Famous Celebrity Today

Rihanna

2007-12-26T16:19:00.001+08:00

Rihanna (born Robyn Rihanna Fenty on February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, currently living in San Diego, California.

Early Life of Rihanna
Rihanna was born in Saint Michael, Barbados, as the oldest child to Ronald Fenty, her Barbadian father (of African and Irish ancestry), and Monica Fenty, her Guyanese(of an indian descent) mother. She has two younger brothers named Rorrey and Rajad. Rihanna went to Charles F. Broome Memorial School, a primary school in Barbados, and then on to one of Barbados' Grammar (older secondary) schools, the Combermere School, where she formed a musical trio with two of her classmates. In 2004, she won the Miss Combermere Beauty Pageant and performed in the Colours of Combermere School Show, singing Mariah Carey's "Hero". At the age of 15, Rihanna received her big break when one of her friends introduced her to music producer Evan Rogers, who was vacationing in Barbados with his wife. Rogers, along with his partner, Carl Sturken, helped Rihanna record material in the U.S. which was sent to various recording companies. One copy of Rihanna's work was sent to Jay-Z, who eventually signed her to Def Jam Records. Rihanna cites Alicia Keys, Beyoncé Knowles and her Caribbean background as major musical influences. Rihanna also stated in an interview that her friend and former Island Def Jam record label artist Fefe Dobson was someone that she admired and looked up to, having a fellow artist writing, singing, and performing the music she truly loves.

Music Career of Rihanna
Music of the Sun - Rihanna's debut album, Music of the Sun, was released August 30, 2005 from which, further singles were released, the first being "Pon de Replay" which was released on October 11, 2005 and reached position #2 in both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, the UK Singles Chart due to considerable airplay and gained several #1 positions in various niche charts. The single itself was written by Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers alongside Rihanna herself and described by Rolling Stone magazine as a "poppy piece of dancehall reggae with slapping, syncopated beats recalling big-band jazz." However, despite Pon de Replay's commercial chart success, the album itself was rated 2½ out of 5 stars by Rolling Stone Magazine and described as lacking the replay value, ingenuity and rhythm of the single with "generic vocal hiccups and frills" of US R&B inflecting upon her "caribbean charm". Since its release, the album reached the top 10 in both US and Canadian charts, gaining gold certification from the RIAA from selling 500,000 units and subsequent platinum certifications for selling 2 million units in various other countries. To further promote the album, Rihanna toured as an opening act for American pop singer Gwen Stefani.

A Girl Like Me - In 2006, Rihanna participated in several endorsement deals, including for Nike and J.C. Penney. She released her second album, A Girl Like Me, in April 2006; less than eight months after the release of her first album. The album debuted at number five in the U.S. and number four in the UK. The lead single, "SOS", was used in her endorsement deal with Nike. The song became Rihanna's first number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart; it also debuted at number one on the Hot Digital Songs chart. "SOS" peaked at number one in Australia and number two in the UK. The second single, entitled "Unfaithful", was written by R&B singer Ne-Yo, and addresses the feelings of guilt that the protagonist of the song faces as she cheats on her boyfriend. The song became her third top ten hit in the U.S. and in the UK. The third single, "We Ride", wasn't as successful as her previous releases, failing to chart on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, however, it became her fifth UK top 20 single, where it peaked at number 17 on that chart and peaked number one on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart. Rihanna's fourth single from the album, "Break It Off" featuring Sean Paul, had already climbed to number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 based solely on airplay. It was released as a digital download on February 19, 2007, which made the song jump from number fifty-two to number ten and then eventually peak at number nine.

Good Girl Gone Bad - Rihanna went into the studio in early 2007 with Ne-Yo, Stargate, and Timbaland among others to record her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad. The album was released on June 5, 2007. It features Jay-Z and Ne-Yo as featured artists. The first single, "Umbrella", featuring Jay-Z, was released on March 29, 2007, reaching number one in various countries, including the U.S. "Umbrella" was the #1 single in the UK for 10 consecutive weeks. It was the longest running #1 single since "Wet Wet Wet's¹" single "Love Is All Around", back in 1994, and the longest running #1 by a female artist since Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You", which also topped the chart for 10 weeks in 1992. It was produced by Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Terius "The-Dream" Nash. Umbrella was set at #2 at the Billboard Hot 100 year-end chart, behind Beyoncé's Irreplaceable. However, Umbrella is the most succesfull song of 2007, getting 8,182,000 points on the United World Chart. Then her second single, "Shut Up and Drive", was sent to radio stations on June 5, has so far peaked at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her club airplay third single, "Don't Stop The Music" was premiered on BET's 106 & Park on July 20, 2007 and was released only in Canada. The song is also going to be released in the UK. However, the single was also released in parts of Europe, where it was a huge succes. The song peaked at #1 in countries like Germany, France, The Netherlands and Austria. The fourth single, "Hate That I Love You" featuring Ne-Yo, was released on August 21, and so far has peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Rihanna her sixth top ten hit. Rihanna's fifth single will be Breakin' Dishes according to Billboard and has so far peaked on #25 on the Hot Dance Club Play. However due to the high serge in airplay and digital sales of "Don't Stop the Music", which was never released in the US, it might be replacing "Breakin' Dishes" as the fifth single.

Rihanna worked with Timbaland on three songs in the album. Justin Timberlake co-wrote and provides background vocals on "Rehab" and "Sell Me Candy". In interviews, many have questioned the meaning and reasoning of the album title. The album title reflects the difference between the old and new Rihanna. "Bad means cool, bad means funky, bad means having an attitude, bad means being edgy. This album is definitely a great representation of who I am now, and where I am in my career," she says. Seven weeks after the album was released, it had gone gold in the United States and Platinum on the United World Albums Chart.

Also in 2007, Rihanna won World's Best-Selling Pop Female Artist & Entertainer of the Year at the 2007 World Music Awards. On November 18, 2007, she won Favorite Female Artist - Soul/R&B at the 2007 American Music Awards.

Starting September 12, 2007, Rihanna toured Canada and the United States in support of the album with several shows and then crossed to Europe. It is called the Good Girl Gone Bad Tour which will be released on DVD in early 2008 and feature the show performed at the Manchester Evening News Arena on 6th December 2007.

Rihanna received six Grammy Awards nominations: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (for Umbrella), Best R&B Song, Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals (for Hate That I Love You) as well as Best Dance Recording (for Don't Stop the Music).

Britney Spears

2007-12-26T16:10:00.001+08:00

Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American pop music singer, songwriter, dancer, actress and author. Her debut album Baby One More Time, released in January 1999, propelled her to international stardom. It spawned five singles, including "...Baby One More Time", which topped the Billboard Hot 100. She released her second studio album Oops!... I Did It Again in May of 2000 with similar success. Her third album Britney was released in November 2001, followed by the release of her fourth album In The Zone in November 2003. The album's breakout single "Toxic" was an international success and has won Spears her first Grammy Award. The collection Greatest Hits: My Prerogative was released in November 2004 followed by a remix album B in the Mix: The Remixes a year later and a brief career break. Her fifth album Blackout was released worldwide in October 2007, with the lead single "Gimme More" earning success on worldwide charts.

Britney Spears has sold over 83 million records worldwide according to Zomba Label Group. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) ranks her as the eighth best-selling female artist in American music history, having sold 31 million albums in the U.S. Spears's fame in the music industry has led her to experiment with other forms of media, including film and television. As an actress, she is most noted for her starring role in the 2002 movie Crossroads. Spears has also made guest appearances in various movie and television programs. Her success as a singer led her to several high-profile advertising deals and endorsements, including her own perfume line.

Spears's personal life has gained much attention from the media as a result of her stardom. In particular, her marriage to Kevin Federline in 2004 has been the topic of numerous articles. She gave birth to her first child, Sean Preston, in 2005 and to her second child, Jayden James, in 2006. The couple's divorce in November of the same year was highly publicized, followed by an ongoing legal battle for the custody of their two sons. Throughout 2007, Spears has been the subject of intense media scrutiny due to her controversial public behavior.

Childhood and Discovery of Britney Spears
Britney Spears was born in McComb, Mississippi but was raised in Kentwood, Louisiana as a Southern Baptist by parents James Parnell Spears, a building contractor, and Lynne Irene Bridges, a former grade school teacher. Spears's brother Bryan works as a manager for the Spears family interests and her sister Jamie Lynn is an actress and singer. Her maternal grandmother Lillian Woolmore was an English war-bride, born in Tottenham, London who met Spears's grandfather Barnett O'Field Bridges in England during World War II. Her paternal grandparents were June Austin Spears and Emma Jean Forbes.

Spears was an accomplished gymnast, attending gymnastics classes until age nine and competing in state-level competitions. She performed in local dance revues and her local Baptist church choir. At age eight she auditioned for the Disney Channel series The New Mickey Mouse Club. Although she was considered too young to join the series at the time, a producer on the show introduced her to a New York City agent. Spears subsequently spent three summers at NYC's Professional Performing Arts School and also appeared in a number of off-Broadway productions, including 1991's Ruthless!. In 1992, she landed a spot on the popular television show Star Search. Though she won her first round in the competition, she ultimately lost. At age eleven, Spears returned to the Disney Channel for a spot on the The New Mickey Mouse Club in Lakeland, Florida. She was featured on the show from 1993 to 1994, until she was 13. Other future celebrities on the show included fellow pop singer Christina Aguilera, 'N Sync members Justin Timberlake and Joshua Chasez, Felicity actress Keri Russell, and The Notebook star Ryan Gosling. After the show ended, Spears returned to Kentwood and entered high school for a year.

In 1997, Spears briefly joined the all-female pop group Innosense. Later that same year, she decided to go solo. After recording a demo, she was signed by Jive Records. She began touring American venues for a series of concerts sponsored by American teen magazines, and eventually became an opening act for 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys.

Products and Endorsement of Britney Spears
Spears's success had made her notable in the music industry as well as popular culture. In early 2001, she caught the attention of Pepsi who gave Spears a multi-million dollar promotional deal which included numerous television commercials, point-of-purchase promotions and Internet ties between Spears and the company. She has had four books published including A Mother's Gift, and seven DVDs released, including her self-produced 2005 reality series Britney & Kevin: Chaotic. Spears has also released several other products, including a doll and a video game. She participated in seven tours including "The Onyx Hotel Tour" in 2004. She has grossed over US$150 million from tour ticket sales and over $45 million in merchandise from her tours.

Spears endorsed an Elizabeth Arden fragrance, "Curious", for which she earned a reported $12 million. After one year of sales, the product netted more than $100 million, and was named the best selling perfume of 2004. Following the success of "Curious", Spears released her next Elizabeth Arden fragrance, "Fantasy", in September 2005, with equal success. She launched "In Control" in April 2006, closely followed by the release of another perfume, "Midnight Fantasy" in December. Spears's newest Elizabeth Arden fragrance, "Believe", was released in September 2007.

Lindsay Lohan

2007-12-26T15:49:00.000+08:00

Lindsay Dee Lohan (born July 2, 1986) is an American actress and pop music singer. Lindsay Lohan started in show business as a child fashion model for magazine advertisement and television commercials. At age 10, she began her acting career in a soap opera; at 11, she made her motion picture debut by playing identical twins in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap.

Lohan rose to stardom with her leading roles in the films Freaky Friday, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, Mean Girls and Herbie: Fully Loaded. Her subsequent roles include appearances in A Prairie Home Companion and Bobby. In 2004, Lohan launched a second career in pop music yielding the albums Speak (2004), A Little More Personal (Raw) (2005) and is now back in the studio recording her Third Album.

In recent years, Lohan has been the subject of media scrutiny focusing on her personal life.

Early Life of Lindsay Lohan
Lohan was born on East 236th Street in the Woodlawn section of the Bronx and grew up in Merrick and Cold Spring Harbor on Long Island. She is the eldest child of Donata "Dina" (née Sullivan), a former Rockette, and Michael Douglas Lohan, Sr., a onetime actor. Lohan has three younger siblings, all of whom are actor-models: brother Michael Jr., whom she affectionately calls "Punk," appeared with her in The Parent Trap as the "Lost Boy at Camp"; sister Aliana had a small role in Freaky Friday, as did brother Dakota, the youngest Lohan child, whom she once saved from drowning.

Lohan is of Irish and Italian heritage and was raised as a Catholic. Her maternal family were "well known Irish Catholic stalwarts" in Merrick, with her great-grandfather, John L Sullivan, being a co-founder of the Pro-life Party in Long Island. In 2005, Lohan explained to a TEENick audience that she had decided to use Morgan as her middle name because it sounded more professional.

Lohan attended public schools on Long Island, including Sanford H. Calhoun High School. She finished her studies at home through Laurel Springs School of Ojai, California.

Her family was financially comfortable. Her mother was a Wall Street analyst before becoming Lohan's manager. Dina also claimed that she worked as a Rockette, though Radio City Music Hall records have not verified this claim.

Michael Lohan inherited his family's pasta business, which he later sold to trade in futures (briefly becoming President of New York Futures Traders). Sentenced to four years in prison in the late 1980s, he spent much of his daughter's preteen years in prison for securities fraud. More recently, he worked as an investment banker, securing funding for independent films. In 2005, he was sent back to prison for nearly two years, released in March 2007, for "aggravated unlicensed driving" and attempted assault. Michael currently works with Teen Challenge.

Music Career of Lindsay Lohan
Hoping to become a "triple threat" (actor/model/singer) like her idol, Ann-Margret, Lohan began by showcasing her singing talents through her films. For the Freaky Friday soundtrack, she sang the closing theme, "Ultimate"; she also recorded four songs for the Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen soundtrack.

Producer Emilio Estefan, Jr. signed Lohan to a five-album production deal in 2002. "The minute I heard her sing, I knew she was gifted," he said, "and [she] has an incredible ability to connect with her audience. I am very excited to be working with her." Lohan — who said she was "extremely excited" — added, "I am surrounded by a group of very talented people." Two years later, Lohan signed a recording contract with Casablanca Records, headed by "diva-maker" Tommy Mottola.

Fergie

2007-12-26T15:47:00.000+08:00

Stacy Ann Ferguson (born March 27, 1975) better known by her stage name Fergie, is an American pop, hip hop, and R&B singer, songwriter, and actress. She is a former member of the kids' television series Kids Incorporated, and the girl group Wild Orchid. Ferguson was also a co-host of the television show Great Pretenders. She is currently a vocalist for the hip hop/pop group the Black Eyed Peas, of which she is the sole female member, as well as a solo artist, releasing her debut album, The Dutchess, in 2006. The album has so far spawned three U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number one singles and five Top 5 hits, making The Dutchess only the seventh album from a female artist to spawn five Top 5 hits.

Early Life of Fergie
Ferguson was born in Hacienda Heights, California to Terri Gore and Patrick Ferguson. She has one sister, Dana, who is an actress. Her parents were Catholics of Irish, Scottish and Mexican descent and worked as schoolteachers. Ferguson had a strict Catholic upbringing. During her youth, she was "involved" with members of the Mexican gangs in Hacienda Heights, California. Ferguson attended Glen A. Wilson High School. She was also a Girl Scout.

Acting Career of Fergie
As a child actress, Ferguson appeared on the television program Kids Incorporated for several years with Renee Sandstrom, who became a fellow member of Wild Orchid. Ferguson's well-scrubbed image on that show presents quite a contrast with the "ghetto-funk" image she has more recently begun to cultivate. Ferguson was the voice of Sally Brown in two Charlie Brown specials: It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown (1984), and Snoopy's Getting Married, Charlie Brown (1985). She also voiced Sally in the 1985 version of The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show.

In July 2005, Ferguson had a guest role on the Rocket Power special, Reggie's Big Beach Break, on Nickelodeon; she voiced a fictitious pop music star named Shaffika. Ferguson returned to acting in 2006, appearing in a minor role in the film Poseidon. She later appeared in 2007's Grindhouse.

Personal Life of Fergie
Since September 2004, Ferguson has been dating actor Josh Duhamel, who stars in the television show Las Vegas. She appeared in the series, along with the Black Eyed Peas, in an episode titled "Montecito Lancers", which originally aired on November 1, 2004. She and Duhamel have recently purchased a house together.

In April 2007, she gave an interview in which she admitted that she went on a sex and drugs spree when she turned 18, saying: "I have had lesbian experiences in the past. I won't say how many men I've had sex with—but I am a very sexual person."

Ferguson was featured on Maxim's Hot 100 Women of 2006, and voted in at position #36. In 2007, she was voted in at #10.

Recently, Ferguson has been alleged to have had plastic surgery. She denied the allegations and has said that they drove her to seek therapy. Along with other celebrities, she is now assailing the credibility of US Weekly Magazine.

Music Career of Fergie
Ferguson was a member of the female trio Wild Orchid, which she fronted with Stefanie Ridel and fellow Kids Incorporated star Renee Sandstrom. Wild Orchid released two albums, but after completing a third album, their record label declined to release it, and she left the group shortly thereafter. Her disappointment with Wild Orchid led to an addiction to crystal methamphetamine. In September 2006, Ferguson talked with Time about quitting her crystal meth addiction. "It was the hardest boyfriend I ever had to break up with," she says. "It's the drug that's addicting. But it's why you start doing it in the first place that's interesting. A lot of it was being a child actor; I learned to suppress feelings."

In 2003, Ferguson took over the lead female vocal duties for the Black Eyed Peas, replacing background singer Kim Hill, who had left the group in 2000. Ferguson recorded five songs with the group before she was invited to join them permanently. Ferguson's addition to the band, which had enjoyed underground success until then, helped them quickly grow into mainstream popularity.

In 2005, Ferguson inadvertently urinated on stage during a performance at San Diego's Street Scene festival. Ferguson later commented on the incident: "I had a few drinks before the show, but I didn't think to go to the bathroom before we went onstage. We were jumping around... and my bladder just started."

In December 2007, Blender picked Ferguson as their woman of the year.

Carmen Electra

2007-12-26T15:29:00.000+08:00

Tara Leigh Patrick (born April 20, 1972), professionally known as Carmen Electra, is an American glamour model, television personality, dancer, singer, and actress.

Early Life of Carmen Electra
Patrick was born in Sharonville, Ohio (a suburb of Cincinnati), the daughter of Patricia, a singer, and Harry Patrick, an entertainer and guitarist. Her mother died of a brain tumor in 1998. Her older sister, Debbie, who died from a heart attack, also in 1998. Tara graduated from Princeton High School in Sharonville. She has Irish, German, and Cherokee ancestry.

Career of Carmen Electra
Patrick moved to California in 1991, where she met Prince who persuaded her to change her name to Carmen Electra. Soon after, she signed a recording contract with Prince's company Paisley Park Records, marking the start of a short-lived singing career.

In 1995, Electra started appearing in various television programs. Then, in May of 1996 she was featured in a nude pictorial in Playboy magazine, the first of several. This exposure led to higher profile television appearances, including Baywatch (cast member from 1997-1998) and MTV's Singled Out. She returned to Baywatch for the 2003 reunion movie, Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding.

Electra became so popular among readers of Playboy that she was featured in the magazine three more times, with her second appearance in June 1997. She subsequently graced the cover twice, in December 2000 and April 2003. In the Playboy Cyber Club, she was the first woman invited to be a celebrity guest photographer; she chose Playmate Jennifer Walcott as her subject model.

Electra has appeared in several films, such as Good Burger (1997), The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human (1999), the horror spoof Scary Movie (2000) and also appeared in Scary Movie 4 (2006), Epic Movie (2007), Date Movie (2006), the remake of the 1970s TV show Starsky & Hutch (2004) and Cheaper by the Dozen 2. She won an MTV Movie Award (best kiss) for Starsky & Hutch. Her acting work is generally panned by critics.

In 1999, she appeared in the Bloodhound Gang's music video of "The Inevitable Return of the Great White Dope." In 2005, she joined the voice cast of the animated series Tripping the Rift, replacing Gina Gershon as the voice of the sexy android "Six". Also in 2005, she began the Naked Women's Wrestling League, acting as the commissioner for the professional wrestling promotion. In late 2006, Carmen began to be featured in commercials by Taco Bell.

Electra is the current spokesmodel for Ritz Camera Centers, appearing in their television and print ads with CEO David Ritz. She is featured in some video spoofs of Lonelygirl15 that are advertising Epic Movie. Electra has her own line of prepaid and gift MasterCards and is a spokeperson for Payment Data Systems, Inc.

