TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS:
* Toni Braxton, Singer, 42
* DJ Q-Bert, turntablist, 39
* Nicole Ari Parker, Actress; Soul Food, 38
* Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize winner, 77
R. KELLY LOOKING TO COLLECT $3.4 MIL IN JUDGMENT AGAINST TOUR PROMOTER
R. Kelly, who came out on top in his dispute with a former tour promoter, is asking a Los Angeles judge to help him collect a $3.4 million judgment. His company, R. Kelly Touring, filed court documents Monday (October 6th), asking a judge to confirm the award an arbitrator granted him against Georgia-based Rowe Entertainment last month.
* Kelly claimed that Rowe Entertainment and owner Leonard Rowe failed to pay him in full for shows he performed from late 2007 and early 2008. According to Reuter's, an arbitrator agreed with Kelly's claims. While Rowe disputed the arbitration, he reportedly failed to come up with a defense during a recent hearing.
* Singer and songwriter Ne-Yo recently won a $700,000 judgment against Rowe, after being dropped from Kelly's tour after only two shows.
* In August, Kelly was acquitted of seven counts of child pornography in a case that had been pending for seven years.
ERIC BENET KEEPS HIS 'LOVE & LIFE' IN PERSPECTIVE
Singer and songwriter Eric Benet has had his share of personal and professional drama over the years. But despite his media profile as a brooding romantic, Benet says he's really not a serious type. He's actually more of a goofy nerd.
* The father of a daughter whose mother died tragically in a car accident, Benet also suffered through a very public divorce from Halle Berry and had to admit to having a sex addiction. With all of that now behind him, he's continued to make his own brand of intensely passionate music --as well as maintain a sense of humor.
* The "You're The Only One" singer explains: "I am very goofy, quirky, nerdy, always doing not-funny jokes and impersonations. And that's me, really. I like to think I have moments of being present and conscious and connected and, you know, having deep and pertinent thoughts. But that isn't me most of the time."
* Benet adds that his daughter India, now 16, gets to see his goofy side the most. The two can be seen singing Benet's hit "You're The Only One" a cappella in a popular YouTube video.
* The artist's current single is "The Hunger," from his latest CD Love & Life.
* He performs tonight and tomorrow (October 7th and 8th) at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TONI BRAXTON
Multiple Grammy winning vocalist Toni Braxton celebrates her 41st birthday today, October 7th. The self-proclaimed "preacher's kid" and married mother of two is currently competing on the popular reality competition Dancing With The Stars, which airs its voting results show tonight at 9 p.m. on ABC.
* A native of Severn, Maryland, Braxton began singing with her four sisters in church. Signed to Arista as the Braxtons, the five girls landed a minor hit with "The Good Life" in 1990.
* Her smoky voice caught the attention of producers L.A. & Babyface, who signed her as the first female solo artist to their LaFace label. She sang two tracks on their 1991 soundtrack to the Eddie Murphy film Boomerang, including "Love Shoulda Brought U Home," which became a hit.
* Her 1993 solo debut, Toni Braxton, became a multi-format smash, featuring the singles "Another Sad Love Song," "Breathe Again," "You Mean The World To Me," and "I Belong To You." The multi-platinum album earned Grammys for best new artist and best female R&B vocal in 1994 and another best female R&B vocal Grammy in 1995.
* Braxton followed up in 1996 with the multi-platinum Secrets, featuring the sexy "You're Making Me High" and the cross-over international smash "Un-Break My Heart." The songs earned her two more Grammy Awards.
* Braxton filed suit in 1997 to break her contract the LaFace label and then surprisingly declared bankruptcy. She rejoined the Arista camp to release The Heat in 2000.
* The singer says that despite the ups and downs at LaFace, today she maintains a relationship with Universal chief L.A. Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. Said Braxton: "Kenny's gonna be with me forever. So, we always say that, I say 'Kenny, we're like old husbands and wives and we're still together.' So that's great. So I still keep in touch with Kenny often. Me and L.A., we talk every couple of months 'cause he's over at Universal so we're still connected in some way. But I do miss a lot of their input in my career."
