals, and Mark Clayton of the St. Louis Rams.

"This is a subject very near to my heart," said Toby Keith. "Our soldiers leave their families to fight for us, and we want to fight for them. Long after the 'Welcome Home' parade, many soldiers face medical and legal challenges. It's our duty as Americans to take care of our men and women in uniform when they come home. We invite professionals from all fields to step up to this challenge and help American soldiers and veterans."

The mission of Pros 4 Vets is to raise awareness of the enormous needs faced by American service members, veterans and their families and to help them with those needs. The non-profit group will bring together the talents and skills of lawyers, doctors and other professionals to provide free professional services, such as legal assistance or medical care. - more info.

El DeBarge Goes To Rehab

Geffen Records announced on Monday that El DeBarge has voluntarily checked himself into a rehabilitation center to deal with issues stemming from many years of substance abuse.

"I hate to disappoint my fans but it is necessary for me to take the time to work on me so that I may continue to share my music and my story with everyone.

"I thank everyone in advance for their prayers and well wishes and hope that you will respect my privacy during this time," stated DeBarge. - more on this story

James Bond Theme Composer John Barry Dies

(Gibson) Academy Award-winning composer John Barry, perhaps best-known for arranging Monty Norman's "James Bond Theme," has died from a heart attack in New York. He was 77.

Born in Yorkshire, England, John Barry Prendergast first made his name as bandleader of the John Barry Seven, according to BBC News. As well as arranging the famous James Bond theme, he composed scores for 11 movies in the series including Goldfinger, You Only Live Twice and A View to a Kill.

But Barry was more than a Bond composer, winning five Academy Awards – two for Born Free, and the rest for The Lion in Winter, Out of Africa and Dances with Wolves - more on this story

Billy Ray Cyrus Withdraws Divorce Papers

(TMZ) Billy Ray Cyrus just made it official, by filing documents -- obtained by TMZ -- to withdraw his divorce petition so he can try to save his marriage.

Billy Ray filed the docs in Williamson County, Tennessee, stating, "The parties are attempting a reconciliation."

The petition to withdraw the divorce was filed March 11 ... and the judge signed the order withdrawing the divorce papers. - more on this story

Christina Aguilera Accused of Song Theft

(TMZ) If Christina Aguilera's hit "Ain't No Other Man" sounds like a classic, that's because its infectious beat comes from a 43-year-old song -- and a new lawsuit claims Sony Music hasn't paid the rightful owner for the sample.

Take a listen ... Christina's song clearly samples from a 1968 latin soul tune called "Hippy Skippy Moon Strut"(aka "I'll Be a Lucky Man) by Dave Cortez and the Moon People. Gotta love that name.

According to the federal lawsuit, filed in New York, TufAmerica purchased exclusive rights to 'Hippy Skippy' in 2004 ... however Sony Music -- Christina's label -- made a deal with Codigo Music and the Clyde Otis Music Group to use the song - more on this story

Paula Abdul Calls 911 On Boyfriend

(TMZ) Paula Abdul made a frantic and tearful 911 call during a Valentine's Day drive with a boyfriend -- repeatedly screaming, "Drop me off!" ... and TMZ has obtained the recording.

During the call -- placed at 4:35 PM on Valentine's Day -- Paula cries and sobs hysterically and says, "I wanna go, and he won't let me!"

Seconds later Paula says, "Are you gonna drop me off 'cause I have emergency on the phone" -- and shortly after that she says, "He's dropping me off. - more on this story

Usher Sex Tape

(TMZ) TMZ has learned that a sex tape featuring Usher and his ex-wife, Tameka Foster, is being hawked around town.

TMZ was approached several days ago by someone claiming to have the sex tape. The person sent us a short video and two photos. We'll keep this PG-13 and just say ... the people in the video are both givers.