She is a playable character in the video game Def Jam: Fight for New York and is one of the celebrity challenges in the video game ESPN NFL 2K5, along with Steve-O, Jamie Kennedy and others. Electra has been confirmed as a competitor on NBC's Celebrity version of The Apprentice. This version of The Apprentice is currently scheduled to begin in early 2008 as a mid-season replacement.

Other Work of Carmen Electra
Electra portrayed Velvita, a.k.a. lonelygirl362436, as a spoof of lonelygirl15 as an Epic Movie teaser. Carmen Electra Aerobic Striptease is a five-disc DVD exercise series that combines teaching classic stripping moves with a low impact cardio workout.

Embrace is a comic book putatively written by Electra for London Night Studios. "Glam Slam Ulysses" Interactive Musical Theatrical Production,” conceived by Prince, choreographed by Jamie King. Debuted at Prince's legendary Glam Slam L.A. nightclub.

Electra also appeared in commercials for Maxim Men's Hair Color products (2004-2005) and Taco Bell (2006-2007).

Personal Life of Carmen Electra
Electra's first rock and pop star relationship was with Prince, though the relationship was short lived. Electra was previously romantically involved with rap star B-Real of Cypress Hill from 1995 to 1998. It was revealed when B-Real and Electra were both on The Howard Stern Show that B-Real had bought her breast implants.

Electra achieved publicity during her on-again, off-again marriage to basketball star Dennis Rodman from 1998 to 1999. The wedding to Rodman took place at Little Chapel of the Flowers in Las Vegas, Nevada. Later, she had a brief affair with Tommy Lee, the ex-husband of Pamela Anderson.

On November 22, 2003, Electra married Dave Navarro, former lead guitarist for the rock bands Jane's Addiction and Red Hot Chili Peppers. The couple documented their courtship and marriage in an MTV celebreality show called 'Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen & Dave. On 17 July 2006, she and Navarro announced their separation. Their rep confirmed their separation to Star Magazine. Electra filed for divorce on 10 August. It was finalized on February 20, 2007.

In 2006, Electra stated that when she was eight years old she had a "little girl crush" on Joan Jett. In 2007, tabloid sources linked the two of them together romantically. However, Electra's spokeswoman has insisted "They are just friends." In June 2007, talk show host Jimmy Kimmel asked Electra if her relationship with Jett was romantic. Electra stated; "We're just friends". She went on to say that she collects tabloid articles that suggest she and Jett are dating because she is a fan of Jett and finds them amusing as well.

Pamela Anderson

2007-12-26T15:18:00.000+08:00

Pamela Denise Anderson (born July 1, 1967) is a Canadian-born actress, sex symbol, glamour model, producer, TV personality, and author. Pamela Anderson holds both American and Canadian citizenship. For a time, she was known as Pamela Anderson Lee after marrying the drummer for Mötley Crüe, Tommy Lee.

Early Life of Pamela Anderson
Anderson was born in Ladysmith, British Columbia, 90 km northwest of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, the daughter of Carol, a waitress, and Barry Anderson, a furnace repairman. Her great-grandfather, Juho Hyytiäinen, was Finnish, a native of Saarijärvi, and left Finland in 1908 changing his name to Anderson when he arrived as an immigrant. Anderson has Dutch ancestry on her mother's side.

The newborn Anderson won fame as Canada's "Centennial Baby", because she was thought to have been the first baby born on Canada's Centennial Day (she was born at 4:08 in the morning). However, the Campbell River Upper Islander of July 5, 1967 reported a baby born two hours earlier on the same Canada Day. After her birth, her parents and her brother, Gerry Anderson, moved to the town of Comox with Pamela.

Career of Pamela Anderson
After graduating from Highland Secondary School in 1985, Anderson moved to Vancouver and worked as a fitness instructor. During the summer of 1989, Pamela went with her friends to a BC Lions game at BC Place; at some point during the game she was shown on the stadium screen wearing a Labatt's t-shirt, causing the crowd to cheer for the 21-year-old Anderson. She was taken down to the field to get an ovation from the crowd. Labatt's immediately offered Anderson a modeling contract and she accepted. In late 1989, Pamela decided to model for Playboy magazine: she appeared on the October 1989 cover (credited as Pamela Anderson Ilicic) and decided to move to Los Angeles to continue her modeling career. She was the February 1990 playmate and has appeared in Playboy several times in the 1990s and the following decade.

Charitable Work and Activism of Pamela Anderson
Anderson is a vegetarian, an advocate for animal rights, and an active member of the animal protection organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), taking part in several campaigns for animal rights. She became a vegetarian in her early teens when she walked in on her dad slaughtering an animal he had just hunted.

One of Anderson's campaigns as a member of PETA has been against the use of fur. In 1999, Anderson received the first Linda McCartney Memorial Award for animal rights protectors, in recognition of her campaign against fur. In 2003, Anderson stripped down for PETA's "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" advertising campaign. On June 28, 2006, Anderson posed naked with other protesters on a window display of the Stella McCartney boutique in London, England. It was a PETA gala event before the PETA Humanitarian Awards. Anderson went inside the boutique and said she would take her clothes off if the event raised enough money for PETA, which it did.

She has also actively campaigned against Kentucky Fried Chicken. In 2001, Anderson released a letter in support of PETA's campaign against Kentucky Fried Chicken, stating "What KFC does to 750 million chickens each year is not civilized or acceptable." She later made a video about KFC's treatment of chickens. In January 2006, Anderson requested that the Governor of Kentucky remove a bust of Colonel Sanders, the founder of KFC, from display but her request was refused even when she offered her own bust in exchange. In February 2006, Anderson decided to boycott the Kentucky Derby because of its support for Kentucky Fried Chicken.

She has also campaigned against seal hunting in her native Canada. In March 2006, Anderson asked to speak to Prime Minister Stephen Harper about the annual seal hunt. Her request was refused. In May 2006, she petitioned random individuals on the street for their opinion on the Canadian Seal Hunt.

Most recently Pam has joined forces with PETA in a campaign calling for the boycott of fruit-juice maker POM. The "Pom Horrible Campaign" has resulted in response to the company's refusal to halt animal tests.

In March 2005, Anderson became a spokesmodel for MAC Cosmetics's MAC AIDS Fund, which helped people affected by AIDS and HIV. After becoming the official spokesmodel, Anderson raised money during events in Toronto, Tokyo, Dublin, and Athens.

Anderson became the celebrity spokesperson for the American Liver Foundation, and served as the Grand Marshal of the SOS motorcycle ride fundraiser.

Kanye West

2007-12-26T15:14:00.001+08:00

Kanye Omari West (born June 8, 1977) is an American record producer and rapper who rose to fame in the mid 2000s. Kanye West released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, and his third album Graduation in 2007. His first two albums received numerous awards (including six Grammys), critical acclaim, and commercial success. West also runs his own record label GOOD Music. West's mascot and trademark is a teddy bear, which has appeared on the covers of his three albums as well as the single cover for his song "Stronger".

Life and Career of Kanye West
West was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where he lived with both of his parents. When he was three years old (as mentioned in "Hey Mama") his parents divorced, and he and his mother moved to Chicago, Illinois. His father was Ray West, a former Black Panther who was one of the first black photojournalists at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and is now a Christian counselor. Kanye's late mother, Dr. Donda West, worked as a Professor of English at Clark Atlanta University, and the Chair of the English Department at Chicago State University before retiring to serve as Kanye's manager. He was later raised in an upper middle class background, attending Polaris High School in suburban Oak Lawn, Illinois after living in Chicago.

After attending The American Academy of Art, a Chicago art school, West attended Chicago State University but eventually dropped out due to poor grades and in order to continue working on his music career. While attending school, West produced for local artists. He later gained fame by producing hit singles for major hip hop/R&B artists, including Jay-Z, Talib Kweli, Cam'ron, Paul Wall, Common, Mobb Deep, Jermaine Dupri, Scarface, The Game, Alicia Keys, Janet Jackson and John Legend among others. He also "ghost-produced" for his once mentor Deric Angelettie according to his song "Last Call" and the credits of Nas' "Poppa Was a Playa."

West's style of production often utilizes pitched-up vocal samples, usually from soul songs, with his own drums and instruments. The first major label song he produced was The Truth by Beanie Sigel, and his first major release featuring his trademark vocal sampling style was "This Can't Be Life," a track from Jay-Z’s The Dynasty: Roc La Familia. West said he sped up the drum beat of Dr. Dre's "Xxplosive" to use as a replacement for his drums on "This Can't Be Life."

West has said that Wu-Tang Clan producer RZA influenced him in his style, and has said on numerous occasions that Wu-Tang rappers Ghostface Killah and Ol' Dirty Bastard were some of his all-time favorites. Said by Kanye West: "Wu-Tang? Me and my friends talk about this all the time… We think Wu-Tang had one of the biggest impacts as far as a movement. From slang to style of dress, skits, the samples. Similar to the [production] style I use, RZA has been doing that."

Lil Wayne

2007-12-26T15:09:00.000+08:00

Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. (born September 27, 1982 in New Orleans, Louisiana), better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper.

Personal Life of Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. was born to Jacida "Cita" Carter and Dwayne Michael Turner. Jacida Carter was 19 at the time, graduating from high school, and involved in an abusive relationship with Turner. Turner abandoned the family soon after the birth. Jacida later became involved with Reginald "Rabbit" McDonald who moved the family from Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans' 17th Ward to East New Orleans. It was around the time of the move that Dwayne Carter began to get deeper involved in rap music, signing with Cash Money at the age of 11. A year after his move to East New Orleans, Carter accidentally shot himself in the chest with McDonald's .44 Taurus Magnum, he would subsequently be on life support for two weeks. A year later Jacinda would demand Carter stay away from Brian "Baby" Williams, having gone to school with his older brother Ronald "Slim" Williams, both founders of Cash Money Records. The separation would only last a year, as Carter returned to Cash Money after the death of Reginald McDonald on March 7, 1997.

At the age of 16 Wayne had a daughter with Antonia "Toya", his high school sweet heart, Reginae Carter. They later divorced.

Lil Wayne later enrolled and is currently attending the University of Houston in Houston, Texas since early 2005, where he is majoring in political science. According to the Cash Money Records website, Wayne later switched his major to psychology.

It is confirmed that Lil Wayne was engaged with "Superhead" but they canceled it. Wayne is now rumored to be engaged with Lauren London.

Rap Foundation of Lil Wayne
Wayne's first contact with hip-hop was listening to local Cash Money Records artists like Pimp Daddy and U.N.L.V., whom he would later credit as his earliest influences. Wayne began rapping at block parties as a child. His performance at one of the parties caught the ear of Lil Slim, a Cash Money rapper from the neighborhood, who gave Lil Wayne his phone number. He went on an autograph-signing session with Lil Slim, and there met Cash Money Records owners, "Baby" and "Slim". His free styling abilities impressed the Williams brothers, but they were reluctant to sign him. Eleven-year-old Wayne started to record freestyles on Baby's answering machine and would frequently visit Cash Money offices. When Baby saw so much engagement in the young rapper, he signed him. Wayne later was hooked up with another newcomer, Lil' Doogie (who would later become as famous as B.G.), to form The B.G.'z. The group released their first and only album, True Story, in 1995.

In 1997, Wayne formed the Hot Boys along with Juvenile, Turk, and B.G., and they released their seminal debut CD Get It How You Live. The record's success earned fans throughout the South and Midwest. He further distinguished himself on the Hot Boys' multi platinum-selling Universal debut, Guerrilla Warfare, which was released in 1998 and was followed by their 2003 release, Let Em Burn.

Other Groups of Lil Wayne
Recently Wayne was recruited by the Boyz n da Hood as their fourth member after Young Jeezy left the group to pursue his solo career. He would never be formally named an active member of Boyz N Da Hood due to scheduling conflicts involving the promotion of Tha Carter II.

Solo Career of Lil Wayne
Wayne launched his solo career in 1999, with Tha Block Is Hot. Wayne later followed up his successful debut with the Gold selling albums Lights Out in 2000 and 500 Degreez in 2002, a reference to Juvenile's 400 Degreez. In the summer of 2004 Wayne released Tha Carter. Often cited as a highlight of his career, Tha Carter gained Wayne significant recognition, selling 878,000 copies in the United States. On December 6, 2005, Wayne released Tha Carter II. The album was notably lacking the prominent beats of Mannie Fresh. Tha Carter II sold more than 238,000 copies in its first week of release, debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart. The lead single, "Fireman" featuring Sabotage of the EX Thugz-2-Life, became a hit in the US, peaking at 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The second single, "Grown Man", failed to receive any attention. The third single "Hustler Musik" received a video and gained moderate airplay.

Cartoon Debut of Lil Wayne
Lil' Wayne has a guest appearance in the Cartoon Network hit television series The Boondocks in the "Invasion of the Katrinians" episode.

Eminem

2007-12-26T15:05:00.000+08:00

Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), better known by his stage names Eminem and Slim Shady, is an Oscar and multiple Grammy Award winning American rapper, record producer, and actor. Having sold over seventy million albums worldwide, Eminem is one of the highest-selling musicians of the early 2000s thus, making him one of the highest-selling rap artists of all time. Eminem was discovered by rapper and producer Dr. Dre. Dr. Dre later signed Eminem to his record label, Aftermath Entertainment.

Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney has praised Mathers for his "verbal energy" and for arousing popular interest in poetry and lyrics. Eminem is infamous for the controversy surrounding many of his lyrics. With the success of his highly acclaimed album, The Marshall Mathers LP and its subsequent nomination for four Grammy awards including Album of the Year, critics such as GLAAD denounced his lyrics as homophobic and misogynist, while others claimed that it promoted violence. In 2002, he starred in the semi-autobiographical movie 8 Mile.

Early Life of Eminem (1972-1994)
Eminem was born in St. Joseph, Missouri to Deborah (née Nelson) and Marshall Bruce Mathers II, of Scottish, German, and English descent. Shortly after his birth, his father walked out, leaving Debbie and Marshall alone. Until he was 12, he and his mother moved to and from between St. Joseph and Warren, Michigan, a Detroit suburb, where he met D12 rapper Proof. He was reportedly interested in hip hop from a young age. Because he was small for his age and he was one of the few whites that lived in an African American neighboorhood he was reportedly picked on. Mathers decided that even though he was too small to fight back he would instead retaliate with words. Learning how to "battle" his foes with rap music gave him an outlet for his anger. Mathers began performing as early as 13 in a group called Bassmint Productions where they produced an EP called Steppin' onto the Scene.

Eminem as a Producer
Mathers is also active as a producer of rap records. Besides being the executive producer of D12's two albums, Devil's Night and D12 World, he has also executive produced Obie Trice's Cheers and Second Round's on Me as well as 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin' and The Massacre. In addition, Mathers has produced and appeared on several songs by other famous rappers, such as Jadakiss' "Welcome To D-Block", Jay-Z's "Renagade" and "Moment of Clarity" Lloyd Banks' "Warrior Part 2", and "Hands Up", Tony Yayo's "Drama Setter", Trick Trick's "Welcome 2 Detroit", and Xzibit's "My Name" and "Don't Approach Me". Most of The Eminem Show was produced by Mathers himself, with co-production from longtime collaborator Jeff Bass. He also split the production with Dr. Dre on Encore. In 2004, Mathers was the Executive Producer of 2Pac's posthumous album Loyal to the Game with 2Pac's mother Afeni Shakur. He produced the UK #1 single "Ghetto Gospel" which featured Elton John. On certain tracks on the album, 2Pac's voice was slowed down and digitally altered to match the beat and make him say things like "2005" and "G-Unit", angering many fans. He has also produced "The Cross" off Nas's album God's Son. On August 15, 2006, Obie Trice released Second Round's on Me. Eminem produced 8 tracks on the album. He was also featured in the song "There They Go".

Acting Career of Eminem
Mathers made his Hollywood acting debut with the semi-autobiographical 8 Mile, released in November 2002. He has said the movie is not an account of his life, but a representation of growing up in Detroit. He recorded several new songs for the soundtrack, including "Lose Yourself", which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song; it was not performed at the ceremony, reportedly because ABC wanted him to perform an edited version. Mathers voiced a character in 50 Cent: Bulletproof, who is an aging corrupt police officer that speaks in Ebonics. He has also done some voice acting, both on Crank Yankers and a web cartoon called The Slim Shady Show, which has since been pulled off-line and is instead sold on DVD. Eminem will star in the upcoming film Have Gun — Will Travel in which he will play a bounty hunter called Paladin. He will also be involved in either the soundtrack or scoring. He has also stated a movie production company called “Interscope/Shady/Aftermath Films” with Dr. Dre. The company has worked on 50 Cent's debut movie Get Rich or Die Tryin' and will work on Eminem's next movie Have Gun — Will Travel.

Sean Kingston

2007-12-26T15:04:00.001+08:00

Kisean Anderson (born February 3, 1990 in Miami, Florida) better known by his stage name Sean Kingston, is a Jamaican American reggae singer and rapper. Although he was born in the United States, he was predominantly raised in Kingston, Jamaica, the island nation's capital, after moving there at the age of six. His stage name "Sean Kingston" pays homage to Kingston, Jamaica. Reggae superstar, Buju Banton is a close friend of Sean Kingston's family and gave him advice upon entering the music industry.

Career of Sean Kingston
Sean Kingston, through a venture between Epic Records and Koch Records, released the single "Beautiful Girls" in Summer 2007. The single, based on the bass line and lyrical "association" of the 1961 hit "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King, reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and topped the UK Singles Chart. Similarly, the song "Me Love" is a loose derivative work of Led Zeppelin's "D'yer Mak'er", off of their 1973 album, 'Houses of the Holy. The song also debuted at number one in Australia; where it knocked off Fergie who had been number one for nine weeks. The song stayed on the Canadian Hot 100 number one spot for over six weeks before getting knocked down to third place by the Plain White T's. "Beautiful Girls" was the longest a song has ever stayed at the number one spot in 2007, in Canada.

In October 2007 Kingston was the opening act for Gwen Stefani's The Sweet Escape Tour. In 2007 he appeared in an episode of Yo Gabba Gabba.

Soulja Boy

2007-12-26T14:49:00.000+08:00

DeAndre Ramone Way (born July 28, 1990 in Chicago, Illinois), better known by his stage name Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, or simply Soulja Boy, is an American rapper. In September 2007, his single "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. At age six, Way moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he became interested in rap music. At age 14, he moved to Batesville, Mississippi with his father, who provided a recording studio for Way to explore his musical ambitions. He became known nationally for his song "Crank That (Soulja Boy)", which he initially self-published on the Internet, as it became a number-one hit in the United States for two weeks in September 2007.

Career of Soulja Boy
In November 2005, Way posted his songs on the music-based social community SoundClick. Following positive reviews on the site, Soulja Boy then established his own web pages on YouTube and MySpace. In March 2007, he recorded "Crank That" and released his first independent album Unsigned and Still Major, followed by a low-budget video filmed demonstrating the "Soulja Boy" dance. By the end of May 2007, "Crank That" received its first air play and Soulja Boy met with Mr. Collipark to sign a deal with Interscope Records.

On August 12, 2007, the song appeared on the Emmy-award winning HBO series Entourage, and by September 1, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot RingMasters charts. Way's major label debut album Souljaboytellem.com, which was reportedly recorded using just the demo version of FL Studio, was released in the United States on October 2, peaking at #4 on both the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts.

On December 9, 2007, Way was sued by William Lyons (aka Souljah Boy of the Mo Thugs) who claims he first created the stage name 'Souljah Boy'.

Kim Kardashian

2007-12-26T14:41:00.001+08:00

Kimberly Noel Kardashian (born October 21, 1980 in Los Angeles, California) is the daughter of attorney Robert Kardashian and Kris Jenner. Kim Kardashian is best known for her adventurous social life, scandals and her new reality show Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

Personal Life of Kim Kardashian
Born in Los Angeles, California in 1980, Kim is of Irish, Armenian and German descent. Her father, Robert Kardashian, died September 30, 2003 when Kim was 22 years old. Kim's mother, Kris Jenner, divorced Robert in 1989, and is currently married to Kim's stepfather, former Olympian Bruce Jenner. Kim has two sisters, Kourtney and Khloe, and one brother, Robert. She also has three step-brothers, including reality TV star Brody Jenner, one step-sister, and two half-sisters, Kendall and Kylie.