* Married in April 2001 to former Mint Condition keyboardist Keri Lewis, whom she met on tour, she gave birth to their first son, Denim, in December of that year, and had a second boy, Diezel, in April of 2003. She began performing on Broadway, appearing as Belle in Beauty And The Beast and in the title role of Aida. During this time, Braxton was diagnosed with the heart condition pericarditis.
* After her theater stints, Braxton signed with Blackground Records to release 2005's Libra. But the relationship with the label and its chief, Barry Hankerson, fell apart as Braxton accused him of luring her away from Arista with empty promises he couldn't fulfill. She settled her lawsuit with Hankerson and Blackground Records in February 2007, freeing herself from that contract.
* Also last year, Braxton embarked upon an extended engagement at the Flamingo in Las Vegas, performing the Toni Braxton: Revealed revue. After two extensions, Braxton was forced to cancel shows this past summer due to health issues.
* Currently in her third week on Dancing With The Stars, Braxton revealed that she is nervous about competing since being diagnosed with another heart ailment, microvascular angina. The condition causes blockages in the tiny branches of the coronary arteries.
* Braxton explained why she chose to join the cast of Dancing With The Stars: "I have really, genuinely been a big fan of the show since the beginning. I fell in love with the show initially, honestly, because the clothes were so incredible, the fashion, the shoes, the guys were so cute. And I said, wow, that is really, really a great reality show. Because it's reality without being reality, I think, 'cause you have to work really hard at it. And three years later here I am, and heart disease, and said, you know what? Now I have a better reason to do the show, more than just fashion. I can get healthy and get my mind together and enjoy life once again."
* Happy birthday, Toni Braxton!
THE TEMPTATIONS ANNOUNCE U.S. TOUR DATES
The Temptations have announced their latest string of U.S. tour dates. The group will be taking a break during the current stateside gigs to fit in a 10-date mini tour of England.
* The Temptations tour dates (schedule to change):
October 9 - Conway, AR - Donald Reynolds Performing Hall
October 10 - Wichita, KS - Orpheum Theatre
October 11 - Phoenix, AZ - J. W. Marriott Desert Ridge Hotel
October 23 - Shawnee, OK - Sac & Fox Nation Casino
October 24 - Biloxi, MS - Beau Rivage
October 25 - Bossier City, LA - Diamond Jacks Casino
November 14 - Greensville, MS - Harlow's Casino & Resort
November 28 - Universal City, CA - Gibson Amphitheatre
November 29 - Reno, NV - Legacy Casino
November 30 - Yountville CA - Lincoln Theatre
December 12 - Merrillville, IN - Star Plaza Theatre
December 13 - Anderson, IN - Hossier Park Racetrack & Casino
December 30 - Woodstock, IL - Opera House
December 31 - Florence, IN - Belterra Resort & Club
* Temps co-founder Otis Williams says that the group found out early on to not only recognize what the audiences loved about the group -- but to also never forget why: "After 'My Girl' became Number One, we took it out of the show, thinking 'Well, it's done its due.' And when we finished the show and we did not have 'My Girl' in the lineup -- we were called every name except 'The child of God.' So we knew -- regardless of whatever we record -- that is a song that has to stay in the lineup."
'JAMES BOND' THEME COMPILATION DUE
Twenty-three musical themes from 46 years of James Bond action films have been compiled for a brand-new two-disk collection. The Best of Bond... James Bond will be released October 28th in an expanded CD/DVD package.
* The set includes Paul McCartney and Wings' "Live & Let Die," Madonna's "Die Another Day," Duran Duran's chart-topping "A View To A Kill," Shirley Bassey's "Goldfinger," Tina Turner's "GoldenEye," k.d. lang's "Surrender," Sheryl Crow's "Tomorrow Never Dies," Chris Cornell's "You Know My Name," Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better," and Tom Jones' "Thunderball."