The video and photos are clear -- it's Usher and Tameka. Sources close to Usher -- without specifically admitting the existence of a sex tape -- tell us they believe this video could have been among the things Usher had stolen out of his car back in December 2009 - more on this story

Taylor Swift in New Dr Seuss Movie

(TMZ) Taylor Swift is lending her voice to a new Dr. Seuss film. Here is the official word with the details:

Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment founder Chris Meledandri announced today the principal talent for the 3D-CGI feature Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, an adaptation of Dr. Seuss' classic tale of a forest creature who shares the enduring power of hope.

Danny DeVito will lend his vocal talents to the iconic title character of the Lorax, while Ed Helms will voice the enigmatic Once-ler. Also bringing their talents to the film are global superstars Zac Efron as Ted, the idealistic young boy who searches for the Lorax, and Taylor Swift as Audrey, the girl of Ted's dreams. Rob Riggle will play financial king O'Hare, and beloved actress Betty White has signed on to portray Ted's wise Grammy Norma. - more on this story

Nicki Minaj Says No to Simon Cowell

(TMZ) Don't plan on seeing Nicki Minaj at the judges table on "X Factor" -- TMZ has learned the rapper will NOT be taking a gig on the show.

Rumors of Minaj's participation on the show have been spreading like wildfire ... with Simon Cowell himself fanning the flames ... but sources connected to Minaj tell us she won't be a judge on the show ... adding, "There's nothing going on with [X Factor]."

Earlier this week, Cowell told reporters that many of the names rumored to be in talks with the show were most likely leaked from his own company in an effort to stir up interest in the show - more on this story

Lindsay Lohan Won't Face Rehab Assault Charge

(TMZ) The former Betty Ford staffer who was allegedly attacked by Lindsay Lohan is griping ... LiLo should have been charged with a crime.

Holland -- who early-on said she did not want Lindsay prosecuted -- has had a change of heart after the Riverside County D.A. told TMZ they would not prosecute because of insufficient evidence.

Holland says she's "disappointed but not surprised," adding, "It's not fair. - more on this story

Kacey Jordan Denies Suicide Attempt

(TMZ) Kacey Jordan (the porn star from Charlie Sheen's January cocaine binge) tells TMZ, she WASN'T trying to kill herself this week ... she just made some seriously bad decisions while high on drugs.

Kacey -- real name Courtney Roskop -- tells us, "I was not trying to kill myself. I was held at Northwestern University's psych ward for 48 hours, and was evaluated by many mental health experts who all agreed that I was pretty with it. And not psychotic."

She adds, "But they did tell me they felt I made bad decisions under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Duh!" - more on this story

Death Stops Jamiroquai Concert

(Gibson) A Jamiroquai concert in France was cancelled after a stagehand tragically died in a fall from a gantry.

According to the Daily Mail, the victim fell 50 foot from a girder as he worked constructing the stage.

Jay Kay and band were due to play at the Halle Toni Garnier Arena in Lyon. A statement on the Jamiroquai Facebook page says: "The band were shocked and saddened when told the news and out of respect immediately felt the right decision was to cancel the show. A police investigation is taking place which would also have prevented the show from happening." - more on this story

American Idol Contestant Collapses

(TMZ) American Idol contestant Casey Abrams -- who got voted off the show Thursday and won a save from the judges -- was so overwrought with emotion after the show, he began hyperventilating and then fell to the floor in the hallway.

We're told "A.I." staffers helped Casey up and put him in a chair so he could calm down. Ironically, his song choice Thursday was "I Don't Need No Doctor."

Our "Idol" spies tell us ... Casey felt horrible that the judges used their save for him, saying "I feel really bad that other [contestants] might have to go home now because they [the judges] used the save on me." - more on this story

Tony Bennett To Duet With Lady Gaga, Amy Winehouse, Carrie Underwood, Mariah Carey and more

RPM/Columbia Records have announced the September 20th release of "Tony Bennett: Duets II." Here is the official word with details about who he will be dueting with! (Billboard also reports that Lady Gaga will be included)

Bennett has already begun the live recording process with several artists during Grammy week in February at LA's famed Capitol Studios. Subsequent sessions are planned for this Spring in New York, Nashville and Italy. "Duets II," produced by Phil Ramone follows up "Tony Bennett Duets: An American Classic" CD, the 2006 Grammy winning best selling CD which became Bennett's best selling recording to date.