In 2000, Kim married music producer Damon Thomas, though the couple divorced in 2004.

Kardashian is also known for her sex tape scandal with ex-boyfriend R&B singer Ray-J and her spread in Playboy. Kim is often rumored to be dating many male celebrities but denies these rumors and says she is trying to focus on her career.

Jenna Jameson

2007-12-26T14:38:00.001+08:00

Jenna Jameson (born Jenna Marie Massoli on April 9, 1974) is an American pornographic actress and entrepreneur who has been called the world's most famous porn star and "The Queen of Porn". She started acting in erotic films in 1993 after having worked as a stripper and glamour model. By 1996, she had won the three top newcomer awards from pornographic film industry organizations. She has since won more than 20 adult film awards, and has been inducted into both the X-Rated Critics Organization (XRCO) and Adult Video News (AVN) Halls of Fame.

Jameson founded pornographic entertainment company ClubJenna in 2000, with Jay Grdina, whom she later married. This business was initially an individual website, which expanded into managing similar websites of other stars and began producing pornographic films in 2001. The first such film, Briana Loves Jenna (with Briana Banks), was named at the 2003 AVN Awards as the best-selling and best-renting pornographic title for 2002. By 2005, Club Jenna had revenues of US$30 million with profits estimated at half that. Advertisements for her site and films, often bearing her picture, tower on a forty-eight-foot-tall billboard in New York City's Times Square. Playboy TV hosts her Jenna's American Sex Star reality show where aspiring porn stars compete for a Club Jenna contract.

Jameson is also noted for her relative success in crossing over into mainstream celebrity, starting with a minor role in Howard Stern's 1997 film Private Parts. Her mainstream appearances continued with guest-hosting E! television, an award-winning voice role in the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and a recurring role on the 2003 NBC television series Mister Sterling. Her 2004 autobiography, How to Make Love Like a Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale, spent six weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Early Life of Jenna Jameson
Jenna Marie Massoli was born on April 9, 1974 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her father is Lawrence Massoli, an Italian American program director for an NBC affiliate and a police officer. Her mother was Judith Brooke Hunt Massoli, a Las Vegas showgirl who danced in the Folies Bergère show at the Tropicana Resort and Casino. Her mother died of skin cancer on February 20, 1976, before Jenna Massoli's second birthday. The cancer treatments bankrupted the family and they moved several times, including living in a trailer and moving in with her father's mother. Her father spent most of his time at work at the Las Vegas Sheriff's Department, and she became very close to her brother, Tony Massoli. She was a frequent entrant in beauty pageants as a child, and took ballet classes.

In her autobiography, Massoli writes that in October 1990, while the family was living on a cattle ranch in Fromberg, Montana, she was beaten with rocks and gang raped by four boys after a football game. She says she was raped a second time, while still sixteen, by her boyfriend Jack's biker uncle, Preacher. (Preacher has denied this.) Rather than tell her father, she left home and moved in with Jack in her first serious relationship.

Jack was a tattoo artist, and gave her the first of a series of tattoos, one which would become her trademark tattoo, double hearts on her right buttock. According to E!, Massoli's brother Tony, who later owned a tattoo parlor himself, added the inscription "HEART BREAKER".

Early Career of Jenna Jameson
Jenna Massoli tried to follow in her mother's career as a Las Vegas showgirl, but most shows rejected her for not having the required height of 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm). She was hired at the Vegas World show, but left after two months stating that the schedule was brutal, and the money was terrible.

Massoli's boyfriend Jack encouraged her to apply for jobs as a stripper, and in 1991, though underage, she began dancing in Las Vegas strip clubs using a fake I.D. After she was rejected from the Crazy Horse Too strip club because of the braces on her teeth, she removed them with a pair of needle-nose pliers and was accepted. After six months, she was earning US$2000 per night, before finishing high school.

Her first stage name as a stripper was "Jennasis", a name she later used for incorporating as "Jennasis Entertainment". She chose the name "Jenna Jameson" to use as a model after scrolling through the phone book for a last name that matched her first name, before finally decided on Jameson for Jameson Whiskey, which she drinks.

Besides dancing, starting later in 1991, she posed for nude photographs for photographer Suze Randall in Los Angeles, hoping to get into Penthouse magazine. Jameson was paid $300 per day, without rights to the pictures. After her photos had appeared in several men's magazines under various names, Jameson stopped working for Randall, feeling Randall was "a shark", and had been taking advantage of her.

While still in high school, Jameson began taking drugs — cocaine, LSD, and methamphetamines — accompanied by her brother (who was addicted to heroin) and at times her father. Her addiction became worse during her four years with her boyfriend. She eventually stopped eating properly and became too thin to model; Jack left her in 1994. She weighed 76 pounds (less than 35 kilograms) when a friend put her in a wheelchair and sent her to her father, who was then living in Redding, California, in order to detox; her father did not recognize her when she got off the plane.

Tila Tequila

2007-12-26T14:32:00.000+08:00

Tila Nguyen (born Thien Thanh Thi Nguyen October 24, 1981), better known by her stage name Tila Tequila, is an American model, entertainer, and singer residing in West Hollywood, California. She is known for her appearances in Stuff, Maxim, Time, Penthouse, her role as host of the Fuse TV show Pants-Off Dance-Off and her position as the most popular artist on MySpace (according to page views) as of April 2006. She was raised in Houston, Texas. Her MTV show A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila premiered on October 9, 2007.

Early Life of Tila Tequila
Nguyen was born in Singapore, where her family had emigrated from Vietnam after the Vietnam War. When Nguyen was a year old, she and her family moved to Alief, a suburb of Houston, where they lived until they were admitted to a gated community run by a strict Buddhist temple. The family left the community when Nguyen was eight.

As soon as she entered middle school, Tila Tequila developed a tomboy attitude and got in fights. Her behavior eventually got her sent to a boarding school for six months before being transferred to another school. As soon as she reached high school, she used her sister's identification card to enter nightclubs, where she began recreational drug use and joined a gang. In an interview with Import Tuner, Nguyen said she had been searching for a sense of identity: "I was really confused then, 'cause at first I thought I was black, then I thought I was Hispanic and joined a cholo gang". Later she made some friends outside the gang who briefly helped turn her life around, however her past caught up with her, and she fled to Queens, New York at the age of 16.

Modeling and Acting of Tila Tequila
Nguyen's career began at the age of 18 when she was discovered at the Sharpstown Mall by a Playboy scout and was offered a chance to model nude for the magazine. She did a test shoot, then eventually moved to Southern California and was featured as Playboy's Cyber Girl of the week on April 22, 2002, and soon thereafter she became the first Asian Cyber Girl of the Month.

Tila Tequila gained further popularity through the import racing scene. She has been featured on the cover of Import Tuner magazine, at car shows such as Hot Import Nights, and in the video game Street Racing Syndicate. In 2003, she was a contestant on VH1's Surviving Nugent, a reality TV show where participants performed compromising tasks and stunts for rock star Ted Nugent. She was also the most frequent host on the first season of Fuse TV's dance show, Pants-Off Dance-Off, on which a group of contestants strip to music videos. Tila has also previously worked with VH1 as a commentator on WebJunks's 40 Greatest Internet Superstars.

Nguyen was featured on the cover of the April 2006 issue of Stuff magazine; in the interview, she claimed that her nickname "Tila Tequila" came about when she experimented with alcohol in middle school and had a severe allergic reaction. She was later included in Stuff's 100 Sexiest Women Online. She appeared on the August 2006 Maxim UK cover, was named #88 in their Hot 100 List, and also appeared in the December 2007 issue.

Tila Tequila made an appearance as one of the 12 strangers in the first game on the April 6, 2007 episode of NBC's game show Identity. Her identity was that she has "over one million MySpace friends," a number which, as of that date, stood at 1,771,920. On March 4, 2007 Nguyen made a cameo appearance on the show "War At Home."

Chris Brown

2007-12-26T14:28:00.001+08:00

Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989), better known as Chris Brown, is an American pop and RandB singer, dancer, and actor who released his Billboard Hot 100 number-one debut single "Run It!" in 2005, which was produced by Scott Storch and featured Juelz Santana. His self-titled debut album spawned four successful top ten and top twenty hits in the United States. To date, the album has sold three million copies worldwide and 1,920,665 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Early Life of Chris Brown
Brown, one of two children, was born and raised in the small town of Tappahannock, Virginia, the son of Joyce Hawkins and Clinton Brown. Brown was influenced by the artists which his parents played on the home radio, such as Michael Jackson and Sam Cooke. A dancer since the age of two, Brown was not aware of his vocal talents until the age of eleven. Before becoming a vocalist, he was interested in becoming a rapper. At thirteen, Brown was discovered by a local production team who visited his father's gas station searching for new talent. Since then, he began his recording career and moved to New York, staying there for two years.

Music Career of Chris Brown
Brown left school in late 2004 to begin working on his self-titled debut album, Chris Brown, which was released on November 29, 2005. His debut single “Run It!”, was #1 in the United States, New Zealand, and Australia. Following “Run It!”, “Yo (Excuse Me Miss)” became Brown’s second top 10 hit in the US, peaking at #7, and #13 in the UK. It has been certified platinum by the RIAA. His third single “Gimme That” was released in March 2006 which featured Lil’ Wayne for a remix, originally not featured on the Chris Brown album, but was later included. The single debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 at #80 and climbed the charts quickly. Chris also co-directed his music videos for “Yo (Excuse Me Miss)” and “Gimme That”. His fourth single is the ballad “Say Goodbye”, which is also a part of the Step Up Soundtrack. On June 13, 2006, Brown released a DVD entitled, Chris Brown’s Journey, which shows footage of him traveling in London and Japan, getting ready for his first visit to the Grammys, behind the scenes of his music videos and bloopers.

On August 17, 2006, Brown and Ne-Yo co-headlined the 28-city Up Close and Personal Tour.

Shortly after ending his summer tour with Ne-Yo, Brown quickly began production for his second studio album, Exclusive, which was set to be released on August 28, 2007 until it was pushed to November 6, 2007.

According to MTV News, Brown stated: "I am still going to keep it so my younger fans can continue to listen to my music, but I got a couple of joints on there that's for some of the older people." The single, "Wall To Wall", debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at #96, and has since risen to #79 and #22 on the Billboard RandB and Hip-Hop Chart being his lowest charting song to date. The song "Kiss Kiss", featuring and produced by T-Pain, was chosen as the second single. The music video was filmed entirely at Florida International University in Miami, Florida in the Summer of 2007. The song has so far been much more successful than "Wall To Wall", which has peaked at #1 on the Hot 100, matching Brown's highest position since his debut single "Run It!."

Acting Career of Chris Brown
Brown has made appearances on UPN's One on One and The-N's The Brandon T. Jackson Show on its pilot episode. In addition, Brown landed a small role as a band geek in the fourth season of FOX's The O.C. in January 2007. Brown then made his film debut in the dance movie Stomp The Yard, alongside Ne-Yo, Meagan Good and Columbus Short in January 2007. Brown next appeared in This Christmas, a family drama starring Regina King, released on November 21, 2007. On July 9, 2007, Brown was featured in an episode of MTV's My Super Sweet 16 celebrating his 18th birthday in New York.

Timbaland

2007-12-26T14:25:00.000+08:00

Timothy Z. Mosley (born March 10, 1971) better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American musical composer, record producer, singer, and rapper. With partner Magoo, he is a member of hip-hop duo Timbaland and Magoo.

Timbaland has been considered similar to producers such as Brian Eno, Phil Spector or Norman Whitfield in that he helped to redefine the sound of an entire genre of music with an immediately recognizable production style. The songs he produces feature unorthodox arrangements, sounds, and instrumentation, tied together by a trademark sense of space and rhythm. Like Spector and Whitfield, Timbaland's production sometimes overshadows the credited performer and becomes the actual "star" of the song. With songwriters Steve "Static" Garrett and childhood friend Missy Elliott, Timbaland has helped to create some of the most successful songs in modern pop music and urban music, including singles for Missy Elliott, Aaliyah, Björk, Brandy, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Lil' Kim, Utada Hikaru, Ludacris, 50 Cent, The Game, Nelly Furtado, Ginuwine, OneRepublic, Dima Bilan and The Pussycat Dolls.

Personal life of Timbaland
In November 2007, it was confirmed that Timbaland has become a father for the first time. Timbaland issued a statement that he would take responsibility and have an active role in his child's life. He and the mother, publicist Monique Idlett (who works at Timbaland's Mosely record company), have been dating for two years and will marry in 2008. Timbaland proposed to 33-year-old Idlett at their baby shower in October.

Beyonce Knowles

2007-10-21T18:36:00.000+08:00

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles (born September 4, 1981) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, record producer, music video director, actress, dancer, and fashion designer. Beyonce rose to fame as the creative force and lead singer of the R&B girl group Destiny's Child, the world's best-selling female group of all time.

After a series of commercially successful releases with the group, Knowles released her debut solo album, Dangerously in Love, in June 2003. The album became one of the biggest commercial successes of the year, topping the albums charts in the U.S. and the UK. It also spawned the number-one singles "Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy" and earned Knowles five Grammy Awards in a single night in 2004. Knowles' second album B'Day was released worldwide on September 4, 2006, coinciding with her twenty-fifth birthday. The album spawned the UK number-one singles "Déjà Vu" and "Beautiful Liar", as well as the worldwide hit "Irreplaceable". It also earned Knowles her seventh solo Grammy Award (she has won ten in total).

Knowles also achieved success in the film industry, starring in such Hollywood films as the 2006 comedy The Pink Panther and the 2006 musical film Dreamgirls, which earned her two Golden Globe Award nominations—one for acting and other for the song "Listen".

Early Life of Beyonce
Knowles is the elder of two daughters born to Mathew and Tina Knowles in Houston, Texas. Her parents decided on her first name as a tribute to her mother's maiden name. Her maternal grandparents, Lumis Beyincé and Agnéz Deréon (a seamstress), were French-speaking Louisiana Creoles. She is the older sister of Solange Knowles, cousin to Angela Beyincé (her personal assistant and song co-writer), and aunt to Solange's son Daniel Julez Smith, Jr. By age seven, she was attending dance school and was a soloist in her church's choir. Her dance instructor took an interest in Knowles and took her star student to various competitions. Knowles went on to win over thirty local singing and dancing competitions.

As a teenager, Knowles attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, where she showed her musical talents. She later went to Alief Elsik High School, in the Alief neighborhood of Houston.

Philanthropy of Beyonce
Knowles, music producer David Foster, and his daughter, Amy Foster Gillies, wrote Destiny's Child's single "Stand up for Love" for World Children's Day, an event which takes place annually around the world on November 20 to raise awareness and funds for children's causes worldwide. Destiny's Child lent their voices and support as global ambassadors for the 2005 World Children's Day program.

Knowles and Kelly Rowland, along with Mathew Knowles, Tina Knowles, and sister Solange Knowles announced the formation of the Survivor Foundation, a charitable entity set up for the purpose of providing transitional housing for 2005 Hurricane Katrina victims and storm evacuees in the Houston, Texas area. The Survivor Foundation extends the philanthropic mission of the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth, a multi-purpose community outreach facility in downtown Houston.

Knowles had food drives during her The Beyoncé Experience tour in Houston on July 14, Atlanta on July 20, Washington, D.C. on August 9, Toronto on August 15, Chicago on August 18, and Los Angeles on September 2. "I want my tour and Survivor Foundation to encourage people to get involved in the fight against domestic hunger, Pastor Rudy's ongoing mission to help the least among us, and the work of America's Second Harvest. Any help—donating time, money or food—will make an enormous difference", she stressed.

The Survivor Foundation announced a new project called "Knowles-Rowland Temenos Place Apartments", in support of St. John's Downtown and Temenos Community Development Corporation. The housing development is the result of a collaboration with House of Deréon founders Tina Knowles and Beyoncé Knowles, Survivor Foundation, Inc., the City of Houston, and St. John's Downtown (church home of the Knowles family). The project was designed to provide permanent living accommodations for women and men who are taking significant steps in improving their lives after the traumatic effects of personal and natural disasters in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

On October 20, Knowles performed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia as part of the nation's millennium anniversary celebrations. While there, she was welcomed by President Girma Wolde-Giorgis, who gave Knowles a brief cultural and history lesson. Knowles responded by saying that, in the future, she will return to Ethiopia with a focus on humanitarian efforts.

Avril Lavigne

2007-10-21T18:06:00.000+08:00

Avril Lavigne Whibley, better known by her birth name of Avril Lavigne, (born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian rock/punk-pop singer, musician and actress. In 2006, Canadian Business Magazine ranked her the seventh most powerful Canadian in Hollywood, and in 2007 she won ninth place in the Jabra Music Contest for the Best Band in the World, based on fan votes from around the world.

Lavigne's birth surname is usually anglicized as IPA: "La-Veen". Avril is French for "April", while la vigne means "the vine" or "the vineyard".

Lavigne's debut album, Let Go, was released in 2002, and went on to sell over 18 million copies worldwide. and was certified six times platinum in the United States. Her second and third albums, Under My Skin (2004) and The Best Damn Thing (2007), respectively, reached number one on the U.S. Billboard 200. Lavigne has scored five number one songs worldwide to date and a total of eleven top ten hits, including "Complicated", "Sk8er Boi", "I'm with You", "My Happy Ending", and "Girlfriend". She ranked # 50 on VH1's "50 Greatest Women Of The Video Era" show list.

Background
Avril Lavigne was born in Belleville, Ontario to a devout Christian family. Lavigne's musical talent was first spotted at the age of two when her mother says Lavigne began singing along with her on church songs. The family moved to Napanee, Ontario, when Lavigne was five years old.

In 1998, Avril Lavigne won a competition to sing with fellow Canadian singer Shania Twain on her first major concert tour. She appeared alongside Twain at her concert in Ottawa, appearing on stage to sing "What Made You Say That".

She was discovered by her first professional manager, Cliff Fabri, while singing country covers at a Chapters bookstore in Kingston, Ontario. During a performance with the Lennox Community Theatre, Lavigne was spotted by local folk singer Steve Medd (a relation of the influential Canadian journalist, Ben Medd), who invited her to sing on his song "Touch the Sky" for his 1999 album Quinte Spirit. She also sang on "Temple of Life" and "Two Rivers" for his follow up album, My Window to You, in 2000.

At the age of sixteen she was signed by Ken Krongard, the artists-and-repertoire (A&R) representative of Arista Records, who invited the head of Arista, Antonio "L.A." Reid, to hear her sing at the New York City studio of producer Peter Zizzo. She then completed work on her first album, Let Go. The Matrix, who worked extensively with Lavigne on the album, commented on her songwriting, saying, "We conceived the ideas on guitar and piano. Avril would come in and sing a few melodies, change a word here or there."

Personal Life
Lavigne has a star tattooed on the inside of her left wrist that matches the style of the one used for her first album artwork. It was created at the same time as friend and musical associate Ben Moody's identical tattoo. In late 2004, she had a small pink heart-shaped tattoo featuring the letter 'D' applied to her right wrist—thought to be a reference to husband Deryck Whibley, with whom she has bought a house in Bel-Air, previously owned by another famous couple: Travis Barker and Shanna Moakler for $9.5 Million. The house has 8 bedrooms, 10.5 bathrooms, an office, elevator, a high-tech kitchen and a 10-car garage.

In February 2004, she began dating fellow Canadian singer Deryck Whibley, the lead singer/guitarist of pop punk band Sum 41. On June 27, 2005, Lavigne and Whibley became engaged. Whibley proposed to Lavigne by surprising her with a trip to Venice, a gondola ride, and then a romantic picnic.

The couple married in a Catholic ceremony attended by about 110 guests on July 15, 2006 at a private estate in the California coastal city of Montecito. When asked if they were ready for kids the couple said "not right now but somewhere down the road."

Music Career
Let Go (2002–2004) - Let Go was released on June 4, 2002 in the United States, reaching number two there and number one in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. This made Lavigne, at eighteen, the youngest female soloist to have a number-one album in the UK up until that time.

Just over one month after its release, Let Go reached multi-platinum status in late-August, and was certified triple platinum two weeks after. Before the end of 2002, just six months after its debut, it was certified four times platinum by the RIAA. It sold a total of 18 million copies worldwide. It was the best selling album of the year for a female artist and for a debut album in 2002.

