Some celebrities really do care about things other than themselves. Apparently ex-army man James Blunt plants a tree every time that he sells a concert ticket online. In the garden of his own home no less.
Well I guess if you have a garden the size of a football pitch there are worse things you could do than grow an orchard. Trees included are apple, orange, avocado, lime and plum.
Fruity.
James says; “I’m really into growing trees these days, trying to do my bit for the environment. In fact, we plant a tree every time we sell a ticket online.”
Rumour has it that to this day James has planted four trees.
John Mayer is off on another one of his now infamous rants on his blog. He has entitled his most recent one ?Death to Douchebag? and hints to more rants of the same subject with a subtitle of ?1 of a 129-part series?. Shoot me, we actually have lots more to look forward to. It?s an interesting read really.
Here?s the part I really thought funny: ?Trouble is, I?m not really clear on what it means, and I don?t know that anyone does. I know that I get called one. Pete Wentz from Fallout Boy, by measure of a google search, is a douchebag 11,100 times over, or the number of results that the search engine says exist. Zach Braff, who himself wrote one of the better films I?ve seen in the last decade is also frequently ?bagged?, as is some guy named Brody Jenner. In fact, if you want to go big, so is Michael Stipe, Bono (?supreme douchebag?), Thom Yorke, Will Smith and Brad Pitt?.
With her 50th birthday looming, Madonna is planning to re-release all of her single as downloads to celebrate. I am sure this will annoy her ex-label Warner who will want to cash in on the tunes before she leaves them.
But Madge is aiming high ? the plan is to beat the record of rock king Elvis in the UK number 1?s.
You have to salute her ? she is entering the ?wrinkly? stage of her career – marking the milestone with a huge gig in New York. And thanks to her beautician and whatever other secrets she has up her sleeve she will do it looking great too.
Dannii Minogue, Kylie Minogue?s little sister, may not have the massive chart-topping appeal has her big sister but it?s not going to stop her from doing what she wants ? making music. You just have to give her props for perseverance as I?m sure she really hates only being known as Kylie?s little sister. I should probably stop saying that.
Dannii has actually released a new digital only album called ?Club Disco? and she does a chill-out cover of the Olivia Newton John classic ?Xanadu?. And with that, you can?t deny that talent really runs in the family. If only commercial success did so too.
Ashlee Simpson premiered her new music video ?Outta My Head? on TRL on Tuesday (aired on Thursday) in New York City. She was also there to promote her new album which would come out in March 2008.She says about the album ?[Bittersweet World] definitely influenced by ?80s music. I wanted to do music with beats, I wanted to step outside the box. It?s where I am in my life. There?s parts of the record that are ?80s-influenced, because that?s just kind of where I?m at right now. I?m more laid-back, and I want to dance around, and I kind of laugh at things a lot, so you?ll hear that on the record.?
It just goes to show that just because you won the title of American Idol, it doesn?t mean you will BE America?s Idol forever. In some indirect way, that?s already proven by the likes of Elliot Yamin and Chris Daughtry who ended up being bigger than their season?s winner and runner up, Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee.Anyway, Ruben Studdard won on the second season of American Idol but he?s failed at having any success with his recording career. As a result, Ruben has been dropped by his record label J. Records. What?s he going to do now that his vocal chords have been ripped out?
Ashley Tisdale has had an extremely busy year promoting her album and her hit song ?He Said, She Said? which is currently climbing the charts. What better way to wish your friends a happy holiday than with a message or song clip from Ashley! The new Audio Gifts Facebook application enables users to send a special holiday gift from Ashley: facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2534336806&b&ref=pd.
Mandy Moore, Marie Digby, John West and Scott Simons are some of the artists that covered Rihanna?s hit single ?Umbrella?. Apart from being one of the biggest singles of the year, it also happens to be the most covered song as well. Heck, even Rihanna herself did an acoustic cover of the song! Since the song has gone back to where it all started, I thought that would be it. Just when you thought that we?d heard the very last cover of the song, someone goes out to prove us wrong.
UK rock group McFly have gone and done their own version of the song. And it?s a great version. They stuck to the slow singing and added a very edgy rock sound to it. I liked it.
Here’s Britney’s new video and single titled “Piece of Me”. The video was shot in late November at the nightclub, it was directed by Wayne Isham.
youtube.com/watch?v=89oS4SN4mNg
Interscope and Geffen Records merged into one on Thursday and along with the merger was the layoff of 60 people. Many of those laid off had been there for years. This is another sign that the music industry is dying.