Alone Tony Bennett is legendary. In partnership with another singer, he's extraordinary. A sterling all-star roster will join Tony in the studio including Mariah Carey, Natalie Cole, Norah Jones and Amy Winehouse. Some of country's biggest names will also join the round-up including Faith Hill, Willie Nelson and Carrie Underwood. From the international pantheon: angel-voiced tenor Andrea Bocelli from Italy and Latino singer-songwriter Alejandro Sanz from Spain. Josh Groban and John Mayer are also slated to collaborate with Bennett. Michael Buble and k.d. lang who were both featured on the original "Duets" CD will return for "Duets II." All artists will record their duets live in the studio with Bennett. - more on this story

Enrique Iglesias Backs Out of Britney Spears Tour Over Ego?

(TMZ) Enrique Iglesias dropped out of the upcoming Britney Spears concert tour because his ego couldn't handle being her opening act ... multiple sources connected with the tour tell TMZ.

We're told lawyers and agents for Britney and Enrique were hammering out an agreement for weeks, and the terms were finessed to make Enrique appear to be a co-headliner. We're told both sides agreed to the deal and that's why the announcement was made Tuesday.

But just hours before Britney's camp went public, Enrique was burning up the phone lines and the Internet, engaging various people connected with the tour in lengthy conversations in which he made it clear -- he was, in reality, Britney's opening act and he wanted out - more on this story

Man Claims To Have Been Michael Jackson's Gay Lover

(TMZ) (TMZ) The man who claims he was Michael Jackson's gay lover says Dr. Arnie Klein is trying to sabotage his credibility because Klein is afraid the man will incriminate him during the Conrad Murray trial.

Jason Pfeiffer -- who once worked as Klein's office manager -- tells TMZ he's sticking to his story -- that he had a sexual relationship with the King of Pop -- despite Dr. Klein's recent Facebook post, calling MJ's gay affair a lie.

Jason insists, "The story is true. We had a relationship with sexual aspects, but I'm not going to make it into some grand love affair."

As we previously reported -- Klein himself had told TMZ that Michael Jackson had a gay relationship with Jason ... even calling Jason "the love of [Michael's] life." But the good doc has since changed his story, writing on Facebook recently, "Allegations about ... Jason being Michael Jackson's lover are ridiculous. That story was made up ... " - but....

Judge Denies Charlie Sheen

(TMZ) The judge in the Charlie Sheen/Brooke Mueller custody war did not award Charlie full custody because of Charlie's checkered past. Sources familiar with the case tell TMZ ... Judge Hank Goldberg was well aware Brooke had relapsed into drug use, but the judge was equally disturbed by Charlie's substance abuse and the fact that he bragged about it.

TMZ broke the story ... the judge denied Charlie's request to strip Brooke of custody and award him full legal and physical custody of twins Bob and Max. Judge Goldberg kept the status quo, ruling the custody agreement Charlie and Brooke struck last month will remain in effect.

Judge Goldberg also felt Charlie's parenting skills -- or lack thereof -- did not warrant a change. And, we're told, Brooke's lawyers raised issues of prior domestic violence on Charlie's part, though there were no fresh allegations. - more on this story

Marilyn Manson and Lindsay Lohan for Charles Manson Movie?

(TMZ) (TMZ) Who'da thunk -- Marilyn Manson wants a part in a movie that could soon be starring Lindsay Lohan ... TMZ has learned ... a biopic about infamous psychopath Charles Manson.

Sources connected with the movie tell us, Marilyn approached director Tyler Shields about playing Charles Manson's right-hand man Tex Watson ... who was convicted of several Manson murders, including the death of Sharon Tate.