Four singles from the album were released. "Complicated" went to number one in Australia, while reaching number two on the U.S. Hot 100, and it was one of the best-selling Canadian singles of 2002. Lavigne tied a record set by Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn" when "Complicated" held the number one spot on the contemporary hit radio chart (which tracks air play on the radio) for eleven weeks in a row. "Sk8er Boi" reached the top ten in the U.S. and Australia, "I'm with You" reached the top ten in the U.S and the UK, and "Losing Grip" reached the top ten in Taiwan and the top twenty in Chile.

Lavigne was named "Best New Artist" at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, won four Juno Awards in 2003 (out of six nominations), received a World Music Award for "World's Best-Selling Canadian Singer", and was nominated for eight Grammy Awards, including "Song of the Year" for "Complicated" and "Best New Artist".

Under My Skin (2004–2005) - Lavigne's second album, Under My Skin, was released on May 25, 2004, in the U.S. It debuted at number one in the U.S., the UK, Germany, Japan, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Spain, Ireland, Thailand, Korea and Hong Kong and sold more than 380,000 copies in the U.S. in its first week. Lavigne wrote most of the album with Canadian singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk, though some tracks were co-written by Ben Moody (formerly of Evanescence), Butch Walker of Marvellous 3, and her former lead guitarist Evan Taubenfeld. Kreviazuk's husband, Our Lady Peace front man Raine Maida, co-produced the album with Butch Walker and Don Gilmore.

Lead single "Don't Tell Me" went to number one in Argentina and Mexico, the top five in the UK and Canada, and the top ten in Australia and Brazil. "My Happy Ending" reached the top ten in the U.S. and was her third-biggest hit there, but third single "Nobody's Home" did not make the top forty. The fourth single from the album, "He Wasn't", reached top forty positions in the UK and Australia, and was not released in the U.S. "Fall to Pieces" was released as the final single from the album, but did not do as well as previous singles.

Lavigne won two World Music Awards in 2004 for "World's Best Pop/Rock Artist" and "World's Best-Selling Canadian Artist". She received five Juno Award nominations in 2005, picking up three, including "Fan Choice Award", "Artist of the Year", and "Pop Album of the Year". She won the award for "Favourite Female Singer" at the eighteenth Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. Lavigne co-wrote "Breakaway" with Matthew Gerard, which was recorded by Kelly Clarkson for the soundtrack to the film The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004). "Breakaway" was later included on Clarkson's second album, Breakaway, being released as the album's first single. The song peaked inside the U.S. top ten and provided Clarkson with a substantial hit.

Lavigne went on a "Live and by Surprise" twenty-one city mall-tour in the U.S. and Canada, starting on March 4, 2004, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to promote Under My Skin. Each performance consisted of a short live acoustic set of songs from the new album. She was accompanied by her guitarist, Evan Taubenfeld. The venue in each city was not announced until forty-eight hours before the show. The tour was very popular and was successful in promoting the album. The set at Indianapolis on March 25, 2004, at Glendale mall included "He Wasn't", "My Happy Ending", "Don't Tell Me", "Take Me Away", "Nobody's Home", "Sk8er Boi", and "Complicated". Selections of this tour were released on the Avril Lavigne Live Acoustic EP, which was released in U.S. Target stores.

Lavigne was touring throughout most of 2005, and pursuing her acting and modelling careers. She represented Canada at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, performing her song "Who Knows" during the eight minutes of the Vancouver 2010 portion.

The Best Damn Thing (2007–present) - Lavigne's third album, The Best Damn Thing, was released on April 17, 2007 and debuted at number one in the U.S. The album was produced by Dr. Luke, Lavigne's husband Deryck Whibley, Rob Cavallo, Butch Walker and Lavigne. Travis Barker recorded drums for the record. The first single from the album was "Girlfriend", which became Lavigne's first single to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. On Ryan Seacrest's radio show Lavigne said that "When You're Gone" would be the second single.

Lavigne has been doing a small tour to promote The Best Damn Thing, with tickets available only to members of her fan club. She began the tour in Calgary, Alberta, and played for a crowd of around two hundred. This show was aired on television on April 2, 2007, on the CBC Network.

On May 25, 2007, Lavigne, her co-songwriter Lukasz Gottwald, and her record label were sued by songwriters James Gangwer and Tommy Dunbar over claims that her song "Girlfriend" infringes on their 1979 song "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend", originally performed by The Rubinoos. In June 2007, Canadian singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk, with whom Lavigne wrote the majority of her second album, Under My Skin, spoke to Performing Songwriter magazine about Lavigne's songwriting, saying, "I mean, Avril, songwriter? Avril doesn't really sit and write songs by herself or anything. Avril will also cross the ethical line and no one says anything. That's why I'll never work with her again. I sent her a song two years ago called 'Contagious', and I just saw the tracklisting to this album and there's a song called 'Contagious' on it—and my name's not on it. What do you do with that? See, I won't [call the lawyers], I'll just tell you. Art should not be subject to that kind of controversy." On July 6, Lavigne denied both accusations in an open letter on her website, claiming that she had "never heard the [Rubinoos] song in [her] life" and also that she is considering taking legal action against Kreviazuk with regards to her allegations, which she considers "damaging to my reputation and a clear defamation of my character". On July 10, Kreviazuk made a full public apology and retracted the statements made in the aforementioned interview.

The song "I Don't Have to Try," also stirred up controversy. Similarities between this song and Peaches' 2003 song, "I'm the Kinda" has sparked further plagiarism speculations.

Lavigne recorded a cover of the John Lennon song "Imagine" as her contribution to the album Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur.

Jessica Simpson

2007-10-21T17:45:00.000+08:00

Jessica Ann Simpson (born July 10, 1980) is an American pop singer and actress who rose to fame in the late 1990s. She has achieved seven Billboard Top 40 hits, and has three gold and two multi-platinum RIAA-certified albums. Jessica Simpson starred with her then-husband Nick Lachey in the MTV reality show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica. She has also begun working as an actress, and is the older sister of Ashlee Simpson, a pop rock singer.

Career
1999-2001: Rise to fame
1999 saw the arrival of pop princesses Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, who each received multi-platinum certificates. Simpson's label hoped for the same with her. As 1999 came to a close, Simpson released her first single, "I Wanna Love You Forever," which peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Soon afterward her album Sweet Kisses was released. Simpson toured with boy band 98 Degrees to promote her new album. She was given a role in the music video for 98 Degrees' hit song "My Everything," playing Nick Lachey's love interest. At that time she and Lachey began dating. After dating for two years the couple cooled their relationship, stating that the "break" allowed them to concentrate on their music careers. Then on September 11, 2001, Lachey was supposed to be flying out of New York City with his group 98 Degrees. When Simpson heard of the attacks on the nation coming from the airport she immediately phoned Lachey to learn his whereabouts. After this scare the couple rekindled the relationship.

Meanwhile, Simpson's album Sweet Kisses had gone double platinum thanks to the success of her follow-up singles "Where You Are", 1999, and "I Think I'm In Love With You, 2001." The latter became Simpson's biggest radio hit at that point and was her first release of an uptempo single. But although her debut album sold 2 million copies, sales fell far short of those achieved by Spears and Aguilera, and unlike the two pop princesses, Simpson was not a worldwide household name. Columbia Records officials reportedly decided Simpson needed a change for her second album.

In 2001, Simpson recorded a follow-up album with what Columbia considered more radio-friendly, up-tempo tracks; the studio also encouraged her to lose weight in order to fit in with her competitors. The result in that was Irresistible, released in mid-2001 on the heels of the title-track first single. The new sound and image helped make "Irresistible" one of the biggest hits of her career; it peaked at #15 on the Hot 100. "Irresistible" debuted at #6 in June 2001 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart, and has sold 825,000 copies to date.

2002: Marriage to Nick Lachey and TV success
During the summer of 2003, the reality show, Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, starring Simpson and her new husband Nick Lachey began airing on MTV. Simpson's third album, In This Skin, was released in August of 2003 to coincide with the series premiere of Newlyweds.

The show quickly became a pop culture phenomenon and is credited with making her a household name, even among those who did not follow pop music or MTV. “I never knew that just doing the show would give me that pedestal to step on,” Simpson told Blender magazine in a March 2004 feature.

On May 30, 2004, Simpson was chosen to sing the National Anthem at the Indianapolis 500.

Later that summer, Simpson won three Teen Choice Awards: Female Fashion Icon, Choice Hottie Female, and Female Reality/Variety TV Star for Newlyweds.

Throughout the run of four seasons, Simpson epitomized the stereotypical dumb blonde, most notably when she asked Lachey whether the Chicken of the Sea tuna she was eating was in fact chicken or fish. She also indicated that she believed that buffalo wings were made from actual buffalo. She thought that platypus was pronounced as platymapus and then wondered whether the correct pronunciation was always platypus or platymapus as well. Her Hollywood brat behavior helped turn the show into a huge hit, with an average rating of roughly 1.4 million viewers, while reaching a series peak of approximately 4 million viewers.

The associated album, In This Skin, debuted at #10 on The Billboard 200 album chart, with sales of 64,000 in its first week. It rebounded after a special collectors' edition was released in April 2004 and subsequently reached a peak of #2. It was eventually certified quadruple platinum. It contained the hits "With You" and a cover of the Berlin song "Take My Breath Away", and a lesser hit, a cover of the Robbie Williams song "Angels", which charted just outside the Billboard Hot 100.

The couple starred in the television special The Nick and Jessica Variety Hour, which aired in 2004 and was compared to the Sonny and Cher show. Simpson released ReJoyce: The Christmas Album in late 2004, which peaked at #14 on the album chart and was later certified gold.

In 2005, Newlyweds won a People's Choice Award for Favorite Reality Show before wrapping shortly after.

Move to film
In the summer of 2005, at age 25, Simpson made her first appearance in a motion picture as Daisy Duke in the movie remake of The Dukes of Hazzard. The film was #1 at the box office its opening weekend, although it had little or no competition (the only other new film opening that weekend was a low-budget independent film), and grossed $30.7 million on 3,785 screens. It also had an adjusted-dollar rank of #14 all-time for August releases. The film eventually collected $110.5 million world-wide, although it was much less financially successful outside the U.S.

Simpson also appeared on the film's soundtrack, releasing "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'", a cover of the 1966 Nancy Sinatra hit. The song peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won a People's Choice Award for Favorite Song from a Movie in 2006. The song's video featured Simpson as Daisy Duke. It contains scenes of her flirting and singing in a bar and then later washing her car in a pink string bikini. In some countries the video was banned for its overtly sexual content.

Simpson's second film, Employee of the Month, was released October 6, 2006. Despite poor reviews, the film took in nearly $12 million in its opening weekend, debuting at #4 just behind "Open Season." The movie was made on a $12 million budget, and it finished with a little over $28 million in the United States.

Simpson's third film, Blonde Ambition, is set to be released in 2008. Filming for the movie "The Witness", a spy comedy, had been scheduled for the same time but has been postponed.

2006-2007: Music and movies
November 2005 brought confirmation of rumors that Simpson and Lachey were breaking up. On June 30, 2006, their divorce was finalized. Simpson hosted the Teen Choice Awards in August 2006, and appeared on The View in September 2006 as the first choice of new co-host Rosie O'Donnell.

Simpson then returned to the recording studio, switching labels from Columbia to Epic Records. Her fourth album, A Public Affair, was released on August 29, 2006 via Epic Records. The album debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200 with 101,000 copies sold in its first week. The first single, "A Public Affair", reached the Top 20 of the Hot 100 but quickly fell off the charts. The music video for "A Public Affair" featured Eva Longoria, Christina Applegate, Christina Milian, Maria Menounos, Andy Dick and Ryan Seacrest. A second single, "I Belong To Me," was also released through her website and is now included on the CD itself. The single's video appeared on TRL countdowns, but quickly fell off.

In December 2006, while performing a tribute to Dolly Parton at the Kennedy Center Awards, she botched the lyrics, getting flustered in front of a crowd that included prominent persons such as Steven Spielberg, Shania Twain, and President George W. Bush). Afterward, during the final tribute to Parton, Parton's "biggest fan" Reese Witherspoon and her second cousin Jessica Savelli gave a tearful Simpson a comforting hug. Though Simpson was given the chance to redo the song for cameras, ultimately her portion was edited out of the CBS broadcast.

Luke Wilson co-starred with Simpson in her third film, Blonde Ambition, due out in 2008.

Simpson recently said she is due back in front of the cameras filming her next movie role in "The Witness." She also said she will be publishing a book containing selections from her personal journal and photographs, titled "Look Up To the Sky." Simpson has also been confirmed to be in studio recording with Eddie Galan and Drew Lane.

Jessica's father Joe Simpson stated to People Magazine on September 11, 2007 that Jessica is considering doing a country album. Joe told People that Jessica is "talking about doing a country record and going back to her roots, being from Texas."

Vanessa Hudgens

2007-10-20T23:26:00.000+08:00

Vanessa Anne Hudgens, (also known simply as) Vanessa Hudgens, (born December 14, 1988 in Salinas, California) is an American actress and singer. She made her screen debut in 2003 and appeared in the Hollywood films Thirteen and Thunderbirds, before reaching fame in the 2006 hit Disney Channel film, High School Musical. Hudgens also began a music career and released her debut album, entitled V, in 2006. In 2007, Hudgens became the spokesperson for Neutrogena.

Early life
Vanessa Hudgens was born on December 14, 1988; her younger sister, Stella Hudgens, is also an actress. She has been home-schooled since after her seventh-grade year at the Orange County High School of the Arts. Her parents are Greg Hudgens and Gina Guangco. In regards to her ethnic background, Vanessa was quoted:

"Pretty much I'm Filipino and Caucasian, but within that, I'm Spanish, American Indian, Irish."

Starting at the age of eight, Hudgens performed in musical theater as a singer, and appeared in local productions of Carousel, The Wizard of Oz, The King and I, The Music Man, and Cinderella, among others. Hudgens successfully auditioned for a commercial and subsequently moved to Los Angeles with her family, with whom she is still close.

Career
Film and television: Hudgens began performing at an early age, appearing in musicals starting at age eight, by taking over a friend who couldn't go to the audition, and moved to Los Angeles after winning an audition for a commercial. She scored roles on shows such as Quintuplets, Cover Me, and Still Standing, then made her feature debut in Thirteen as Noel and appeared in the 2004 film Thunderbirds as Tintin. Her television appearances include guest roles on Quintuplets, Still Standing, The Brothers Garcia and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, as Corrie, a classmate of Maddie and London. Hudgens also appeared on Drake & Josh, playing Drake's girlfriend, Rebecca.

Hudgens' largest role among teenage audiences has been starring in the Disney Channel movie High School Musical, which premiered in January 2006; BBC News said that the film's success turned Hudgens into a "household name" in North America. Hudgens and Efron had won "Best Chemistry" award at the Teen Choice Awards for their roles.

As a result of the film's popularity, Hudgens was offered a contract by Old Navy to appear in multiple commercials for the company. Hudgens had previously appeared in a swimwear commercial for the company in 2005. She also appeared in a Blockbuster commercial for no late fees, as the teenage daughter. Also, Hudgens is set to be the new face of Neutrogena in 2007, appearing in both film and print ads. Hudgens is also an endorser of the Ecko line. Hudgens participated in the Disney Channel Games 2006, which was filmed in April 2006 and aired two months later.

Hudgens finished filming High School Musical 2 on April 13, 2007, in St. George and Salt Lake City, Utah. In both films, Hudgens stars as shy, intelligent Gabriella Montez. The film premiered on the Disney Channel on August 17, 2007.

The first High School Musical spawned a hit soundtrack, a worldwide concert tour, a show at Walt Disney World, and even a book series that helped Hudgens land in Forbes magazine's list of top-earning stars under 21." In the list, the 18-year-old Hudgens was No. 7 with estimated earnings of $2 million.

Music: Hudgens' debut album, entitled V, was released in early September 2006. She is signed with Hollywood Records, a Disney-owned record label. A music video for her first single, "Come Back To Me", debuted after the world premiere of The Cheetah Girls 2 in late August. The official music video for her second single, "Say OK", was first shown following the premiere of Disney's Jump In!

"Let Go" and "Let's Dance" have both been used in commercials for ABC, "Let Go" for a Desperate Housewives commercial, and "Let's Dance" for Dancing With The Stars. "Say OK" has also been used in commercials for ABC Family's Lincoln Heights.

Hudgens has stated that she is interested in recording a second album sometime soon. In an August 2007 issue of TV Guide magazine, with the cast of High School Musical on the cover, Hudgens expressed interest in writing songs about the negative side of Hollywood and how it can change people.

In August 2007 at the 2007 Teen Choice Awards, Hudgens was named the Choice Breakout Singer - Female, beating out other noteworthy nominees including American Idol contestant Katharine McPhee, Amy Winehouse, Corrine Bailey Rae and Lily Allen, who all have a decidedly older sound with their music.

Scarlett Johansson

2007-10-20T23:14:00.001+08:00

Scarlett Johansson (born November 22, 1984) is an American actress. She rose to fame with her role in 1998's The Horse Whisperer and subsequently gained critical acclaim for her roles in Ghost World, Lost in Translation and Girl with a Pearl Earring, the latter two earning her Golden Globe Award nominations in 2003.

Early life
Johansson was born in New York City. Her father, Karsten Johansson, is a Danish-born architect, and her paternal grandfather, Ejner Johansson, was a screenwriter and director. Her mother, Melanie Sloan, a producer, comes from a Jewish American family from the Bronx. Johansson's parents met in Denmark, where her mother lived with Johansson's maternal grandmother, Dorothy, a former bookkeeper and schoolteacher. Johansson has an older sister, Vanessa, who is also an actress; an older brother, Adrian; a twin brother, Hunter, also an actor; and a half-brother, Christian, from her father's re-marriage.

Johansson grew up in a household with "little money" with a mother who was a "film buff". Johansson began her theater training by attending and graduating from Professional Children's School in Manhattan in 2002.

Acting Career
Johansson began acting during childhood, after her mother began taking her to auditions. She made her film debut in 1994's North. After appearing in several films during the late 1990s, Johansson garnered praise and widespread attention for her performance in 1998's The Horse Whisperer and 2001's Ghost World.

She won the "Upstream Prize" for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for her performance in 2003's Lost in Translation. The same year, she was nominated for two Best Actress awards at the Golden Globes, one for drama (Girl with a Pearl Earring) and one for comedy (Lost in Translation). She was also nominated for Best Actress for both films at the BAFTAs, and won Best Actress for Lost in Translation.

Johansson was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in June 2004. In the same year, she starred in the films The Perfect Score, In Good Company and A Love Song for Bobby Long, the last of which earned her a third Golden Globe Award nomination. Johansson was involved for a short time with the film Mission: Impossible III, but was not officially cast because of scheduling conflicts, although a falling out with the film's star, Tom Cruise, had been both widely reported and publicly denied. She was replaced by Keri Russell.

In July 2005, Johansson starred with Ewan McGregor in Michael Bay's The Island, making her debut as a female lead in a mainstream action film. In the same year, she starred in the Woody Allen-directed drama Match Point, which opened in December. Johansson received her fourth Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress for the role, but lost to Rachel Weisz.

Johansson's next film, Scoop, another collaboration with Allen, was released on July 28, 2006. The same year, she appeared in Brian De Palma's The Black Dahlia, a film noir shot in Los Angeles and Bulgaria. Johansson has noted that she was a De Palma fan and had wanted to work with him on the film, even though she thought that she was "physically wrong" for the part. Her reviews were mixed: CNN.com noted that Johansson "takes to the pulpy period atmosphere as if it were oxygen," whereas the Kalamazoo Gazette referred to Johansson as "miscast".

On January 14, 2006, Johansson hosted Saturday Night Live. Also in 2006, Johansson starred in a short film directed by Bennett Miller and set to Bob Dylan's "When the Deal Goes Down...", released to promote Dylan's album, Modern Times. Johansson's thriller The Prestige, opened on October 20, 2006.

She made a return appearance on Saturday Night Live on April 21, 2007, during which she duetted with Andy Samberg for a version of "Something to Talk About".

Her newest film, The Nanny Diaries, in which she stars alongside Alicia Keys, opened on August 24, 2007. In post-production as of August 2007, Johansson stars opposite Natalie Portman and Eric Bana in The Other Boleyn Girl, playing Mary Boleyn. Also in August 2007, she is filming her third Woody Allen film, his "Untitled Spanish Project", in Barcelona.

