February 9th, 2010
Feb 9, 2010
And away she goes ...
Whitney Houston Kicks Off Her ‘Nothing But Love’ World Tour

Last week we saw photos of the fabulous Whitney Houston arriving in Seoul, South Korea ahead of the first two dates there of her new Nothing But Love World Tour and today we get to see some video from those sold out performances. From the accounts that I’ve read of her performances, Whitney put on two fantastic (and memorable) shows and she looked and sounded great … tho, it’s obvs she still has some kinks to work out of the show. Here is a photo of Whitney Houston performing on the first night of her Nothing But Love World Tour in Seoul, South Korea last weekend:

Pop diva Whitney Houston kicked off her first world concert tour in 10 years in Seoul, Saturday evening. Approximately 11,000 fans flocked to Olympic Gym #1, Olympic Park for a chance to see the six-time Grammy winner perform in Korea for the first time, as part of her “Nothing But Love” 2010 world tour. A few minutes past 7 p.m., Houston emerged clad in an all-black outfit: a turtleneck, leather pants and a floor-length coat. She sounded shaky at first, performing fast-paced songs “For the Lovers” and “Nothing But Love.” Her entrance was marred by audio and technical problems, with the backing tracks appearing to overshadow Houston’s own voice. “Good evening, Korea. Welcome to the Whitney Houston show. This is the first show of our world tour and we’re starting here. We’re working out a lot of details, but hopefully you’ve come here to hear me sing. I’m going to sing to you from my heart. It’s hard for me to lip synch. I tried to do it, but I can’t,” she said. The 47-year-old singer appeared to need some time to warm up her voice, which obviously was not the same powerful voice that fans remember from her memorable hits in the ’80s and ’90s. But after the slow start, Houston sang the ballad “Didn’t Know My Own Strength,” showing that she can still hit the high notes. “It’s been so long, 10 years since I’ve been on tour … You’ve been so kind to me, so loving, caring and warm, even though it’s so cold. Thank you so much,” she said. Houston still has a charismatic stage presence, giving fans a glimpse of the pop diva that reigned the music world in the late ’80s and ’90s and has sold over 200 million records. However, it was obvious Houston and her concert staff were still trying to iron out the kinks of the tour. There were awkward silences between songs, last-minute changes to the set list and on two occasions, Houston suddenly stopped singing and asked the band to start over. During “My Love,” she stopped to pick up a piece of her shoe from the floor and re-attached it … During the break, the band performed “For the Love of You,” while the back-up singers and dancers got the crowd excited with “Queen of the Night.” Two of the dancers had formerly worked with the late pop superstar Michael Jackson. Houston later re-emerged in a white floor-length coat for the “unplugged” segment of the concert. She reminded the crowd that this year is the 25th anniversary of her debut album. “Can you believe that? I don’t want to tell you this but I’ve been in show business for 30 years now. I can’t believe it myself. It seems like it was only yesterday,” she said, looking emotional. Her voice sounded strong as she performed “Saving All My Love,” “The Greatest Love of All,” and “All At Once,” although the songs had new arrangements. Houston had the crowd grooving to the hit song “Dance with Somebody,” then slowed down the pace once more with the gospel song “I Love the Lord,” from her 1996 film “The Preacher’s Wife.” Houston looked like she was cold on stage, as she tightly belted her coat to keep her warm. “For some reason, there’s a breeze on stage. I don’t like singing in the cold, but for you I will continue singing,” she said. She sang the deeply personal title track from her latest album “I Look to You,” while taking sips from a mug in one hand. Then with renewed energy, Houston sang, danced and ran from one side of the stage to the other for “Step by Step.” The concert would not be complete without Houston performing her trademark song “I Will Always Love You,” and she didn’t disappoint. Throwing kisses and bowing, she graciously thanked the crowd and left the stage. After a nearly two-hour show, Houston returned for an encore, singing her latest single, “Million Dollar Bill,” and receiving loud cheers from the audience. Houston gave another concert in Seoul on Sunday evening, then hit the road again for concerts in Japan, Australia and Europe.

Work out those kinks, girl. I know it’s been far too long since you’ve been on stage performing live in front of sold-out audiences … it’s all good. I know you still got it in you and I know I won’t be disappointed when you finally bring your Nothing But Love World Tour here to the US :) After the jump, check out some video from Whitney‘s 2-night stint in Seoul this past weekend — including performances of I Didn’t Know My Own Strength, a medley of Saving All My Love for You & The Greatest Love of All and I Will Always Love You

Caribbean Queen
Rihanna Films A Music Video For ‘Rude Boy’

A few fun photos of Rihanna on the set of her new music video for Rude Boy, which features the pop princess going back to her Caribbean roots, have come to light for our viewing pleasure. Here is one of those photos along with some info about the music video shoot itself:

She’s one of the Caribbean’s most famous female exports and Rihanna has decided to pay homage to her West Indian roots in her new video. The promo for the 21-year-old’s new single Rude Boy is just as racy as her previous efforts, but this time the singer took inspiration from her homeland. In one shot from the video she is seen wearing a revealing gold net outfit that barely covers her modesty, topped off with a leopard print hat. And, in another, she sits atop a model of a zebra in a black and white all-in-one body suit matching the zebra’s colouring. Although the video is not due to debut until later this week, these preview shots are a clear indication of the direction Rihanna is going in. Rihanna recently confirmed the inspiration behind the video: ‘A lot of my videos are really dark and edgy and tough. Rude Boy is more playing along the lines from my roots. ‘We used a lot of color, but also the costumes were very Jamaican dancehall queen type.’ Dancehall queens being women who wear outrageously skimpy clothing to attend clubs in the West Indies, often competing in dance offs to be crowned queen of the dancehall. Rude Boy is taken from Rihanna’s fourth studio album, Rated R and the video is directed by Melina Matsoukas who also directed the video for Rihanna’s last single Hard. It is scheduled to be premiered on February 11.

