Funk pioneer CHUCK BROWN has died after a battle with pneumonia. He was 75.   READ MORE...

  Funk pioneer CHUCK BROWN has died after a battle with pneumonia. He was 75.
  The singer, nicknamed the Godfather of Go-Go, passed away on Wednesday (16May12) at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, where he had been receiving treatment for the last month.
  He is credited with helping to define the go-go genre by fusing funk, soul and Latin sounds.
  Brown's hit Bustin' Loose, with his group the Soul Searchers, spent several weeks at the top of the R&B charts in 1979 and was later sampled in rapper Nelly's Grammy-winning track Hot in Herre.
  A host of stars have taken to Twitter.com to express their grief, with Good Charlotte rocker Benji Madden writing, "R.I.P. Chuck Brown. Thanx 4 the soundtrack of my youth," and Pharrell Williams posting, "I'm sick that we lost Chuck Brown. So honored that I got a chance to meet him. RIP to the Godfather of Go-Go."
  Actress Holly Robinson Peete adds, "RIP to the Godfather of DC GO GO Chuck Brown," while Mary J. Blige re-tweeted the message, "DC just lost a legend 2day. GodFather of GoGo Chuck Brown has passed," and rapper Common writes, "May God bless the soul of The God Father of GoGo Chuck Brown!"
  And Hustle and Flow star Taraji P. Henson offers, "RIP to the God Father of Go-Go Chuck Brown!!!! Lord have Mercy!" (PAW/WNTWT/KL) HIDE STORY

Gospel singer and pastor MARVIN WINANS has been targeted in a brutal car jacking and robbery incident at a gas station in Detroit, Michigan.   READ MORE...

  Gospel singer and pastor MARVIN WINANS has been targeted in a brutal car jacking and robbery incident at a gas station in Detroit, Michigan.
  Winans, who led the funeral service for Whitney Houston in February (12), was refilling his petrol tank on Wednesday afternoon (16May12) when he was attacked by a gang of men.
  They beat him up and stole his burgundy Infiniti SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle), driving off with his personal items and around $200 (£125) in cash.
  Winans, 54, suffered minor cuts and bruises in the incident, but insists he's fine - he's just saddened by the robbers' behaviour.
  He tells the local ABC 7 News station, "This kind of nonsense just has to stop... It's just the savageness of what's happening in the streets. We just have to take a look at ourselves and say this has to stop." (MT/WNWCZM&WNWC/KL) HIDE STORY

JANET JACKSON has banned herself from stepping on a scale as she continues to battle weight issues, insisting it's unhealthy to focus on reaching a magic number.   READ MORE...

  JANET JACKSON has banned herself from stepping on a scale as she continues to battle weight issues, insisting it's unhealthy to focus on reaching a magic number.
  The R&B superstar has struggled with her figure for years and she signed up as the spokesmodel for the NutriSystem diet programme in December (11) to help her win her health fight once and for all.
  She has been showing off a more slimline look ever since, and celebrating her 46th birthday on Wednesday (16May12), the singer admits she's the happiest she's ever been.
  She tells People.com, "I don't know how much weight I've lost, only because I stay away from the scale. I don't think it's (stepping on the scale) healthy; you're setting yourself up to fail and women's bodies fluctuate every month - certain time of the month in particular - we bloat a great deal...
  "I'm really happy with the way that I feel at the moment. I feel very good, and it's been a long time since I've felt this good."
  And it's all thanks to NutriSystem: "It works, point blank. You don't have to starve yourself getting there."
  But that doesn't mean Jackson is avoiding all her favourite foods: "I love caramel apples! NutriSystem doesn't have that, so that's probably my cheat food. I go out to dinner with friends (too), but then I just get back on it. It's about maintenance." (MT/WNWCPL/KL) HIDE STORY

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  "I feel my best when I'm a toned, not flabby, size eight... I absolutely hate exercise (and) I want to find a happy medium between feeling good about my body and still having a beer and some barbecue. And I don't mind having a big butt." Country star MIRANDA LAMBERT talks about her body in Shape magazine. (KL/LAFR/PAW) HIDE STORY