A music industry source is saying that the biggest reasons for the merger and cutbacks were the huge failures of the albums of will.i.am, Nicole Scherzinger and Eve. The last two aren?t even out yet but are projected to be big losses. The insider says ?It cost $18 million to make and market those three albums – all bombs. Jimmy Iovine [the head of Interscope responsible for the layoffs] is the most hated man in music today!?
Scott Weiland, the singer for the Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, was arrested when he crashed his car while driving on an LA highway on November 21. He has recently been charged with driving under the influence of drugs with a prior conviction and with an allegation that he refused a chemical test as required by the law.Los Angeles City Attorney spokesperson Frank Mateljan made a statement regarding Scott?s legal trouble saying that the singer faces ?maximum penalty of one year county jail and a $1000 fine, and a minimum penalty eight days in jail (because of the prior conviction and the refusal to take a drug test). His car could also be impounded for up to 30 days.?
Idol fans, this is your time for sweet revenge. He may not have won the competition, but he won the hearts of album buyers this year. Billboard named Chris Daughtry the most popular album of 2007. They sold about 3.2 million copies.
Just half a million shy of that, in second place, is Akon’s album “Konvicted”, followed by the Hannah Montana soundtrack (2.5 million), Fergie’s “The Dutchess” (2.4 million), and Carrie Underwood’s “Some Hearts” (2.3 million).
Number one song of the year was “Irreplaceable” by Beyonce, with Rihanna coming in just behind with “Umbrella”. Top tour of the year was The Police’s reunion tour, bringing in $212 million at last estimate.
John Mayer was spotted as he was shooting a secret music video just off Mulholland Drive with a Los Angeles backdrop late Sunday afternoon.
John?s latest song ?Say? from the soundtrack off ?The Bucket List? has sold over 39,700 downloads to date. The song is about saying out loud what you feel in your heart. On his official blog, John says that the video is a ?Sunset live performance for the upcoming DVD.?
John also had his solo acoustic First Annual Holiday Charity Revue on Saturday. He was pretty funny when he began the acoustic set saying ?It?s a real honor to be opening for myself. I ran into myself backstage and I was very nice ? and, I mean, I?m huge!?
It seems to be happening all over the place at the moment; celebs cancelling gigs due to illnesses etc?
But it has been revealed that The White Stripes may never tour again. Oh the travesty! The band cancelled their 2007 tour earlier this year after drummer Meg White was diagnosed with acute anxiety.
Jack White has now suggested the band may follow the lead of The Beatles in the ’60s and stop playing live, depending on how it affects Meg.
Oh no! I guess if it happens then we will have to pacify ourselves with TV appearances and DVDs. Not the same though?
The internet is buzzing! While we all eagerly await the release of the new Green Day record, people are buzzing about a band called the Foxboro Hot Tubs. What do the two bands have to do with each other? People are saying pretty much everyting.
The Foxboro Hot Tubs released an EP of six songs and it has people thinking that it?s actually Billie Joe and the rest of the Green Day boys experimenting with a new sound. The tunes in the EP sound like they?re sung by Billie Joe but have a very 60s inspired sound. Somebody needs to verify this.
Pete Wentz and the rest of his band Fall Out Boy attended People magazine?s Grammy nominations party at Avalon Hollywood in Hollywood on Thursday night. And he was not a happy camper.
It appears that Pete is one very sore loser especially since he and the band attended the party and even had to perform at the party yet they had no Grammy nominations to show for it. And Pete had no problem letting the audience know his displeasure. He pitched a fit, threw his mic stand in the air and flung his bass against the speakers. Was that a fit or just part of the show?
Fergie gave a very priceless reaction when it was announced that she got a Grammy nomination on Thursday. The singer was one of the musicians on hand to announce who got the nods. It would have been very embarrassing if she didn?t get any.
But it?s still a very bittersweet reward for Fergie as she was a big favorite to get many Grammy nominations before the nominees were announced. She was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal. But when your album has 5 hit singles, it doesn?t really matter how many nods you get. Just think about that for a good while.
The Hives have just released a video for ?Fall is Just Something Grown Ups Invented? featuring a personal performance for Cartoon Network. The new high-energy single is now playing as the network?s fall theme song. The Hives? new album, The Black & White Album, is available in stores, and the band is currently on tour in Europe until 2008.
youtube.com/watch?v=LENxc9hVHVs
Taylor Swift was thrilled to be asked to help announce Grammy nominees on Thursday. She became ecstatic when she heard her own name called by the Foo Fighters. She is nominated for best new artist.