Rude Boy is one of the best tracks off her album Rated R and from the look of these preview promo photos, I bet the video is gonna be HAWT! After the jump, check out a few promo pics from the set of Rihanna‘s Rude Boy music video …

... her father Jamie Spears
Jamie Lynn Spears Spotted With An Older Man

Last week we learned that Jamie Lynn Spears and Casey Aldridge were dunzo after JL decided to start up a new relationship with a much older businessman named James Watson. Yesterday, at a Sonic Drive-In in Kentwood, Louisiana, Jamie Lynn was spotted with an older man alright … but it was not her reported new beau James. It turns out that JL was grabbing a bite to eat with her pappy Jamie Spears:

As I mentioned before, I’m happy to know that Jamie Lynn has come to her senses and moved on from her all-too-young baby daddy Casey Aldridge for an older, more mature man. I commend Casey-Lynn for giving it a try but clearly it didn’t work out and JL apparently decided that she and her baby needed more security than Casey could provide. It’s nice that Papa Spears flew out to spend some time with Jamie Lynn … he really seems to be there to take care of his daughters when they need him most. He basically saved Britney Spears‘s life (and most certainly saved her career). Now he’s there to help take care of his youngest child. Papa Spears to the rescue again!!

[Photo credit: INFdaily]

And the hits just keep on comin'
Gary Coleman Pleads ‘Guilty’ To Charges Of Criminal Mischief

As you may recall, former child star and Diff’Rent Strokes star Gary Coleman was arrested in Utah last month for failing to appear in court to answer criminal charges that were brought against him from a domestic incident that occurred with his wife, Shannon Price (who, herself, was arrested last year on charges of domestic battery last Summer) last April. It turns out that Coleman was not able to appear in court as scheduled because he was admitted to the hospital for heart trouble but, because the police were not informed of that development, he was arrested … booked … and spent a night in jail as a result (sadly, we saw Coleman being released from jail in a wheelchair). Today we learn that a healthier-looking Coleman did appear in court yesterday to answer the charges brought against him and he plead guilty to Criminal Mischief charges (downgraded from Domestic Violence charges) from that April ’09 domestic incident. Here are photos of Gary Coleman leaving court in Utah yesterday and some deets of his latest court dealings:

Former child television star Gary Coleman pleaded guilty yesterday to a misdemeanor criminal mischief charge related to a domestic violence incident last April. In a deal with the prosecutor, Coleman entered the plea in Santaquin Justice Court in Utah on his 42nd birthday. The star, who has had numerous health complaints in recent months, looked the worse for wear during his court appearance. Last month he left Utah County Jail in a wheelchair, after he was arrested for missing a court appearance. Court clerk Jane Swan said the original charge of domestic violence assault was dropped, although no details of the April 18 incident were detailed in court documents. However, Coleman’s defence attorney Randy Kester told The Associated Press that Coleman and his wife, Shannon Price, 24, had an argument which got out of hand. ‘No one was injured and no ambulances were called. It was just a disagreement,’ Kester said. Judge Sharla Williams sentenced Coleman to 31 and a half days in jail. However the Diff’rent Strokes star will serve the time only if he fails to complete a domestic violence course and pay a $595 (£382) fine. ‘I think it’s an exceptionally fair resolution,’ Coleman’s attorney, Randy Kester, told the AP by phone. ‘He’s been under an extreme amount of stress.’ Kester said Coleman has suffered a string of health problems – dialysis for an ongoing kidney condition and heart surgery that was complicated by pneumonia last autumn – and has struggled to find work. Coleman was arrested last month on a warrant for failing to appear in court. He spent a night in jail before a fan paid his $1,725 (£1,108) bail. Kester said Coleman missed the court appearance because he was in hospital.

OY!! Gary Coleman has the WORST LUCK EVER … but I sincerely hope that this plea deal will keep him out of jail from here on out. His relationship with his wife, Shannon Price, sounds just horrible … and has caused him nothing but misery ever since they got together. The majority of his public embarrassments and criminal charges stem from his relationship with Price. I think it may be time for him to get out … tho, if the couple are dependent on one another then they will, likely, end up staying together. It must really suck to be hauled into court to plead guilty to criminal charges on one’s birthday but, then again, considering the luck that Coleman has been having in recent years … it’s not nearly as crappy as being arrested for failing to appear in court — because you were near death in a hospital! UGH! Keep your head down and stay out of trubs, Gary … I’m not sure how much more of this self-imposed misery you’re able to endure :(

[Source]