Johansson has signed on for three new projects. She was cast to the femme fatale Silk N Floss opposite Gabriel Macht in Frank Miller’s noir comedy adaptation of Will Eisner's comic The Spirit. The movie is scheduled to go into production October 2007.[14] She will also portray Mary, Queen of Scots in a film scheduled to begin production in March 2008 and appear as a pilates instructor in He’s Just Not That Into You, with Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connelly, Kevin Connolly, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Justin Long. The film is directed by Ken Kwapis and produced by Barrymore.

Personal life
Johansson is a Democrat and campaigned for John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election. She was later quoted as saying, of George W. Bush's re-election, that "[she was] disappointed. I think it was a disappointment for a large percentage of the population." Johansson has also taken part in the anti-poverty campaign ONE which was organised by U2 lead singer Bono.

Johansson has previously stated that she has a connection to older men, and could not see herself dating anyone under the age of 30. She has also noted that she does not discuss her personal life with the press, specifying that she feels "it's nice to have everybody not know your business." However, this has not stopped Johansson from sharing "select" opinions and personal details. Johansson's ex-boyfriend (and member of the band Steel Train), Jack Antonoff, has included lyrics that refer to Johansson in his band's song "Better Love." Antonoff also references Johansson in the song "2 O'clock." She has been linked to many famous men, including Derek Jeter, Benicio del Toro, Jared Leto, Justin Timberlake and most notably her Black Dahlia co-star Josh Hartnett. The pair dated for around two years until the end of 2006, with Hartnett citing their busy professional lives as the reason for the split. She is currently dating Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds.

Johansson has repeatedly said that she does not believe in monogamy, and that it is not human nature to be with just one person. She has also said that "contrary to popular belief... [she is] not promiscuous" and she works "really hard" when she is in a relationship "to make it work in a monogamous way." She gets tested for HIV twice a year, and has specified that she feels "it's part of being a decent human" and that she finds it "disgusting" and "irresponsible" when people do not do so.

Johansson has claimed to be a fanatic for cheese, saying: "My greatest vice is cheese. Nothing else reigns over my life." She has criticized the media and Hollywood for promoting an image that causes unhealthy diets and eating disorders among women, saying that she thinks "that being ultra-thin is not sexy at all. Women shouldn't be forced to conform to unrealistic and unhealthy body images that the media promote."

When asked about her religious affiliation, Johansson has answered: "That's a very personal question. I would rather not answer." She has, however, specified that she celebrates a "little of both" referring to Christmas and Hanukkah. She has noted that she dislikes it when celebrities thank God or Jesus in their award acceptance speeches. She described herself as Jewish when she was talking about Woody Allen. "I just adore Woody," she says. "We have a lot in common. We're New Yorkers, Jewish. We have a very easygoing relationship".

Catherine Bell

2007-10-20T23:02:00.001+08:00

Catherine Lisa Bell (born August 14, 1968 in London, England) is a Scottish-Iranian British-American actress best known as being David James Elliott's co-star, as fiancee and best friend Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie of the hit television show JAG from 1995 to 2005. Recently she has starred in the Lifetime Television hit series Army Wives as Denise Sherwood.

Biography
Catherine Bell is the daughter of a Scottish father and Iranian mother. Her parents divorced, and then she and her mother moved to Los Angeles, California, when she was three years old. She became a naturalized citizen of the United States at the age of 12. She acted in various television advertisements as a child. She attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with an interest in becoming either a biomedical engineer or a physician but dropped out to become a full-time model. One of her first modeling jobs was an extended assignment in Japan. When she returned to California, she studied acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse with Milton Katselas. Her first television acting role was one line on the sitcom "Sugar and Spice" (1990).

Her first appearance in a film was as a body double for Isabella Rossellini in Death Becomes Her (1992). In 2003, Bell played a supporting role in the comedy Bruce Almighty, which starred Jim Carrey. She reprised that role in a cameo in the 2007 sequel, Evan Almighty.

From 1997 to 2005, Bell played U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Sarah MacKenzie on the television series JAG, as a practicing attorney in the U.S. Navy's Judge Advocate General's Corps of legal experts.

Earlier TV work included an appearance in a late night adult series called "Hot line" which aired in the U.K. From 1994 to 1996. Bell was featured in "The Brunch Club" episode.

Bell is fluent in Persian (Farsi) and English.

Bell married Adam Beason on 8 May, 1994. They have a daughter, Gemma, who was born on 16 April, 2003.

Bell is a survivor of thyroid cancer. She had to have her thyroid gland removed from her neck in her 20s. She has a small surgical scar on her neck. At one time, she used to have a message board on her website but this has been removed citing the inability to constantly monitor it. While the message board was running, Ms. Bell noted that she has had thyroid surgery and LASIK done in the past.

On September 14, 2006, Reuters/Hollywood Reporter announced that Catherine Bell had joined the cast of Lifetime's ensemble drama pilot "Army Wives". In the projected series, Sally Pressman stars as a sassy woman from the wrong side of the tracks who marries a soldier, moves her kids to a military base and becomes friends with a diverse group of Army wives, three of them played by Catherine Bell, Kim Delaney, and Brigid Brannagh. Bell will play the wife of a US Army major, a devoted homemaker who is enduring physical abuse at the hands of her teenage son. In December, Lifetime announced it would produce 13 episodes of the series for 2007. Bell's character is named Denise Sherwood.

Bell has also acted in the Sci-Fi Channel miniseries, The Triangle, presented in December 2005, where she played the role of an ocean engineer.

In 2006, she was nominated in Saturn Award of Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films for Best Supporting Actress on Television (The Triangle).

Bell was the grand marshal of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway on June 3, 2007.

Lauren Caitlin Upton

2007-10-20T22:43:00.001+08:00

Lauren Caitlin Upton (born March 27, 1989) is an American fashion model and beauty queen from Lexington, South Carolina.

Career
She is currently Miss South Carolina Teen USA. Upton was the 3rd runner up in the 2007 Miss Teen USA pageant. She gained international notoriety for her convoluted response to a question posed to her during the national pageant.

Upton won the Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2007 title in a state pageant held in November 2006, after winning the Miss Lexington Teen USA title earlier in the year. It was her second attempt at the title, as she placed third runner-up to Brittany Smith in the previous year's pageant.

Upton attended Lexington High School where she was an honor student. She has modeled in numerous advertisements for such companies as Nautica and Wrangler and has appeared in national magazines like Seventeen, Cosmo Girl and American Cheerleader.

Upton plans to attend Appalachian State University to study graphic design.

Recently Upton signed a deal with Donald Trump's modeling agency in New York City where her assignments could earn her anywhere up to $30,000 per day.

Famous Response
As part of a question and answer portion of the 2007 Miss Teen USA pageant, Upton was asked by the questioner Aimee Teegarden, "Recent polls have shown a fifth of Americans can't locate the U.S. on a world map. Why do you think this is?"

An "overwhelmed" Upton responded:

"I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some, uh, people out there in our nation don't have maps and, uh, I believe that our, uh, education like such as, uh, South Africa and, uh, the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and, I believe that they should, uh, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, or, uh, should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future, for our [children]."

According to YouTube, video clips of her response on the website have had over 17 million views. It is the site's most viewed video for the month of September of 2007 and the twenty-sixth most viewed of all time. Many YouTube users made their own parodies of the incident. As a guest on NBC's The Today Show, Caitlin told Ann Curry and Matt Lauer that she was "overwhelmed" when asked the question and didn't comprehend it correctly. The Today Show hosts gave Upton another opportunity to answer the question and she responded:

"Personally, my friends and I, we know exactly where the United States is on a map. I don't know anyone else who doesn't. If the statistics are correct, I believe there should be more emphasis on geography in our education so people will learn how to read maps better."

Both Curry and Lauer, along with unseen Today Show crew members, applauded her response.

Caitlin and her boyfriend also attended the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, where she performed a parody of her famous response.

Toby Keith

2007-10-20T22:28:00.000+08:00

Toby Keith Covel (born July 8, 1961) is an American country music singer-songwriter who has enjoyed commercial success throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Five of his albums have reached number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, and he has had sixteen Number One singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. In addition, Toby Keith starred in the 2006 film Broken Bridges.

Biography
Early life: Toby Keith Covel was born in Clinton, Oklahoma. His family moved to Moore, Oklahoma (a suburb of Oklahoma City) when Keith was young. His grandmother owned a supper club and Keith became interested in the musicians who came there to play. He got his first guitar at the age of eight. Keith attended Moore High School where he played on the football team.

Keith graduated from Moore High School and, in 1979, went to work as a derrick hand in the booming oil fields of Oklahoma. He worked his way up to become an operation manager. At the age of 20, he formed the Easy Money band and they played local bars as he continued to work in the oil industry. At times, he would have to leave in the middle of a gig if he was paged to work in the oil field.

In 1982, the oil industry in Oklahoma began a rapid decline and Keith soon found himself unemployed. He fell back on his football training and played defensive end with the semi-pro Oklahoma City Drillers while continuing to perform with his band. (The Drillers were an unofficial farm club of the United States Football League's Oklahoma Outlaws; Keith tried out for the Outlaws but did not make the team.) After two years with the Drillers, Keith decided to try music full time. His family and friends were doubtful he would succeed, but in 1984, Easy Money began playing the honky tonk circuit in Oklahoma and Texas. The band cut a single titled Blue Moon and the song received some airplay on local radio stations in Oklahoma.

Also in 1984, Keith married his wife, Tricia. He is the father of three children; Shelley (born 1981; adopted stepdaughter), Krystal (born 1984), and Stelen (born 1997). An avid University of Oklahoma football fan, Keith is often seen at Oklahoma Sooners games and practices.

Career
In 1993, Keith went to Nashville, Tennessee. Keith hung out and busked on Music Row and at a place called Houndogs. He distributed copies of a demo tape the band had made to the many record companies in the city. There was no interest by any of the record labels and Keith returned home feeling depressed. Keith had promised himself to have a recording contract by the time he was 30 years old or give up on music as a career. He had already passed that age without any prospects for a recording contract.

Fortunately for Keith, a flight attendant and fan of his gave a copy of Keith's demo tape to Harold Shedd, a Mercury Records executive, while he was traveling on a flight she was working. Shedd enjoyed what he heard, went to see Keith perform live and then signed him to a recording contract with Mercury. His debut single, "Should've Been a Cowboy" (1993), went to number 1 on the Billboard country singles chart, and his self-titled debut album was certified platinum. Other hit singles included "A Little Less Talk And A Lot More Action" and "Wish I Didn't Know Now".

Keith moved briefly to Polydor Records and released his next two albums, Boomtown (1994) and Blue Moon (1996). The albums went gold and platinum respectively. In 1996, Keith was also featured on the Beach Boys' now out-of-print 1996 album Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 performing a cover of their 1963 hit Be True to Your School with the Beach Boys themselves providing the harmonies and backing vocals.

Polydor folded and Keith moved back to Mercury Records (now called Mercury Nashville), and released his fourth album, Dream Walkin' (1997). The album featured a duet with Sting, "I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying", which had previously been a hit for Sting himself.

Keith began work on his next album How Do You Like Me Now (1999) at Mercury but purchased the rights to the album and moved to DreamWorks Nashville because of creative differences with Mercury.[citation needed] The first single off How Do You Like Me Now failed to make the Top 40 on the country charts. However, the follow-up single, which was the album's title track, went on to spend five weeks at number one, helping boost the album's sales to double platinum.

Keith also began doing a series of television advertisements for Telecom USA for their discount long distance telephone service 10-10-220. Because of the ads and his latest hit album, Keith became a superstar and household name. He also starred in Ford commercials, singing original songs such as "Ford Truck Man" and "Field Trip (Look Again)" while driving Ford trucks.

Keith made an appearance at the very first Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (then NWA-TNA) weekly pay-per-view on June 19, 2002, where his playing of Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue was interrupted by Jeff Jarrett. He would later enter the Gauntlet for the Gold main event specifically to eliminate Jarrett from the match. He would appear the next week, on June 26, and help Scott Hall defeat Jarrett in singles action.

Keith was the subject of the January, 2005 issue of Playboy Magazine's Playboy Interview. That year, Keith toured with rock guitarist Ted Nugent, whom Keith met in Iraq while they were both performing in USO-sponsored shows for the coalition troops.

On August 31, 2005, Keith parted ways with Universal Music Group- which had since bought DreamWorks- and launched his own record label called Show Dog Nashville. Its first release was Keith's album White Trash With Money, followed by the soundtrack to Broken Bridges. Big Dog Daddy, the album that birthed his single High Maintenance Woman, was released on June 12th, 2007. The album debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 charts, his third album to reach this feat, after "Unleashed" and "Shock'n Y'all"

In the Autumn of 2005, he filmed Broken Bridges, written by Cherie Bennett and Jeff Gottesfeld, and directed by Steven Goldmann. This feature film from Paramount/CMT Films was released on September 8, 2006. A contemporary story set in small-town Tennessee, Keith plays Bo Price, a country musician whose career has seen better times. The movie also stars Kelly Preston, Burt Reynolds, and Tess Harper.

In 2005, Keith opened Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill in Bricktown, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Keith is continuing his Hookin' Up & Hangin' Out Tour, sponsored by Ford trucks, in Albany, New York, with guests Flynnville Train, Lindsey Haun, and Miranda Lambert, which wraps up in Hartford, Connecticut

Keith is currently writing a script for a movie based on his and Willie Nelson's 2003 hit Beer for My Horses.

Denise Richards

2007-10-20T22:08:00.001+08:00

Denise Lee Richards (born February 17, 1971) is an American actress and former fashion model. She came to fame in the late 1990s, after a string of films that highlighted her sex appeal, including Starship Troopers, Wild Things and The World Is Not Enough.

Early life
Denise Richards was born in Downers Grove, Illinois to Joni, a coffee shop owner, and Irv Richards, a telephone engineer, and she has one sister, named Michelle. She graduated from El Camino High School in 1989, Oceanside, California, where she was a cheerleader.

Career
Before she was an actress, Richards was a fashion model. Richards spent the majority of the 1990s appearing in lower-budget films and TV shows like Saved by the Bell, television movies, and guest starring in episodes of several television shows. Her first starring role in a wide theatrical release was Starship Troopers in 1997, which was followed by her role in the moderately successful cult film Wild Things in 1998. Richards was subsequently cast as Dr. Christmas Jones in the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough (1999), which had a high box office gross and contributed to Richards' renown. In addition to her film work, Richards has made regular appearances in the situation comedies Spin City, Two and a Half Men, Friends and Seinfeld. She also starred in the short-lived UPN series Sex, Love & Secrets in 2005. Throughout the early 2000s, Richards appeared in several film roles which both parodied and utilized her image as a sex symbol, including Valentine, Undercover Brother, Scary Movie 3 and Love Actually. In December 2004, she posed for a nude pictorial in Playboy magazine. Richards also posed semi-nude for the July 2006 issue of Jane magazine to raise money for the Clothes Off Our Back Foundation. In 1999 she ranked 9 in Maxim's 50 Sexiest Women and in 2001 she was voted 2nd in FHM's USA 100 Sexiest Women, 5th in FHM 100 Sexiest Women and 19 in AskMen.com 50 Most Beautiful Women.

Personal Life
Richards once dated actor Patrick Muldoon. In 2002, she married actor Charlie Sheen, with whom she appeared in Scary Movie 3, in which she played his character's dying wife. The couple have two daughters: Sam J, who was born on March 9, 2004, and Lola Rose, who was born on June 1, 2005. Richards was named the Sexiest Mom of 2005 by In Touch Weekly magazine.

In March 2005, Richards first filed for divorce from Sheen. The couple briefly reconciled and were seeking marriage counseling to mend their relationship. However, on January 4, 2006, Richards' representative announced that she was continuing with the divorce, and she later sought a restraining order against Sheen, citing his alleged death threats against her. She has also been linked to actor John Stamos, whom she dated during her teenage years.

On April 19, 2006, Richards filed formal legal papers asking for divorce from Sheen under the laws of the state of California. In her 17-page court filing (not counting additional supporting evidentiary documents), Richards alleged that Sheen's behavior was increasingly erratic, making their marriage impossible, and that she feared for her safety and the safety of their two daughters: Sam J. and Lola Rose.

Richards claimed that Sheen was physically and verbally abusive and threatened to kill her or have her killed, and that despite having accidentally shot his previous fiancée, Kelly Preston, he wanted to place firearms under their coffee table to protect them. Richards claimed that Sheen had become paranoid and obsessive, citing his belief in 9/11 conspiracy theories, a belief that baby formula caused brain damage, a desire to purchase gas masks, and an "abnormal fascination" with Nicole Simpson's death.

Further, Richards alleged that Sheen visited prostitutes and was addicted to gambling, prescription drugs (which he bought over the Internet), and pornography. Richards also alleged that Sheen posted a picture of his erect penis on his online profile of a "sex-search type" website and that he frequently viewed pornography featuring "very young girls," and websites "involving gay pornography also involving very young men who also did not look like adults". Based on these allegations, Richards sought and received a restraining order against Sheen.

Sheen denied the allegations. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, he described Richards' actions as a "smear campaign" and insisted that he was a responsible father who would "give his life for his children." He added that Richards is "the only one entirely culpable for putting these radical allegations out for public consumption... my children included."

Mandy Moore

2007-10-20T21:58:00.000+08:00

Amanda "Mandy" Leigh Moore (born April 10, 1984) is an American pop singer, songwriter and actress. She grew up in Florida and came to fame as a teenager in the early 2000s, after the release of her teen-oriented pop albums So Real, I Wanna Be with You, and Mandy Moore. Moore has branched out into a film career, starring in 2002's A Walk to Remember and later appearing in the lead roles of other movies also aimed at teenage audiences. Two of her later films, American Dreamz and Saved!, were satires in which Moore portrayed darker characters than in her previous roles. Moore's private life, including her relationships with tennis player Andy Roddick and actors Wilmer Valderrama and Zach Braff, has been much discussed in the media. Moore's fifth album, Wild Hope, was released in 2007.

Mandy Moore was born in Nashua, New Hampshire, to Stacy (a former newspaper reporter) and Don Moore (a pilot for American Airlines). She has Irish and Cherokee heritage on her father's side, and Jewish and English heritage on her mother's side. Moore has two brothers, Scott and Kyle; she grew up in Altamonte Springs, Florida, outside of Orlando, moving there shortly after her birth because of her father's job. She was raised in the Catholic religion (although she is no longer a practicing Catholic) and attended Bishop Moore High School, a Catholic school in Orlando, as well as Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs.

Moore's interest in singing grew after seeing the musical Oklahoma!; she was also encouraged to perform by her maternal grandmother, who was her inspiration. Some of Moore's first public exposure occurred when she sang the national anthem at several Florida sporting events. She subsequently came to the attention of the head of A&R at Epic Records after his friend, a FedEx employee, overheard her as she sang at a recording studio. She was then signed to a record deal with the label.

Music Career
1999–2002: Early pop albums
Moore toured with the Backstreet Boys throughout 1999. Her first album, So Real, was released in December that year and reached number thirty-one on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart. At the time of the album's release, reviewers considered Moore the latest in a series of heavily-marketed female singers described as "pop princesses", akin to Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Jessica Simpson. Entertainment Weekly's review noted that Moore's songs, revolving around "not-yet-experienced love", were performed with "suffocating professionalism", and that the album's ballads were "nauseating". Moore reached mainstream radio later and at a younger age than Simpson, Aguilera and Spears had, and was initially not as successful as they were, although So Real was certified platinum in the U.S. in early 2000 and sold nearly one million copies. Moore's debut teen-oriented pop hit single "Candy", which Yahoo! Movies described as "strangely provocative", peaked just outside the top forty on the U.S Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold. The single was more successful in Europe especially in the UK where it reached number 6. All Music Guide noted the single was "mediocre" and "typical", containing lyrics that described love "in terms of sugar treats".

Moore released I Wanna Be with You, a re-worked version of her debut album, in May 2000. The album, which was mostly completed with synthesizers, bass, guitar, and drums, comprised new songs alongside tracks and remixes from So Real. Several reviewers criticized it on the basis that it was a remix album and not a true follow-up, with All Music Guide writing that its style was "trashier, flashier, gaudier, and altogether more disposable" than its predecessor. It peaked at number twenty-one on the Billboard 200, was certified gold in the U.S. and sold nearly 792,000 copies. The title track "I Wanna Be with You" was the album's only single and reached number twenty-four on the Hot 100, Moore's highest peak to date. It was also featured on the soundtrack of the film Center Stage (2000).