* Other artists featured on the set are Gladys Knight, Lulu, Louis Armstrong, A-Ha, Garbage, Rita Coolidge, Sheena Easton and Nancy Sinatra. Also included is a bonus rendition of the James Bond theme by John Arnold.
* The DVD includes videos of five more recent Bond themes, footage of a Shirley Bassey concert performance, and a documentary about the music of Bond.
* The Best of Bond... James Bond collection hits retail just ahead of the November 14th opening of the latest Bond film, Quantum Of Solace. The theme, "Another Way To Die," is performed by Jack White and Alicia Keys.
TYLER PERRY CELEBRATES OPENING OF ATLANTA FILM STUDIO
Special guests Oprah Winfrey, Forest Whitaker, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Hank Aaron and Whitney Houston were among the celebrities on hand Saturday (October 4th) in Atlanta as writer-director Tyler Perry opened his new multimillion-dollar TV and film studio. Mary J. Blige also performed at the grand opening party for the studio, set on 30 acres.
* Tyler Perry Studios contains more than 200,000 square feet of studio and office space. The building features five sound stages, four dedicated to entertainers Quincy Jones, Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Cicely Tyson, and one to be dedicated later.
* The building, which was vacant when Perry found it, was once used by Delta Air Lines as a finance, reservation and computer center.
* The 39-year-old film, TV and theater mogul said he was forced to leave his previous production space further downtown, which was located next to a residential area. "Even though it was a studio there for 15 years, there was a lot of resistance in everything I was doing," Perry told The Associated Press last week. "I was thinking about leaving at one point, but this is home for me."
* The TBS series House Of Payne as well as the new Meet The Browns will be shot in the new space.
* A dispute with the Writers Guild Of America over Perry's firing of four House Of Payne writers did not disrupt the opening. The WGA had said that the writers planned to picket Perry's home on Saturday.
CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER READY FOR BROADWAY
Funnyman Cedric The Entertainer is preparing to make his Broadway theater debut in a revival of David Mamet's American Buffalo, which opens at the end of the month. The production also features Broadway vet John Leguizamo and Academy Award nominee Haley Joel Osment.
* "I'm really excited to do this because I've had an opportunity to perform on many stages here in New York and to do this, it's big," Cedric told BlackVoices.com.
* The standup and screen King Of Comedy added that, other than high school plays, performing on stage in a scripted ensemble is definitely something new for him. "This is the first time, other than stand-up, to perform live onstage but then also need the response of the others, and I haven't really done it like this before," he said. "And then to do it on the highest level, doing it on Broadway in New York City, it's going to be a test."
* American Buffalo opens on October 31st at the Belasco Theatre.
'RACHEL GETTING MARRIED' GARNERS KUDOS FOR ANNE HATHAWAY
Anne Hathaway stars as a troubled woman who returns home for her sister's wedding in the intimate indie drama Rachel Getting Married, which opened in limited release last Friday (October 3rd). Hathaway has garnered critical praise for her portrayal of Kym, who's been in and out of rehab for 10 years and is estranged from her family. Her return for the wedding of her upright sister, played by Rosemarie DeWitt, throws a wrench into the family dynamics and causes long-simmering tensions to surface that are both funny and heartbreaking. Debra Winger plays Kym and Rachel's mother, while Bill Irwin and Anna Deavere Smith play their dad and stepmother.
Rachel Getting Married was directed by Jonathan Demme, best known for The Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia.
* Anne Hathaway praises director Jonathan Demme: "His trust in his actors inspired us in turn to trust him. We knew that he was never going to let us fall, that we were free to try anything, that there were no stupid questions...that nothing was ever considered a waste of time. And also, he's just fascinating to talk to. You know, he's opinionated but educated and...he's good."