As soon as she heard that, she ran over to the Foo Fighters (Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins). She grabbed them and repeatedly hugged the two. George Lopez, another announcer, leaned over and hugged her as well. He encouraged her by saying, “You got it in the bag.”
Taylor has seen immense success with her self-titled album. She has already sold more than 1 million copies since its release last year.
While Beyonce went green, Carrie Underwood decided to go red. It?s Christmas people!
The American Idol alum showed up in a red Grecian-inspired Naeem Khan Resort gown at ?Movies Rock: A Celebration of Music in Film? which was held at the Kodak Theatre on Sunday in Hollywood.
The 24-year old singer took to the stage when she performed a Julie Andrews classic, ?The Sound of Music? from the movie of the same title. Incidentally, it?s the favorite movie of Carrie?s mom. Also, Julie Andrews is the narrator of the movie ?Enchanted? for which Carrie sand ?Ever Ever After?. What goes around, comes around.
Mika is making his final trek across the US and Canada in January and February. His North American tour is going to be called the ?Dodgy Holiday Tour?. Funny since the holiday season would be over before his tour even kicks off.
The ?Grace Kelly? singer?s tour has twelve dates listed. It will kick off on January 28 in Montreal at the Bell Centre and ends on February 15 in Vancouver at the Orpheum. There?s almost no break in between dates having only the 7th, 9th and 10th of February being free. Tickets for the first two dates go on sale on December 7.
Sorry girls, for all those that would swoon at the sight of Gary, Howard, Mark and Jason; if you have the boys up on the pedestal and like to whisper ?my hero? at the posters on your walls, the boys would like to correct you. They say they are far from being heroes.
It came in a recent interview where the boys realized how hard their families took it when they were away for just five days; and made them think about our real heroes ? the boys fighting for our country on the front line.
Ah that makes a bit more sense. The guys are getting sentimental in their old age; despite still looking fab in their thirties.
Gary says ?We?ve done 28 dates in Europe and being away from home for a long time is tough. You miss your family a lot. Christmas is just around the corner, it?s not easy for the lads fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. It makes you realize how lucky we are.?
Well its not life changing events boys but I am sure all your fans appreciate the sacrifice you all make to perform for them, get famous, very rich, and meet beautiful people. It must be so hard.
Say it ain?t so?say it ain?t really American Idol time again. Oh, but it is. The new season airs beginning in January.
I can tell you one person who won?t be heading out on the big stage anytime soon ? Ricco Barrino, the brother of former Idol winner Fantasia. Ricco auditioned for the seventh season of the show out in Los Angeles. His song choice – ?A Change Is Gonna Come?.
No word yet on whether he?ll show up in any of the audition episodes, but he?s one to look out for. You can say you knew him when?.
Oddly enough, Fantasia isn?t the only famous person in her family. Seems her cousins are K-Ci and JoJo. You might remember them from Jodeci. Apparently talent runs through their veins in that family!
Too bad it?s not gonna hit in the very near future for Ricco.
Foxy Brown got out of punitive segregation, otherwise known as solitary confinement, with good behavior but she still has to stay more than 6 months in jail.
The rapper recently had an in-house interview with Metro and told the newspaper ?I?m a survivor. It?s been very hard, but I believe God uses circumstances to develop your character. I know coming out of this I?m going to be a much stronger person. Even upon my arrival, I never had a choice. I was always on lockdown. That?s what people don?t understand? I?m much smarter now. I know how to dodge and weave.?
Well they finally began their first tour together since 1999 and the Spice Girls appear to have pleased the crowd at the gig in Vancouver. With celebrity guests including Avril Lavigne and David Beckham as well as 15,000 teenagers, or women who were teenagers when the girls did this first time around; the show went without a hitch.Hang on didn?t Victoria ban David from attending? I assume she changed her mind. Maybe it was something to do with having very little confidence in the critics review. When a recent interviewer wished her luck, Posh replied: ?Luck? That
doesn?t matter, people will still say we?re s*** anyway.?
Charming! But maybe it?s not all wrong. The rumor in the music business is if they don?t fall out in the next three months then the quintet are likely to bring Spice Mania back with a vengeance. But bookies are already taking bets on who will be the first to put an end to all and walk out.
All I can say is, though its not my cup of tea, the girls have a lot of bottle; not only do they have to follow huge boy band Take That in the reunion success tables, but they have had very little rehearsal time for this. Girl Power and all that eh?