Moore released the self-titled album Mandy Moore — which included the songs "Saturate Me" (an R&B ballad), "You Remind Me" and "In My Pocket" — in June 2001. She promoted the album with her first headlining concert, "Mandy Moore Live@ShoutBack". The album contained uptempo tracks and influences from Eastern music, and was described as a "lush, layered production" by All Music Guide. It received mixed reviews from critics, although Entertainment Weekly noted that Moore tried out "new sounds" and "a breathy Natalie Imbruglia vibe [on the album] ... as teen pop goes, it could be a lot worse", while Rolling Stone magazine positively described Moore as "more protorocker than R&B wanna-be" and specified that she was taking the "high road" compared to her first two albums. The album debuted at number thirty-five on the Billboard 200, was later certified gold in the U.S. and sold 443,000 copies. Lead single "In My Pocket", which Entertainment Weekly said contained "pumping, Indian influenced Euro disco", did not appear on the Hot 100; Moore performed the song live several times, including on the 2001 Fox network television special Teenapalooza. The album's follow-up single, "Crush", also failed to appear on the U.S. chart, although MTV aired the music video frequently (it was Moore's first number-one video on TRL). The early 2002 release of the final single, "Cry", tied in with the film A Walk to Remember, Moore's debut as a lead actress.

In 2006, Moore commented on her early albums with ill feelings, noting that although she believed that her first album was appropriate for her age, she felt it "sucked" and that her first albums were "just awful". Moore also said that she "would give a refund to everyone who bought my first two albums" if she could; during a radio interview in April 2006, the show's co-host (who had seen her comments) asked her for a refund on the first album, a request that Moore fulfilled.

2003–present: Coverage, compilations, and new contract
In October 2003, Moore released her fourth album Coverage, which All Music Guide characterized as a "leap to musical maturity" and which Entertainment Weekly called an "effort to shed her bubblegum-blond image". It consisted of covers of 1970s and 1980s songs that influenced Moore as a child; Moore noted that she did not want to "top the original artist(s)", but rather offer her "own interpretation" of their music. Entertainment Weekly described the album's style as "overblown with strings, turntable scratching, and arena-rock pomp", while E! Online said that Moore's voice has grown "stronger" and that she "sounds at home" performing the re-mixes. Coverage peaked at number fourteen on the Billboard 200 (her highest ranking to date), but "Have a Little Faith in Me" and "Senses Working Overtime", its only two singles, did not perform well on the charts, although the former did reach the ARC Weekly Top 40. A video was produced for "Drop the Pilot", but it was never released. Moore's cover of "I Feel the Earth Move" appeared on Love Rocks, a compilation CD of songs from gay rights supporters.

Due to low sales for Coverage, Sony's Epic Records dropped Moore. The company released the hits compilation album The Best of Mandy Moore, which reached number 148 on the Billboard 200, in November 2004 as a final obligation to Moore's contract. Another compilation, Candy, followed in 2005. During this time period, the only music Moore had recorded was a song demo, "Hey!", written by James Renald, and a cover version of Lori McKenna's "Beautiful Man", which was posted to her MySpace.

In early 2006, Moore stated that she missed her music career and that singing is what she was the "most passionate about". Moore had signed to Sire Records after her contract with Epic Records ended, but left the company in May 2006. She signed with a new EMI Music-owned record company, The Firm, in July that year, describing her new contract as "especially exciting", and adding that she left Sire Records because she did not want to "follow the mainstream", but rather have "complete control and freedom" over her work. Moore's new album, Wild Hope, was released on June 19, 2007, and includes collaborations with artists Chantal Kreviazuk, Rachael Yamagata, Lori McKenna and The Weepies. Moore stayed alone in a house in Woodstock in Upstate New York while recording the album in late 2006. She performed new material from Wild Hope at the Sundance Film Festival; her first single, "Extraordinary", premiered on her MySpace profile on January 29, 2007. Moore performed the song at the Brick Awards on April 12, 2007 and launched a tour in the summer of 2007.

Moore filmed a music video for "Extraordinary" in early March 2007; she appears as 120 versions of herself in the video. The album was released in the USA in June 2007 to generally positive reviews. It fared moderately well on the charts, debuting at number thirty on the Billboard 200 (Moore's third highest charting album in the U.S.), and at number 84 in Canada.

In August 2007, Moore is touring with Paula Cole, and Rachael Yamagata, playing at mid-size venues in the United States and Canada.

Wild Hope is still receiving attention in the entertainment world, as it was placed at number 10 on Entertainment Weekly's "The Must List" and also named Reader's Choice for that August 10th issue, 2 months after the release of Wild Hope.

Alicia Silverstone

2007-10-20T21:45:00.000+08:00

Alicia Silverstone, (born October 4, 1976) is an American actress and former fashion model. She first came to widespread attention in music videos for Aerosmith and later starred in Hollywood films such as Clueless and Batman & Robin.

Biography
Early life: Alicia Silverstone was born in San Francisco, California to Monty Silverstone, a real-estate investor, and Didi Radford, a former flight attendant. Silverstone's father is English-born and her mother is Scottish. Her father, a native of East London, is Jewish and her mother converted to Judaism upon marrying Silverstone's father. She attended San Mateo High School but did not complete her high school studies. Silverstone is the youngest of three children and also has a half-sister, London rock singer Kezi Silverstone, and a half-brother, David Silverstone, both from her father's previous marriage. Silverstone visited England during the summer during her childhood. When she was six, she began modeling and was subsequently cast in television commercials, the first being for Domino's Pizza. She acquired some early modeling and advertising work and was eventually cast as the 'dream girl' on American TV series The Wonder Years.

Career
1990s: Silverstone won a leading part in the 1993 film The Crush, playing a girl who sets out to ruin an older man after her teenage crush is spurned; she won two awards at the 1994 MTV Movie Awards for the role for Best Breakthrough Performance and Best Villain. Silverstone became legally emancipated at the age of fifteen in order to work the hours required for the shooting schedule of the film. After seeing her in The Crush, Marty Callner decided she'd be perfect for a role in a music video he was directing for the band Aerosmith, called "Cryin", and then the following two videos "Amazing" and "Crazy". These were hugely successful both for the band and Silverstone, making her a household name (and also gaining her the nickname, "the Aerosmith chick"). They also got her noticed by film maker Amy Heckerling, who after seeing them decided to cast her in Clueless.

Clueless became a sleeper hit and critical darling during the summer of 1995. Silverstone's performance was well received, and she was branded the spokeswoman for an emerging young generation. As a result, she signed a deal with Columbia-TriStar worth $10 million. As part of the package, she got a three-year first-look deal for her own production company, First Kiss Productions. Silverstone also won "Best Female Performance" and "Most Desirable Female" by the MTV Movie Awards in 1996 for her performance in the film.

Silverstone's next role was as Batgirl in Batman & Robin, which was neither a critical nor a financial success. Silverstone won a Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress. She suffered further bad press for allegedly striking a pedestrian with her vehicle in a crosswalk. She also starred in 1997's dark comedy Excess Baggage, which was the first movie to be released by First Kiss Productions. In the film, Silverstone played a chain smoking, underage drinking, rich brat who fakes her own kidnapping in order to get her father's attention. The film was not as critically or commercially embraced as Clueless. After just one film, Columbia-TriStar let their production deal with Silverstone expire.

2000s: Silverstone appeared in Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation of the Shakespeare play Love's Labour's Lost in 2000, in which she was required to sing and dance.

In 2001, Silverstone provided the voice of Sharon Spitz, the lead character in the Canadian animated television Braceface.

After removing herself from the public eye for a few years, she resurfaced in the 2003 NBC television show Miss Match, which was then cancelled after thirteen episodes. Silverstone's long hiatus was referred to in the pilot episode of the television series Get Real, as an exasperated Kenny remarked, "Why can't I fall off the face of the earth, like Alicia Silverstone?"

Silverstone later acknowledged that she hates the trappings of fame, insisting that being a celebrity is a horrific ordeal that she wouldn't want her worst enemy to suffer. According to Silverstone, "Fame is not anything I wish on anyone. You start acting because you love it. Then success arrives, and suddenly you're on show."

After the cancellation of Miss Match in 2003, she did a pilot with FOX called Queen B, in which she would have played a former high school prom queen named Beatrice (Bea), who has found out that the real world is nothing like high school.

In 2005, she co-starred with Queen Latifah in Beauty Shop, a spin-off of the BarberShop films. She played one of the stylists in the beauty shop.

For the pilot season of 2006-2007, she surfaced on a pilot being developed by ABC called Pink Collar, in which she would have worked in a law firm.

Silverstone's most recent movie, Stormbreaker, was released in the UK on July 21, 2006, and in North America on October 13, 2006. Silverstone filmed the role of Jack Starbright (Alex Rider's housekeeper and guardian) in the summer of 2005, several days after her wedding. She took the role because the opportunity to work with co-stars Ewan McGregor and Sophie Okonedo, both of whom she has said she admires.

In November 2006, she starred in the television movie Candles on Bay Street for Hallmark Hall of Fame, based on the book by Cathie Pelletier under the pseudonym of K.C. Mikinnon.

Personal life
Silverstone married longtime boyfriend, rock musician Christopher Jarecki, in a beachfront ceremony at Lake Tahoe on June 11, 2005. The couple had dated for eight years prior to being married, after meeting outside a movie theater in 1997. They got engaged about a year before their marriage and Silverstone's engagement ring belonged to Jarecki's grandmother. They live in an eco-friendly Los Angeles house complete with solar panels and an organic vegetable garden. She bought the house, shared with a "menagerie of rescued dogs," in 1996.

Frank Sinatra

2007-10-20T21:27:00.000+08:00

Francis Albert Sinatra (December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an Italian American jazz-oriented popular singer and Academy Award-winning actor.

Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became a solo artist with great success in the early to mid-1940s, being the idol of the "bobby soxers". His professional career had stalled by the 1950s, but it was reborn in 1954 after he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He signed with Capitol Records and released several critically lauded albums (such as In the Wee Small Hours, Songs For Swingin' Lovers, Come Fly With Me, Only the Lonely and Nice 'n' Easy). Sinatra left Capitol to found his own record label, Reprise Records (finding success with albums such as Ring-A-Ding-Ding, Sinatra at the Sands and Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim), toured internationally, and fraternized with the Rat Pack and President John F. Kennedy in the early 1960s. Sinatra turned fifty in 1965, recorded the retrospective September of My Years, and scored hits with "Strangers in the Night" and "My Way". Sinatra attempted to weather the changing tastes in popular music, but with dwindling album sales and after appearing in several poorly received films, he retired in 1971. Coming out of retirement in 1973, he recorded several albums, scoring a hit with "(Theme From) New York, New York", and toured both within the United States and internationally until a few years before his death in 1998.

Frank Sinatra had three children; Nancy, Frank Jr. and Tina by his first wife Nancy Barbato. He was married three more times, to the actresses Ava Gardner and Mia Farrow and finally to Barbara Marx, to whom he was married at his death.

Jack Johnson

2007-10-20T21:19:00.000+08:00

Jack Hody Johnson (born May 18, 1975) is a Hawaii-born musician, filmmaker,surfer, and player who has achieved commercial success and a dedicated following from the release of his debut album, Brushfire Fairytales in 2001 all the way up to his latest album; Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George which was released in 2006. His music genre is best described as acoustic/soft rock/adult alternative and he is well noted for his soothing style of singing.

Introduction to Music
As a young man, Jack Johnson learned to play the guitar. Jack Johnson learned how to surf and skate from his father's best friend Alex Conell. Alex also taught Jack to play the guitar at age 14. Jack was a professional surfer until an accident at Pipeline in which his front teeth were knocked out and he received more than 150 stitches to his mouth and forehead. While he was recovering in bed, he spent his time writing songs and playing guitar. But Jack didn't seriously pursue a career in the arts until his college years, after a crazy frat party, at the University of California, Santa Barbara. While in school, he met his wife Kim, a Carlsbad, CA, native who double-majored in Math and Fine Art. They welcomed a son, Moe, in 2004. Jack Johnson also played rhythm guitar for the party band "Soil," and graduated with a degree in film. In his time off after graduating, he traveled.

Music
While striking friendships with Garrett Dutton of the blues/hip-hop group G. Love & Special Sauce, Johnson recorded the song "Rodeo Clowns." It was first released on G. Love & Special Sauce's album Philadelphonic and then reprised on Johnson's second album, On and On (2003).

Folk/reggae musician Ben Harper also took Johnson under his wing after hearing his music. Johnson's first album, Brushfire Fairytales, was produced by Harper's producer and fellow surfer, JP Plunier, and was released in 2001. For the album, Johnson formed a regular backing band, consisting of Adam Topol on drums/percussions and Merlo Podlewski on bass. Fairytales helped launch Johnson's music career and he gained much publicity from his subsequent tour with Harper.

After touring for almost two years, Johnson recorded On and On to generally favorable reviews in late 2003. It was produced by Mario Caldato, Jr., best known for his work with the Beastie Boys. Many of the album's songs had previously been released on bootlegs, such as J.O.A.T. and B.O.A.T., but now received the accompaniment of a full band.

His third studio album, In Between Dreams, also produced by Caldato, was released on March 1, 2005. For the album, Johnson started his own label called Brushfire Records. A studio, The Mango Tree, was built in Hawaii by Johnson's brother to facilitate the new record label. More than a year later, the album was still on the charts, where it was positioned at #3 (March 21, 2006).

Also released in 2006 was Johnson's Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George, a soundtrack album for the animated feature-length adaptation of the H.A. and Margret Rey children's books. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, making it the first animated film soundtrack to do so in over ten years. The album, credited to "Jack Johnson and Friends," includes the playing of Johnson regulars Topol and Podlewski, as well as guest appearances by G. Love, Harper, Costa, and Kawika Kahiapo. It was produced by Johnson and Robert Carranza,

Johnson was featured on the Sublime tribute album Look at All the Love We Found, and was on Handsome Boy Modeling School's White People, released in 2004. In 2005, he appeared on the Black Eyed Peas album Monkey Business on the track "Gone Going," which was in effect a remix of Johnson's own song "Gone" from On and On.

In February 2006, he won a BRIT Award for Best International Newcomer, beating out The Pussycat Dolls, John Legend, Arcade Fire and Daniel Powter. In May 2006, In Between Dreams surpassed one and a half million sales in the UK.

In late 2006, the DVD version of A Brokedown Melody, the 2004 surfing documentary directed by Chris Malloy, was released. As with Thicker than Water, Johnson directed the film (which starred renowned surfer Kelly Slater) and helped create the soundtrack album, which was released a month before the DVD.

Recently, he has covered John Lennon's "Imagine" for the CD Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur. He was also on Live Earth at the Australian leg in Sydney on July 7, 2007.

Jack is currently in the studio working on his fifth full length album, entitled Sleeping Through the Static, which will be produced by JP Plunier, who produced his 2001 album Brushfire Fairytales. It is expected to be released February 5, 2008.

Keith Urban

2007-10-20T21:15:00.001+08:00

Keith Lionel Urban (born 26 October 1967, New Zealand), is a New Zealand country music singer. Two of his albums, Be Here (2004) and Love, Pain & the whole crazy thing (2006) have reached the Top 10 on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart. Keith Urban has scored seven number one songs in the United States to date and a total of fifteen top ten hits, including "Somebody Like You," "You'll Think of Me," "Days Go By," "Making Memories of Us," and "Better Life."

Biography
Keith was born in Whangarei, New Zealand, though later moved with his parents to Caboolture, Queensland, Australia. By age seven, Urban was already thinking about getting into the music business and making his mark in Nashville. He began learning the techniques at age six and began winning young singing contests by age eight. By twelve he was booking his band in local clubs, and at 15 he quit school to hit the road. In 1990, Urban signed with EMI in Australia and recorded his first solo album, which charted four No. 1 country hits in Australia. In 1992, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he found work as a guitarist for Brooks & Dunn and can be seen backing Alan Jackson in his music video for "Mercury Blues". Later, Urban formed The Ranch, a three-piece group that released one album in 1997 to critical acclaim. Originally the front man for The Ranch, Urban disbanded the group to pursue a solo career in 1998.

In Nashville, Keith became a frequent user of cocaine. After reaching a personal nadir in 1998, he became determined to give up the habit and checked into Cumberland Heights, a treatment center in Nashville. After cleaning up, Urban released his self-titled American debut in 1999, which produced three top 5 hits and secured for him the Top New Male Vocalist Award at the 2001 Academy of Country Music Awards and the 2001 Country Music Association's Horizon Award. Widely regarded for his guitar skills, he has performed as a session musician on albums such as Charlie Daniels, Emerson Drive, Garth Brooks' Double Live, Dixie Chicks' Fly, and Paul Brandt's This Time Around.

Urban released Golden Road in 2002, and the success of the single "Somebody Like You" sent his career into high gear. The single spent eight consecutive weeks at the top of the charts, remaining at No. 1 longer than any other country artist in 2002. Touring as a supporting act for renowned country acts Brooks & Dunn and Kenny Chesney honed Urban's skills and stage-craft. Country video channel CMT signed on as the title sponsor of Urban's first headlining arena tour titled Keith Urban Be Here '04 with opening act Katrina Elam. Urban continued his meteoric rise to fame in 2005 with a very successful tour with Elam called Alive in '05. He performed in the Live 8 Philadelphia concert on July 2, 2005 and had been chosen by The Gap to appear alongside seven other musical stars in their "Favorites" campaign. He was named the 2005 CMA's Entertainer of the Year. He released a DVD in late September 2005 entitled Livin' Right Now, recorded in at the Wiltern Theater in California in December 2004.

In 2005 Urban played in front of European audiences for the first time. In May Urban supported Bryan Adams on his UK and Ireland tour, which included dates in Earls Court, London, SECC, Glasgow and The Point, Dublin. On June 6 a UK only album, Days Go By was released, this album contained songs from both Be Here and Golden Road .

In October Urban returned for a headlining tour with Nerina Pallot and Richard Winsland as support acts.

Urban has recently performed "Better Life" on the CMA Awards and "You'll Think of Me" on the American Music Awards. He also performed at the Grammys playing "You'll Think of Me" and "The Lucky One" with Faith Hill. At the 2006 ACM Awards Urban performed "Tonight I Wanna Cry" and played guitar for Brooks & Dunn's song "Believe."

On Monday August 21, 2006, Urban made history when his new single "Once in a Lifetime" debuted at #17, setting a new record for the highest-debuting country single in the 62-year history of Billboard's country charts. The record was formerly held by Garth Brooks' "Good Ride Cowboy" and Eddie Rabbitt's "Every Which Way But Loose", both of which debuted at #18. "Good Ride Cowboy" was the highest in the BDS era (1990-present).

Urban is also a winner of numerous "Golden Guitars", which are presented annually during the Tamworth Country Music Festival at "The Country Music Association of Australia's Annual Awards" in Tamworth, Australia. He is also a former winner of the Toyota Starmaker Contest, which is held each year in conjunction with the CMAA Awards and the Tamworth Country Music Festival.

Keith was named artist of the month for July 2007 on the television network GAC (Great American Country). He answered a question of the day every day that month, and did multiple interviews about love, life, his new album and his stay in rehab.

On July 7, 2007 (Keith performed with Alicia Keys at one of Al Gore's Live Earth concerts held around the world. The concerts were held to raise awareness of global warming. Keith performed at the concert held in New York City and said in an interview that global warming is not a political issue, and what he is doing to help the environment is running all bio-diesel buses in his Love, Pain and The Whole Crazy World Tour.

Eric Clapton

2007-10-20T20:58:00.000+08:00

Eric Patrick Clapton CBE (born 30 March 1945), nicknamed "Slowhand", is a Grammy Award winning English guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer. He is one of the most successful musicians of the 20th and 21st century, garnering an unprecedented three inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (The Yardbirds, Cream, and solo). Often viewed by critics and fans alike as one of the greatest guitarists of all time, Eric Clapton was ranked 4th in Rolling Stone’s list of The Greatest Guitarists of All Time and #53 on their list of the The Immortals: 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Although Clapton's musical style has varied throughout his career, it has always remained rooted in the blues. Clapton is credited as an innovator in several phases of his career, which have included blues-rock (with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers and The Yardbirds) and psychedelic rock (with Cream). Clapton has also achieved great chart success in genres ranging from Delta blues (Me and Mr. Johnson) to pop ("Change the World") and reggae (cover of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff"). Clapton also achieved fame with Derek and the Dominos with the song "Layla".

