I added a Sister Site. Always Britney, is a Britney Spears Fan Site run by a friend of mine, and we approached each other about becoming Sister Sites. Check out the site. It's very well done.
Posted by Jen on Monday, April 1, 2002 @ 11:23 p.m.
Lou Pearlman, the hitmaker behind the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync, has been cleared of allegations that he broke child labor laws. The Florida Department of Labor said there was no evidence that Pearlman and his Orlando-based company, Trans Continental Entertainment, violated such rules as making minors work past 11:30 p.m, as alleged by the mother of two of his former entertainers.
Kenneth W. Williams, an administrator in the Labor Department's Office of Compliance and Enforcement, wrote to Pearlman last Thursday and said the allegations are unproven. "Therefore, we are terminating our investigation and closing our files on this case," Williams wrote.
"I'm happy to say that we are vindicated, as expected, from all allegations," Pearlman said. Scott Bennett, VP of Trans Continental, said, "We are obviously pleased with the outcome of the investigation, which turned out as we expected it would."
The investigation began last fall when Merrily Goodell, the mother of two members of Take 5 -- one of Pearlman's former groups that failed to make it big -- filed a complaint against Pearlman.
It alleged Pearlman violated rules prohibiting minors from working more than six consecutive days, working no earlier than 7 a.m. and no later than 11:30 p.m., and requiring that parents be notified of their children's activities. She also accused Pearlman of violating the terms for receiving a state permit allowing minors to work in the entertainment industry.
Posted by Jen on Monday, April 1, 2002 @ 05:20 p.m.
The New York restaurant Britney Spears is opening will be called Nyla -- for New York, her new home, and Louisiana, her home state. Previous reports suggested that the eatery would be called "Pinky's," after the pop superstar's nickname.
The American bistro in midtown Manhattan will occupy space in the Dylan Hotel that formerly housed Virot, an upscale French restaurant that closed shortly after Sept. 11. Nyla is scheduled to open in May.
"Virot didn't have the hipness I was looking for," Morris Moinian, owner of the Dylan Hotel and a partner in the restaurant, told The New York Times for yesterday's (March 31) editions. "Right now we have the ultimate celebrity associated as a partner with the restaurant, and that is what the consumer wants."
Moinian said the 20-year-old Spears fell in love with the cavernous space on East 41st Street, which includes a 6-foot-wide fireplace.
"The concept is going to be an American brasserie, where we are going to take on several personalities," Bobby Ochs, another partner in the restaurant, told the Times. Ochs previously founded restaurants with Marla Maples and Patrick Swayze, both of which are now closed. "At 11 p.m., we're going to convert it into a sophisticated late-night lounge," he said.
Posted by Jen on Monday, April 1, 2002 @ 05:17 p.m.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Veteran rocker David Crosby isn't universally impressed with what he calls the "shiny and new" in the music world.
Crosby, 60, took a break from his "Tour of America" with longtime bandmates Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and Neil Young to assess the music scene.
"There's some good people out there, but there's a lot of fluff (too)," Crosby said. "Things like N'Sync and Britney (Spears). These people are about as deep as a birdbath."
Crosby also said there seems to be a prejudice against old-timers by the media, even though the band, which formed in 1968, got a good review from Rolling Stone after its show in New York.
"They really don't even like having people like us still around," Crosby said. "They want to sell the newest product." (More on David Crosby and CSNY)
Posted by Jen on Monday, April 1, 2002 @ 05:14 p.m.
BINGHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) - An upstate New York family is suing a radio station over a fake Britney Spears appearance.
The family of Susan Santodonato is suing WMRV-FM of Endville, N.Y. and its parent companies for .2 billion.
Santodonato died in June 2000, a day after she fell in the station's parking lot. She had taken her then 11-year-old daughter to catch a glimpse of Spears at the station after an on-air personality advertised an appearance by the pop singer. The station only aired a prerecorded interview and had a look-alike come out of the station and dive into a limo.
The suit claims Santodonato was pushed or fell in the chaos. An autopsy concluded a blow to the head caused an abnormal heartbeat that lead to her death. Prosecutors reviewed the case but decided against filing criminal charges. The station's parent company has not commented on the suit.
Posted by Jen on Monday, April 1, 2002 @ 03:27 p.m.
Alicia Keys is off the road until July, but fans can catch a glimpse of her live show in the upcoming video for "How Come You Don't Call Me."
The clip, which was filmed last weekend in Los Angeles, opens with Keys singing around the house, but the setting — and music — soon change.
"The interesting part is that halfway through the song she actually switches to singing the song live," Key's J Records spokesperson explained. "So you have the studio version and the live version as the scene changes. Pretty hot."
Keys and director Little X (Jay-Z, DMX) filmed the live portion of the video at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles.
Along with the innovative use of music, the video also marks a historic moment for Keys — it's the first time she will reveal her hair without braids, the spokesperson said.
"How Come You Don't Call Me," the third single from the acclaimed Songs in A Minor, is a reinterpretation of Prince's 1982 B-side "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?"
Keys debuted a year ago with her massive hit "Fallin' " and has been on a red-hot streak since. She won five Grammys at last month's ceremony, tying Lauryn Hill for most wins by a female solo artist, and she was named Best New Artist at the World Music Awards in Monaco a week later.
Before launching a two-month tour July 2 in Milwaukee (see "Alicia Keys To Hit The Road In July"), Keys will work on material for her next album, due by the end of the year or in early 2003.
After the Grammy Awards, Keys said she wasn't feeling any added pressure to follow up Songs in A Minor.
"I'm not even one bit concerned about that," she said. "How you top anything is by coming from your heart and doing what you have always done. Nothing has changed. I am ready for the next album."
—Corey Moss
Posted by Jen on Monday, April 1, 2002 @ 02:59 p.m.
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