As we first reported, producers are currently considering Lindsay for the role of Sharon ... but Lindsay hasn't officially signed on just yet. According to sources, producers "love the idea" of casting Marilyn as Tex ... and are seriously considering the proposition. - more on this story

Rebecca Black's "Friday" Beats Justin Bieber's "Baby" Record Climb

Rebecca Black's "Friday" has surpassed the 100 million view barrier on Youtube, outpacing the most viewed video of all time, Justin Bieber's "Baby."

Spinlab sent over these details: A little over two months ago, Rebecca Black's life was like that of any other normal American 13 year old girl: attending junior high school, hanging out with friends, going to the mall. But this week, after a little more than two months since its debut, Rebecca's hit single "Friday" smashed the 100 million view barrier on YouTube, making the clip the 23rd most watched music video of all time on the site, and turning Rebecca's normal routine into a whirlwind of national television appearances, recording sessions and photo shoots.

The most viewed video of all time on YouTube is "Baby" by Justin Bieber, who can count Ms. Black as one of his biggest fans. But Rebecca's "Friday" which broke through the 100 Million view barrier after just 63 days is already outpacing the Bieber track which took 67 days to reach the lofty milestone. - more on this story

Rebecca Black's "Friday" Beats Justin Bieber's "Baby" Record Climb

Rebecca Black's "Friday" has surpassed the 100 million view barrier on Youtube, outpacing the most viewed video of all time, Justin Bieber's "Baby."

Spinlab sent over these details: A little over two months ago, Rebecca Black's life was like that of any other normal American 13 year old girl: attending junior high school, hanging out with friends, going to the mall. But this week, after a little more than two months since its debut, Rebecca's hit single "Friday" smashed the 100 million view barrier on YouTube, making the clip the 23rd most watched music video of all time on the site, and turning Rebecca's normal routine into a whirlwind of national television appearances, recording sessions and photo shoots.

The most viewed video of all time on YouTube is "Baby" by Justin Bieber, who can count Ms. Black as one of his biggest fans. But Rebecca's "Friday" which broke through the 100 Million view barrier after just 63 days is already outpacing the Bieber track which took 67 days to reach the lofty milestone. - more on this story

Dr. Conrad Murray Sleeping While Michael Jackson Died?

(TMZ) (TMZ) A stripper who received a call from Dr. Conrad Murray just hours before Michael Jackson died told LAPD detectives the doc "sounded tired and he was like I'm gonna get some sleep whatever."

The stripper, Michelle Bella, met Dr. Murray at the Spearmint Rhino gentleman's club in Las Vegas in 2008. The story of how they met is hilarious, but first the important stuff.

Bella told detectives ... on June 25, 2009, Dr. Murray left a message on her phone at about 8:30 AM. According to sources with direct knowledge of the case ... Bella told cops Murray had mentioned Michael Jackson to her before and said, "I mean his schedule was obviously, you know -- I know that he was like up all hours because of his work so when -- so when he called, you know, he sounded tired and he was like I'm gonna get some sleep whatever."

The interview is significant -- TMZ broke a story on July 27, 2009 that "Authorities believe Dr. Murray may have actually fallen asleep during the time the drug [Propofol] was administered and may have awakened to find Jackson already dead from heart failure." - more on this story

American Idol Escapes Car Fire

(TMZ) (TMZ) One of the Top 12 finalists from last season's "American Idol" had to escape through the window of a burning car Tuesday night ... when her GMC Envoy suddenly BURST INTO FLAMES.

25-year-old Paige Miles -- who claimed 11th place on the show -- was on her way home from rehearsal in Florida ... when something went terribly wrong and her SUV caught on fire. Miles, who documented the terrifying incident on her Facebook page, explained, "The electric shut down, the car doors wouldn't open, i jumped out my window and watched my mother's Envoy blaze."