Influences
Clapton has performed songs by myriad artists, most notably Robert Johnson and J. J. Cale. Other artists Clapton has covered include Bob Marley and Bob Dylan. He cites Freddie King, B.B. King, Albert King, Buddy Guy, Hubert Sumlin and primarily Robert Johnson as major influences on his guitar playing, stating in the liner notes of his Robert Johnson tribute album Me and Mr. Johnson "It is a remarkable thing to have been driven and influenced all of my life by the work of one man... I accept that it has always been the keystone of my musical foundation... I am talking of course about Robert Johnson."

"Robert Johnson to me is the most important blues musician who ever lived. He was true, absolutely, to his own vision, and as deep as I have gotten into the music over the last 30 years, I have never found anything more deeply soulful than Robert Johnson. His music remains the most powerful cry than I think you can find in the human voice, really... it seemed to echo something I had always felt." from Discovering Robert Johnson by Eric Clapton.

In 1974, Clapton persuaded Freddie King to sign for RSO, Clapton's own record label at the time. He has recorded more than six of J.J. Cale's originals and has put out an album with the artist. Other artists Clapton has made collaborations with include Frank Zappa, B.B King, George Harrison (whom he worked on the song Badge with), Santana, Ringo Starr, Roger Waters, Bob Marley and The Plastic Ono Band.

Clapton also collaborated with singer/songwriter John Mayer on his 2006 album release, Continuum. Mayer cites Clapton in his liner notes "Eric Clapton knows I steal from him and is still cool with it." Clapton and Mayer wrote several songs together which have yet to be released. Clapton's influence inspired Mayer to write "I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)" which loosely holds characteristics of Clapton's style.

Other Media Appearances
Clapton frequently appears as a guest on the albums of other musicians. For example, he is credited on Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms album, as he lent Mark Knopfler one of his guitars for the album. He also played lead guitar on The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking, Roger Waters' debut solo album after leaving Pink Floyd. Another media appearance is on Toots and the Maytals album True Love where he played guitar on the track Pressure Drop. He can also be heard at the beginning of Frank Zappa's album, "Absolutely Free," repeating the phrase, "Are you hung up?" over and over again.

In March 2007, Clapton appeared in an advertisement for RealNetwork's Rhapsody (online music service).

In 1985, Clapton appeared on the charity concert Live Aid with Phil Collins (drums) and Donald 'Duck' Dunn (bass).

In an article in the spoof newspaper The Onion, Clapton is mentioned in passing, in which "Weird Al" Yankovic plans to parody "Tears in Heaven" to honor his late parents.

Clapton was featured in the rock opera film, Tommy as the Preacher.

He also appeared in Blues Brothers 2000 as one of the Louisiana Gator Boys. In addition to being in the band, he had a small speaking role.

Clapton has also appeared in an advertisement for the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen.

Eric Clapton was present at the PRIDE FC openweight tournament 2000 and during the hour and thirty match between Kazushi Sakuraba and Royce Gracie is pointed out by fellow musician and PRIDE announcer Stephen Quadros.

Clapton's music in film and TV

Back to the Future (1985) - Heaven Is One Step Away
The soundtrack of The Color of Money (1986 film) contains "It's In The Way That You Use It". This song was written by Clapton along with Robbie Robertson. It appeared on the movie's soundtrack before Clapton's album was released.
The soundtrack of Lethal Weapon 2 (1988) features Clapton's version of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door".
Lethal Weapon 4 (1998) - "Pilgrim" and "Why Can't We Be Friends?"
The soundtrack of Goodfellas (1990 film) contains two of his songs: "Layla" (by Derek and the Dominos) and "Sunshine of Your Love" (by Cream). Curiously, the portion of "Layla" used is not his guitar riff, but Jim Gordon's piano coda. Cream would also play on the soundtrack of another Martin Scorsese/Robert De Niro/Joe Pesci Mob film, Casino (1995).
Clapton wrote the score to the film Rush (1991). That film featured Gregg Allman, whose brother, Duane, was a guest musician who helped Clapton record Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.
Clapton contributed to the score of Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) and co-wrote and co-performed the song "It's Probably Me" with Sting and "Runaway Train" with Elton John.
The soundtrack of Phenomenon (1996 film) contains "Change the World"
Lord of War - "Cocaine"
Starsky & Hutch - "Cocaine"
Blow - "Strange Brew"
True Lies - "Sunshine of Your Love"
School Of Rock - Several songs written and/or performed by Clapton are featured in this movie, among them "Sunshine Of Your Love" and "Cocaine".
The Story of Us (1999) - In many parts of this movie, the song "(I) Get Lost is played".
Friends (2000) - The One with the Proposal, Part 2, "Wonderful Tonight"
Friends (2002) - The One Where Rachel Has a Baby, Part Two, "River of Tears"
Bad News Bears - (2005) - "Cocaine"

Bow Wow

2007-10-20T20:45:00.000+08:00

Shad Gregory Moss (born March 9, 1987), better known by his stage name Bow Wow (formerly Lil' Bow Wow), is an American rapper, actor, and music producer.

Biography
Bow Wow was born in Columbus, Ohio to Teresa and Junie Moss. Junie left the family and his mother worked three jobs to care for him. Teresa later married Rodney Caldwell, and Bow Wow has two step-siblings, Erica and Jasarah. Bow Wow was raised, and attended school, in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, a small city in the Columbus metropolitan area, until his rap career took off.

At age five, he started his career in rap using the moniker "Kid Gangsta". One year later, in 1993, he performed at a Chronic tour in Columbus, and was noted by rapper Snoop Dogg and rapper Dr. Dre, who subsequently gave him a stage name, "Lil' Bow Wow". Dr. Dre later hired him as an opening act. "Lil' Bow Wow" then appeared on a skit on Snoop's debut Doggystyle.

In 1998 at the age of eleven, Bow Wow was introduced to record producer Jermaine Dupri, who helped shape his career. Bow Wow and Omarion made a guest appearance on WWE RAW.

Film Career
Bow Wow has had guest appearances on Brandy's TV sitcom, Moesha as well as The Steve Harvey Show. He made his major acting debut in the film Like Mike which was released on July 3, 2002, where he starred as a young orphan who gets a shot at the NBA. Before Like Mike he made a cameo in All About The Benjamins as Kelly and in "Carmen: A Hip Hopera." He co-starred with Cedric the Entertainer, Vanessa Williams, and Solange Knowles in Johnson Family Vacation. Since the success of Like Mike, Bow Wow has starred in several Hollywood films, including Roll Bounce and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, released on June 16, 2006. Bow Wow was a guest star on the television show Smallville in November 2006 in the episode entitled "Fallout," with long time friend Lil Nj.

Philanthropy
Bow Wow along with other recording artists such as P!nk , Avril Lavigne, Eve, Kelly Rowland, ex-Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro join actresses Brittany Murphy, Charlize Theron, Rosario Dawson and Eva Mendes in ads for "empowerment tag" for the ALDO Fights AIDS campaign. The tags, worn as necklaces or bracelets, go on sale at ALDO stores March 1st and benefit the YouthAIDS initiative.

Endorsements and Projects
Bow Wow has appeared in commercials for (BET) Wrap it up, Twix, Chewits Campbells, and Verbs.

He currently owns his own record label called LBW Entertainment, which is said in records produced after his Wanted album as, "LB DUB GANG". Such records include "Price of Fame", and "Get It In" on his recent 2006 album. Rappers Miss Nana from Newark, NJ and Khleo Thomas are currently signed to this label.

Kelly Brook

2007-10-20T20:41:00.000+08:00

Kelly Brook (born Kelly Ann Parsons on November 23, 1979) is a British model, actress, and occasional swimwear designer and television presenter.

Biography
After leaving school in Rochester, Brook studied at the Italia Conti stage school in London for three years before becoming a professional model.

Model
Brook's modeling career began at 16 after winning a beauty competition, her early work was in a range of advertising campaigns, including for the new "Bravissimo" company that specializes in bras and lingerie for full-figured women, and for Foster's beer. Brook is 5 feet, 9 inches (173 cm) tall, and her voluptuous figure caught the eye of the editorial team of the Daily Star who began featuring her as a Page Three girl.

Brook's picture soon began appearing in other lad mags such as FHM (repeatedly landing in its list of the "100 Sexiest Women of the Year") and Loaded. She topped the 'FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005' list, which was said to have polled 15 million people. In a poll over 5000 women in April 2005 for Grazia magazine she was considered to have the best British female body. She ranked 5th at 'FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006' list.

Brook has also done a large amount of commercial swimwear, sportswear, and hosiery modeling, and a limited amount of nude & semi-nude modeling. Recent modeling work for Triumph Bras caused quite a stir because of specially commissioned 50-foot high billboards of Brook's bust.

In 2005, Brook shot a ten page, mostly nude black and white portfolio with photographer David Bailey. The shoot featured in British design magazine October 2005 issue of Arena magazine.

In 2006, she released successful ranges of swimwear and lingerie at New Look stores nationwide.

In February 2007, it was announced that Kelly had signed a contract, reported to be worth £1m, to be the new face and body of Unilever's Lynx body spray, known as Axe in the US and on continental Europe. Kelly has been on billboards, in newspapers and online as part of the advertising campaign.

In Autumn 2007, Brook will launch her first Book Life Style and her own signature fragrance Kelly Brook. The bottle shape will replicate her famous curves.

Presenter
In 1997, still barely 18, Brook started getting work presenting youth television programmes on MTV, Granada and Trouble TV.

Brook had a breakthrough into mainstream presenting in January 1999 when she was chosen to replace Denise van Outen as the female half of The Big Breakfast presenting team, alongside Johnny Vaughan. Brook's tenure was not a success. She failed to recreate the on-screen chemistry that van Outen had achieved with Vaughan, and also appeared to have trouble with some of the technical aspects of live presentation: scriptwriters were requested to keep difficult words to a minimum when writing for her. She left the show in July, 1999.

Brook picked up roles presenting for MTV again. In 2005 she presented the reality television programme Celebrity Love Island for ITV.

Actress
she has appeared in minor roles in a string of movies including Sorted and Ripper. She played the girlfriend of Clark Kent/Superman's best friend Lex Luthor in four episodes of Warner Brothers' Smallville during the show's first season (2001 - 2002). She has also completed assignments as a movie actress in Canada and made a short appearance as Lyle's girlfriend in the 2003 movie The Italian Job. In 2004 she played character Nikki Morris in the video game Need for Speed Underground 2, alongside Brooke Burke. Brook's first starring role was in School for Seduction, a 2004 film.

In 2005 she appeared in the Philippe Vidal film House of 9, a thriller about nine seemingly unconnected strangers captured and locked in a house together. The people are forced to compete against one another, in order to survive.

She recently starred in a Marple drama on ITV. She caused a minor controversy over her most recent film Survival Island (previously known as Three), in which she co-starred with fiancé Billy Zane, when Brook and Zane requested her nude scenes be excised from the final cut, which the producers refused to do.

In 2007, Brook will be seen as a guest star in an episode of the British television drama Hotel Babylon, the independent films In the Mood and Fishtales and Carry on London, the latest in the Carry on series.

In 2008 she will appear opposite Kris Marshall and Jemima Rooper in the British Horror Film Hotel Caledonia and provide the voice of "Tiffany", a French Fashion obsessed Hamster in the animated series Hungry Hamsters which will also feature Jack Davenport and Harry Hill.

Strictly Come Dancing
On 13 September 2007 it was announced that Brook is participating in the 2007 celebrity dancing competition Strictly Come Dancing on BBC1 with professional ballroom dance partner Brendan Cole.

Jessica Alba

2007-07-12T01:41:00.000+08:00

Jessica Marie Alba (born April 28, 1981) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in Dark Angel, Sin City, Fantastic Four, Into the Blue and Idle Hands.

Biography
Alba was born in Pomona, California, to Mark Alba, who is Mexican American (though both of Jessica Alba's paternal grandparents were born in California), and Catherine Jensen, who has French and Danish ancestry; the two married while in their teenage years. Her maternal grandfather was a Marine NCO for thirty years, serving in the Pacific during WWII, and later as Asst. Drum Major for the United States Marine Band. Alba was raised in an Air Force family, along with her brother, Joshua, an actor who appeared with her in the season one finale of Dark Angel, and her grandparents until she was 17 years old. Her father's Air Force career took the family to Biloxi, Mississippi and Del Rio, Texas, before they settled back in California.

She has acknowledged suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder during childhood.

Career
Her first appearance on film was a small role in the 1994 feature Camp Nowhere as Gail. She was originally hired for two weeks but her role turned into a two-month job when the actress in one of the prominent roles dropped out.

Jessica Alba appeared in two national TV commercials for Nintendo and J.C. Penney as a child; she was later featured in several independent films. She branched out into TV in 1994 with a recurring role as Jessica in three episodes of the Nickelodeon comedy series The Secret World of Alex Mack. She then performed the role of Maya in the first two seasons of the TV series Flipper. Under the tutelage of her lifeguard mother, Alba learned to swim before she could walk, and she was a PADI-certified scuba diver, skills which were put to use on the show, which was filmed in Australia.

In 1998, she appeared as Melissa Hauer in a first-season episode of the Steven Bochco crime-drama Brooklyn South, as Leanne in two episodes of Beverly Hills 90210 and as Layla in an episode of The Love Boat: The Next Wave. In 1999, she appeared in the Randy Quaid comedy feature P.U.N.K.S.. After graduating from high school, Alba studied acting with William H. Macy and his wife, Felicity Huffman, at the Atlantic Theater Company, which was developed by Macy and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and film director, David Mamet.

Alba rose to greater prominence in Hollywood in 1999 after appearing as a member of a snobby high school clique in the Drew Barrymore romantic comedy Never Been Kissed, and as the female lead in the 1999 comedy-horror film Idle Hands, opposite Devon Sawa. Her big break came when writer/director James Cameron picked Alba from a pool of 1,200 candidates for the role of the genetically-engineered super-soldier, Max Guevara, on the FOX sci-fi TV series Dark Angel. Co-created by Cameron, the series starred Alba, and ran for two seasons before being canceled in 2002. Since then her most notable roles have been as an aspiring dancer-choreographer in Honey, exotic dancer Nancy Callahan in Sin City and as the classic Marvel Comics character Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman in the Fantastic Four. Jessica went on to host the 2006 MTV Movie Awards and performed sketches spoofing the movies King Kong, Mission Impossible 3, and The Da Vinci Code.

On the cover of the March 2006 issue, Playboy magazine named Alba among its 25 Sexiest Celebrities, and the Sex Star of the Year. Alba was involved in litigation against Playboy for its use of her image (from a promotional shot for Into the Blue) without her consent, which she contends gave the appearance that she was featured in the issue in a "nude pictorial". However, she later dropped the lawsuit after receiving a personal apology from Playboy owner Hugh Hefner who agreed to make donations to two charities that Alba has supported.

In 2006, readers of Askmen.com voted Alba No. 1 on 99 Most Desirable Women, while in 2007, Maxim Magazine placed Alba on the number 2 spot of their Top 100, Both GQ and In Style magazines had Alba on their June covers, and in May, after eight million votes, FHM named Alba the winner as 2007’s Sexiest Woman in the World.

Alba fears being typecast as a sex kitten based on the bulk of parts offered to her. "Somehow, I don't think this is happening to Natalie Portman," laments Alba. In the interview, Alba says she wants to be taken seriously as an actress but believes she needs to do movies that she would otherwise not be interested in to build her career, stating that eventually she hopes to be more selective in her film projects.

Personal life
Alba has revealed that she envisions a much older man as her ideal partner, making references to Morgan Freeman, Sean Connery, Robert Redford, and Michael Caine. "I have this thing for older men. They've been around and know so much."

Regarding children, Alba said, "I'm really girly when it comes to kids. I've been surrounded by kids my whole life because I'm the oldest of 15 cousins - I've been changing diapers since I was six. I want to have a couple, for sure".

She has a tattoo of a daisy with a ladybug on the back of her neck, the Sanskrit symbol for the lotus flower, padma, on her wrist, and a lower back tattoo of a bow.

Religion
Alba was raised Catholic and still considers herself "spiritual". In her adolescence, she became a born-again Christian, but left the church.

As the daughter of conservative parents, Alba, whose grandparents did not allow her to wear a bathing suit around the house, maintains a no-nudity clause in her contract, though she has claimed she had been open to the possibility of appearing nude in Sin City. She remarked of a GQ shoot in which she was scantily clad: "They didn't want me to wear the granny panties, but I said, 'If I'm gonna be topless I need to wear granny panties."

Alba was given the option to appear naked by the film's directors, Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez but declined the offer saying, "I don't do nudity. I just don't. Maybe that makes me a bad actress. Maybe I won't get hired in some things. But I have too much anxiety".

Jennifer Aniston

2007-07-12T01:22:00.001+08:00

Jennifer Aniston (born February 11, 1969) is an Emmy and Golden Globe-winning American film and television actress. Aniston began appearing in stage productions in the late 1980s. After several lesser-known film and television roles during the early 1990s, Aniston came to fame playing Rachel Green on the hugely popular television sitcom Friends for which she won a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award.

She has since focused heavily on her film career, having starred in several successful Hollywood films, including Bruce Almighty, Along Came Polly and The Break-Up.

Biography
Aniston was born in Sherman Oaks, California and grew up in New York City. She is the daughter of the Greek-American actor John Aniston (originally Ioannis Anastasakis) and actress Nancy Dow. Aniston has two half-brothers, John Melick and Alex Aniston. Aniston's father was born in the island of Crete, while her maternal grandfather, Gordon McLean Dow, was of Scottish and English descent, and her maternal grandmother, Louise Grieco, was of Italian ancestry.[1] Aniston's godfather was the late Greek American actor Telly Savalas, her father's best friend. Aniston spent part of her childhood in Greece, but most of it in New York City, where her father appeared in the soap operas Love of Life and Search for Tomorrow. In 1985, the family moved to Los Angeles, where Aniston's father starred on the soap opera Days of our Lives as Victor Kiriakis. Aniston graduated from Manhattan's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. Among her high school friends was future gay rights activist Chastity Bono. Aniston's desire to become an actress grew as she worked in Off-Broadway productions such as For Dear Life and Dancing on Checker's Grave. During this time, she supported herself with several part-time jobs, including working as a telemarketer and bike messenger.

Personal life
Aniston has previously dated musician Adam Duritz, actor Paul Rudd and was engaged to actor Tate Donovan. Her high-profile relationship with actor Brad Pitt was frequently publicized in the press. She married Pitt on July 29, 2000, in a lavish Malibu wedding. Pitt later became romantically involved with actress Angelina Jolie while he and Jolie were filming the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Aniston and Pitt later separated on January 7, 2005, and Aniston officially filed for divorce on March 25, 2005. The divorce was finalized on October 2, 2005.

Media reports have speculated that the split was due to Aniston's refusal to have children. Aniston vehemently denied the latter in an August 2005 Vanity Fair interview, stating, "I've never in my life said I didn't want to have children... I've always wanted to have children, and I would never give up that experience for a career."

She has also stated that the death of her longtime therapist, whose work helped to make the separation from Pitt easier, more than a year ago was "devastating." Summing up her relationship with Pitt, Aniston has said that their relationship, which she does not regret, was "seven very intense years together" and that "it was a beautiful, complicated relationship."

Since the couple's divorce, Aniston has been romantically linked with actor Vince Vaughn. In August of 2006, Aniston denied rumors that the two were engaged or that Vaughn had proposed. In October 2006, gossip magazine Us Weekly quoted sources from Vaughn that the couple had split. "Jen lives in a crazy crazy world with all the press. It's just not his world." In December 2006, reps for both Aniston and Vaughn confirmed that they had indeed split up a few weeks before when Aniston visited Vaughn in London.

Courtney Cox Arquette is Aniston's best friend. In 2007, Aniston was invited to guest star in an episode of Arquette's new television show Dirt. Aniston played Arquette's snobby rival Tina Harrod on March 27. Jennifer Aniston is also the godmother of Courtney's child, Coco.