Moments after she emerged from the fiery wreck, Miles said she was crying and shaking ... and her blood pressure was through the roof ... but she didn't seem to have suffered any major injuries. - more on this story

Attempted Murder Charges After Shots Fired At Reality Show Shoot

(TMZ) (TMZ) A man who allegedly opened fire at the "Repo Games" production team Tuesday night has been charged with attempted murder over the incident ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ. And -- TMZ has learned the alleged shooter was the owner of the car targeted for repossession.

Cops tell us ... it all went down when the "Repo" team arrived at a home in North Las Vegas to take the vehicle ... when the suspect came outside and got into a physical altercation with several crew members.

We're told the production security team intervened -- and that's when the suspect pulled out a gun and opened fire at the production crew right on the street. The man then retreated back to his home.

Cops responded to the scene and set up a perimeter around the home. During the stand-off, we're told the man threatened to kill himself. - more on this story

Eminem Revives Bad Meets Evil Project

Interscope announced the revival of an Eminem project on Monday. Read on for the details: The Bad Meets Evil teaming in the late '90s of underground Detroit MC's Eminem and Royce da 5'9" became a rap legend of unfulfilled promise. Now, a decade after they last recorded together, Eminem and Royce da 5'9" have revived their Bad Meets Evil project, today officially announcing that an EP on Shady/Interscope Records will be released June 14th.

"Royce and I started hanging out again and inevitably that led us back into the studio," said Eminem. "At first we were just seeing where it went without any real goal in mind, but the songs started to come together crazy, so here we are."

Added Royce, "I'm excited to see this project come to fruition considering the long lapse in time between when we worked before and now. We had a blast doing it and we just hope everyone enjoys it while we're working on the 'Monster' that will be the Slaughterhouse album. #TeamShady." - more on this story

Nicolas Cage Arrested

Nicolas Cage won an Oscar for Leaving Las Vegas but this weekend he was arrested after having a little bit too much to drink himself. TMZ reports: Before Nicolas Cage was arrested for domestic violence Saturday morning, he went to a tattoo shop -- where he drunkenly stumbled around, fretting that he didn't remember where he lived.

TMZ broke the story ... Cage was busted by New Orleans police after arguing with his wife and allegedly taunting cops. According to the NOPD, Cage and his wife were arguing over the location of the apartment they were renting -- as in, Nic didn't have a clue where he was.

According to eye witnesses ... before Cage was popped, he stopped by a tattoo parlor and began throwing his clothes around, demanding to get inked up. We're told Nic seemed quite intoxicated and asked employees to call the cops. When they asked why, Cage replied ... he just didn't remember where he lived. - more on this story

Darius Rucker Scores Fifth No 1

(Submitted) Darius Rucker has scored his fifth chart-topping single with "This," the second single from his 2010 release Charleston, SC 1966, is currently #1 on both Billboard and MediaBase charts.

"When we set out to record this album, we tried to choose songs that would mean something to the fans," says Rucker. "The single, "This," was a song I never thought would be a single, but that just shows you the power of the fans because they were the ones requesting it, downloading it, and playing it for their friends. It's their support that has made my career in country music possible."

Rucker will celebrate his latest hit with a series of performances next week in New York City including TODAY Show, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, The Wendy Williams Show, and a benefit concert "Live From Home with Darius Rucker" at Housing Works' Bookstore Café located at 126 Crosby Street. - more on this story

Cirque du Michael Jackson For Las Vegas

(Cirque du Soleil) Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Cirque du Soleil and the Estate of Michael Jackson have confirmed the venue for a permanent Michael Jackson production at Mandalay Bay and announced new aspects of the creative relationship in a press conference held today at the resort.

Production has begun to evaluate the transformation of the resort's theater and identification of the creative team for the show, which is slated to open in the spring of 2013.

Opening December 3 at Mandalay Bay, Michael Jackson The IMMORTAL World Tour will perform in Las Vegas for an extended run on its highly anticipated North American tour. This extended stop will allow fans from all over the world to converge on Las Vegas , the perfect international destination for visitors to discover the new home of Michael Jackson, and experience the pop rock extravaganza imagined by Jamie King. - more on this story