She has had two septoplastys to thin her deviated septum: one incorrectly done in 1994 and one in early 2007. This is a simple medical procedure which helps cure the common condition which can lead to breathing difficulty and trouble sleeping. Tabloids reported this as a "nose job."

Career
Aniston appeared as a "Nutri-System" girl on The Howard Stern Radio Show in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She moved to Hollywood and was cast in her first television roles in 1990, starring as a regular on the short-lived series Molloy and in the TV movie Camp Cucamonga. She also co-starred in Ferris Bueller, a television adaptation of the 1986 hit movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off, the same year; the series, however, was quickly canceled. Aniston then appeared in two more failed television comedy shows, The Edge and Muddling Through, and guest-starred on Quantum Leap, Herman's Head and Burke's Law. After the string of cancelled shows, along with her appearance in the critically derided 1993 horror film, Leprechaun, Aniston seriously considered giving up acting.

Aniston's plans changed, however, after auditioning for Friends, a sitcom that was set to debut on NBC's 1994-1995 fall line-up. The producers of the show originally wanted Aniston to audition for the role of Monica Geller, but she persuaded them that she was better suited for the role of Rachel Green. She was cast in the role and played the character from 1994 until the show ended in 2004. The program was very successful and Aniston, along with her co-stars, gained wide renown among television viewers. Her hairstyle at the time, which became known as the "Rachel", was widely copied. Aniston received a salary of one million dollars per episode for the last two seasons of Friends, as well as five Emmy nominations, including a win for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series". According to the Guinness World Book of Records (2005), Aniston (along with her female costars) became the highest paid TV actress of all time with her $1 million-per-episode paycheck for the tenth season of Friends.

Aniston was the very first guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The gifts she brought her are featured on every show. She appeared on a promotional video for Microsoft about Windows 95 alongside her Friends co-star Matthew Perry.

Aniston has starred in several theatrical films, including the cult hit Office Space. She gained the most critical acclaim for her role in the low-budget 2002 film, The Good Girl, directed by Miguel Arteta, playing an unglamorous cashier in a small town. The film opened in relatively few theaters - under 700 in total - taking $14M in the U.S. box office. Jennifer's biggest box office success was her appearance in 2003's Bruce Almighty, in which she played the girlfriend of title character (Jim Carrey); the film grossed $243M at the United States box office and almost twice that worldwide. Aniston's 2004 film, Along Came Polly (opposite Ben Stiller), also did well at the box office after opening at the #1 spot. In late 2005, Aniston headlined two major studio films, Derailed and Rumor Has It, both of which performed fairly at the box office, grossing over $36 million each despite little support from critics. In the same year, she appeared in a European Heineken television commercial frequently aired before UEFA Champions League matches.

She also voiced a character in the South Park episode "Rainforest Shmainforest".

In 2006, People magazine voted her Best Dressed. She was also labeled "the natural" by the same magazine. The same year, Aniston appeared in the low-budget drama, Friends with Money, which was first shown at the Cannes Film Festival, received a limited release, and grossed over $13 million. Aniston's next film, The Break-Up, which was released on June 2, grossed approximately $39.17 million during its opening weekend, despite lukewarm reviews. It has currently grossed over $118 million at the U.S. box office and over $203 million worldwide. Aniston was involved in a controversy connected to this movie when outtakes from The Break Up revealing her topless appeared over the internet.

She will co-direct a hospital emergency room-set short film named Room 10, starring Robin Wright Penn and Kris Kristofferson; Aniston has noted that she was inspired to direct by actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who directed a short film in 2006.

Forbes listed Aniston as the 10th richest woman in the entertainment industry for the year 2007. She is behind such powerhouses as Oprah Winfrey, J. K. Rowling, and Jennifer Lopez and is ahead of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and the Olsen twins. Aniston's net worth is approximately $110 million. Aniston was also included in the annual Star Salary Top 10 of trade magazine The Hollywood Reporter for 2006.

Aniston is viewed as the originator of "the Rachel", a hairstyle that became very popular among young women in the 1990's. The style is claimed to have been created by Aniston's hairstylist, Chris McMillan.

In 2007, Aniston was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Also in 2007 Jennifer became the image of glacéau, smartwater.

50 Cent

2007-07-12T01:01:00.000+08:00

Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975) is an American rapper commonly known by his stage name 50 Cent. He rose to fame following the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin' and The Massacre. 50 Cent achieved multi-platinum success with both albums, selling over twenty million records worldwide.

Born in South Jamaica, Queens in New York, 50 Cent began drug dealing at the age of twelve during the 1980s' crack epidemic. After leaving drug dealing in favor of pursuing a rap career, he was shot nine times in 2000. After releasing his mixtape compilation Guess Who's Back? in 2002, 50 Cent was discovered by rapper Eminem and signed to Interscope Records. With the help of Eminem and Dr. Dre—who produced his first major commercial successes—he became one of the highest selling rap artists in the world. In 2003, he founded the record label G-Unit Records, which signed several successful rappers such as Young Buck, Lloyd Banks, and Tony Yayo. 50 Cent has engaged in numerous feuds with other rappers including Ja Rule, The Game, and Fat Joe.

50 Cent also pursued an acting career, appearing in the semi-autobiographical film Get Rich or Die Tryin' in 2005 and the Iraq War film Home of the Brave in 2006. He plans to release two solo albums by February 2008.

Biography
50 Cent, born Curtis James Jackson III, grew up in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens in New York City. He grew up without a father and was raised by his mother Sabrina Jackson, who gave birth to him at the age of fifteen. Sabrina, who was a cocaine dealer, raised Jackson until the age of eight, when she was murdered. At the age of twenty-three, she became unconscious after someone drugged her drink. She was then left for dead after the gas in her apartment was turned on and the windows shut closed. After her death, Jackson moved into his grandparents house with his eight aunts and uncles. He recalls, "My grandmother told me, 'Your mother's not coming home. She's not gonna come back to pick you up. You're gonna stay with us now.' That's when I started adjusting to the streets a little bit." Jackson grew up with his younger cousin, Michael Francis, who earned the nickname "25 Cent" for being his younger counterpart. Francis raps under the stage name "Two Five".

Jackson began boxing around the age of eleven. In the mid 1980s, he competed in the Junior Olympics as an amateur boxer. He aspired to fight in the Golden Gloves boxing tournament, but was too young to compete. He recounts, "I was competitive in the ring and hip-hop is competitive too... I think rappers condition themselves like boxers, so they all kind of feel like they're the champ." Jackson began dealing narcotics at the age of twelve when his grandparents thought he was at after-school programs. He also took guns and drug money to school. In the tenth grade, he was caught by metal detectors at Andrew Jackson High School. He later stated, "I was embarrassed that I got arrested like that... After I got arrested I stopped hiding it. I was telling my grandmother [openly], 'I sell drugs.'"

On June 29, 1994, Jackson was arrested for helping to sell four vials of cocaine to an undercover police officer. He was arrested again three weeks later when police searched his home and found heroin, ten ounces of crack cocaine, and a starter gun. He was sentenced to three to nine years in prison, but managed to serve six months in a Shock Incarceration boot camp, where he earned his GED. Jackson said that he did not use cocaine himself, he only sold it. He adopted the nickname "50 Cent" as a metaphor for "change". The name was derived from Kelvin Martin, a 1980s Brooklyn robber known as "50 Cent". Jackson said: "I took the name 50 Cent because it says everything I want it to say. I'm the same kind of person 50 Cent was. I provide for myself by any means."

Early career
In 1996, a friend introduced 50 Cent to Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC who was organizing his label Jam Master Jay Records. It was the first time 50 Cent entered a studio. Jay taught him how to count bars, write choruses, structure songs, and make a record. 50 Cent's first official appearance was on a song titled "React" with the group Onyx on their 1998 album Shut 'Em Down. He credited Jam Master Jay as an influence who helped him improve his ability to write hooks. He produced 50 Cent's first album, however it was never released. In 1999, after leaving Jam Master Jay, the platinum-selling producers Trackmasters took notice of 50 Cent and signed him to Columbia Records. They sent him to a studio in Upstate New York, where he produced thirty-six songs in two weeks. Eighteen were included on his unofficially released album, Power of the Dollar in 2000. He also started the now-defunct record company with former G-Unit member Bang 'Em Smurf called Hollow Point Entertainment.

50 Cent's popularity started to increase after the successful but controversial underground single, "How to Rob", which he wrote in half an hour while in a car on the way to a studio. The track comically explains how he would rob many famous artists. He explained the reasoning behind song's content as, "There's a hundred artists on that label, you gotta separate yourself from that group and make yourself relevant." Rappers Jay-Z, Big Pun, DMX, and the Wu-Tang Clan replied to the song and Nas, who received the track positively, invited 50 Cent to travel on a promotional tour for his Nastradamus album. The song was intended to be released with "Thug Love" featuring Destiny's Child, but two days before he was scheduled to film the "Thug Love" music video, 50 Cent was shot and confined to a hospital due to his injuries.

Personal life
In 1997, 50 Cent's then-girlfriend Shaniqua Tompkins gave birth to a son, Marquise Jackson. The birth of his son changed his outlook on life, "When my son came into my life, my priorities changed, because I wanted to have the relationship with him, that I didn't have with my father." He credited his son for inspiring his career and being "motivation to go in a different direction." 50 Cent has a tattoo of "Marquise" with an axe on his right bicep. "The axe is 'cause I'm a warrior. I don't want him to be one, though," he explains. He also has "50", "Southside", and "Cold World" inscribed on his back because "I'm a product of that environment. It's on my back, though, so it's all behind me." 50 Cent dated actress Vivica A. Fox in 2003. After a few months, he announced their split up on the The Howard Stern Show when pictures from a photo shoot they did together ended up on the cover of Today's Black Woman magazine without his knowledge.

50 Cent expressed support for President George W. Bush in 2005 after rapper Kanye West criticized him for the slow response in assisting the victims of Hurricane Katrina. If his felony convictions did not prevent him from voting, he claimed that he would have voted for Bush. In 2006, 50 Cent was recognized for his wealth by Rolling Stone, placing him second behind Diddy in the rap industry. He resides in Farmington, Connecticut, in the former mansion of ex-boxer Mike Tyson. 50 Cent put the mansion for sale at $18.5 million to move closer to his son who lives in Long Island with his ex-girlfriend.

Rise to fame
In 2002, Eminem listened to a copy of 50 Cent's Guess Who's Back? CD. He received the CD through 50 Cent's attorney, who was working with Eminem's manager Paul Rosenberg. Impressed with the album, Eminem invited 50 Cent to fly to Los Angeles, where he was introduced to Dr. Dre. After signing a one million U.S. dollar record deal, 50 Cent released the mixtape, No Mercy, No Fear. It featured one new track, "Wanksta", which was put on Eminem's 8 Mile soundtrack. He was also signed to Chris Lighty's Violator Management and Sha Money XL's Money Management Group.

On February 6, 2003, 50 Cent's commercial debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin' was released. All Music Guide called it "probably the most hyped debut album by a rap artist in about a decade." Rolling Stone noted the album for its "dark synth grooves, buzzy keyboards and a persistently funky bounce" with 50 Cent complementing the production in "an unflappable, laid-back flow." The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 872,000 copies in the first four days. The lead single, "In da Club", which The Source noted for its "blaring horns, funky organs, guitar riffs and sparse hand claps" broke a Billboard record as the 'most listened-to' song in radio history within a week.

Interscope then granted 50 Cent his own label, G-Unit Records in 2003. He signed Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, and Young Buck as the established members of G-Unit. The Game was later signed under a joint venture with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment. On March 3, 2005, 50 Cent's second commercial album, The Massacre was released. The album sold 1.14 million copies in the first four days (the highest in an abbreviated sales cycle) and peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 for six weeks. He became the first solo artist to have three singles on the Billboard top five in the same week with "Candy Shop", "Disco Inferno", and "How We Do". Rolling Stone noted that "50's secret weapon is his singing voice - the deceptively amateur-sounding tenor croon that he deploys on almost every chorus."

After the departure of The Game, 50 Cent signed singer Olivia and rap veterans Mobb Deep to G-Unit Records. Spider Loc, M.O.P., and Young Hot Rod later joined the label. 50 Cent expressed interest in working with rappers outside of G-Unit, such as Lil' Scrappy of BME, LL Cool J from Def Jam, Mase from Bad Boy, and Freeway of Roc-A-Fella, some of whom he recorded with.

Drew Barrymore

2007-07-12T00:25:00.000+08:00

Drew Blyth Barrymore (born February 22, 1975) is an American actress and film producer, the youngest member of the Barrymore family of American actors. She has her own production company, Flower Films. Barrymore made her screen début in Altered States (1980); she made her breakout role two years later in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. She quickly became one of Hollywood's most recognized child actresses.

Biography
Barrymore was born Drew Blyth Barrymore in Culver City, California to John Drew Barrymore and Hungarian-born Ildiko Jaid Barrymore (née Makó), both former actors. Her parents divorced after she was born. She has a half-brother John Blyth Barrymore, also an actor, and two half-sisters Blyth Dolores Barrymore and Brahma (Jessica) Blyth Barrymore.

Drew Barrymore was born into the acting profession, coming from a long line of acting talent stretching back nearly 200 years; her great-great grandparents John Drew, Louisa Lane Drew, her great-grandparents Maurice Barrymore, Georgiana Drew and Maurice Costello, and her grandparents John Barrymore and Dolores Costello were all highly successful actors; John Barrymore was arguably the most acclaimed actor of his generation. She is the grand-niece of Lionel Barrymore, Ethel Barrymore, and Helene Costello, and the great grandniece of John Drew, Jr., actress Louisa Drew, and silent film actor/writer/director Sidney Drew. Her father and half-brother are also actors. She is also the goddaughter of director Steven Spielberg.

Her first name, Drew, was the maiden name of her paternal great-grandmother, Georgiana Drew; her middle name, Blyth, was the original surname of the dynasty founded by her great-grandfather, Maurice Barrymore.

Early work
Barrymore's career began when she was 11 months old, when she auditioned for a dog food commercial. When she was bitten by her canine co-star, the producers feared she'd cry, but she merely laughed, and was hired for the job. She made her film debut in Altered States (1980). A year later, she landed the role of Gertie in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which made her famous.

She received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 1984 for her role in Irreconcilable Differences. In the wake of this sudden stardom, she endured a notoriously troubled childhood, already a regular at the famed Studio 54 when she was a little girl, smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol by the time she was 9, smoking marijuana at 10, and snorting cocaine at 12. Barrymore later described this period of her life in her 1990 autobiography, Little Girl Lost. Her nightlife and constant partying became a popular subject with the media.

At the age of sixteen, she had breast reduction surgery, which she discussed in an interview with GQ UK. Though she overcame her substance abuse problems by the time she entered adulthood, she maintained her "bad girl" image, and used her new-found role as a sex symbol to stage a career comeback playing a manipulative, evil teenage seductress in Poison Ivy (1992). The film found enormous success on VHS when it was first released.

She posed nude for the January 1995 issue of Playboy. Spielberg gave her a quilt for her 20th birthday with a note that read "Cover yourself up." Enclosed were copies of her Playboy pictures, with the pictures altered by his art department so that she appeared fully clothed. At that time she had also appeared nude in her last five movies. During a 1995 appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, Barrymore climbed onto Dave Letterman's desk and bared her breasts to him, her back to the camera. The flash was intended to celebrate his birthday. She also modeled in a series of Guess? jeans ads during this time.

She made a comeback in the successful 1996 horror film Scream.

1996-present: continued fame
Barrymore has continued to be highly bankable, and a top box office draw. She has been especially adept in romantic comedies, such as Wishful Thinking (1996), The Wedding Singer (1998), Home Fries (1998), Never Been Kissed (1999), 50 First Dates (2004), and Fever Pitch (2005). Summing up Drew's appeal, Roger Ebert, in his review of 50 First Dates describes Barrymore as having a "smiling, coy sincerity", describing the film as "ingratiating and lovable". She has also produced several films, including Charlie's Angels (2000), a major box office success of 2000. After Charlie's Angels, Drew had a dramatic role in the comedy/drama Riding in Cars with Boys (2001), where she played a teenage mother in a failed marriage with the drug-addicted father (based on the real-life story of Beverly D'Onofrio). In Richard Kelly's debut movie Donnie Darko she had the fairly small role of Karen Pomeroy, the title character's English teacher. In 2003, she reprised her role as Dylan Sanders in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. Maxim magazine featured Barrymore and her fellow Angels in their "Girls of Maxim" gallery after the launch of the film. Later in 2002, Barrymore appeared in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, alongside Julia Roberts. In the words of Yahoo! Movies:

"Heir to a Hollywood dynasty, child star, prepubescent drug and alcohol abuser, teenage sexpot, and resurrected vessel of celluloid purity, Drew Barrymore is nothing if not the embodiment of the rise and fall of Hollywood fortunes, self-reinvention, and the healing powers of good PR."

She was the subject of My Date with Drew (2005). In it, an aspiring filmmaker and fan uses his limited resources in an attempt to gain a date with her.

On February 3, 2004, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. One of her most recent roles has involved her becoming a recurring character in the hit animated comedy Family Guy as Brian Griffin's shallow girlfriend, Jillian. She has since appeared in four episodes.

Barrymore has also appeared in the films Lucky You (2007) and Music and Lyrics (2007). She recently hosted Saturday Night Live for the fifth time, making her the second female host in the show's history to do so (Candice Bergen being the first) and still remains the youngest celebrity to host the show (Barrymore hosted in 1982 at age 7; Jodie Foster was 14 when she hosted it in 1976). Barrymore has a worldwide box office gross that stands at over $2.3 billion. According The Hollywood Reporter's annual Star Salary Top 10, she is one of the actresses with the second highest salary per movie for 2006.

It was announced on April 11, 2007 that Barrymore will become CoverGirl Cosmetic's newest model and spokeswoman.

In April 2007, Barrymore reached No. 1 in People's annual 100 Most Beautiful People list, taking the title from Angelina Jolie.

In May 2007, Drew Barrymore was named Ambassador Against Hunger for the United Nations World Food Programme.

In June 2007, Gucci announced that Drew Barrymore would be the new face for their jewelry line.

Barrymore has also stated that she will take time off from acting to pursue other hobbies and interests.

Demi Moore

2007-07-11T20:28:00.000+08:00

Demi Moore (born November 11, 1962) is an American actress. She became well-known after a string of 1980s teen-oriented movies, and was one of the best known actresses of 1990s Hollywood.

Biography
Moore was born Demetria Gene Guynes in Roswell, New Mexico, and spent much of her childhood and teenage years in Perryopolis, Pennsylvania, a small town south of Pittsburgh. As a child, she had a difficult and unstable home life. Her biological father, Charles Harmon, left her mother, Virginia King, after a two-month marriage, before Moore was born. As a result, Moore had the surname of her stepfather, Danny Guynes, on her birth certificate. Danny Guynes, who committed suicide in 1980, frequently changed jobs and made the family move a total of forty times. Moore's parents were also alcoholics and often fought and beat each other. Operations on Moore's left eye during childhood required her to wear an eyepatch.

Moore's family settled in Los Angeles in 1976. When Moore was sixteen, her then-friend, actress Nastassja Kinski, persuaded her to drop out of Hollywood's Fairfax High School, where her schoolmates included Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis and actor Timothy Hutton, to become an actress. In 1979 she met and then married her first husband, songwriter Freddy Moore. By the time they divorced in 1985, she had acquired the last name Moore.

Career
After quitting school, Moore went to work as a pin-up girl, modelled for European photographers, and worked at a collection agency. In the early 1980s, Moore posed for a series of photographs featuring full frontal nudity. These photos went unnoticed until after she became a star, and were eventually published in a German magazine and later in North America. Moore's film debut was in the 1982 3-D science fiction/horror film, Parasite, which was a hit on the drive-in circuit, ultimately grossing $6 million. However, Moore was not widely known until she played the part of Jackie Templeton on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital, from 1982 to 1983. Appropriately, she also had an uncredited cameo at the end of the 1982 spoof Young Doctors in Love.

In the mid 1980s, she was mentioned as being a member of the Brat Pack and appeared in the youth-oriented films St. Elmo's Fire and About Last Night. For a time during the 1990s, Moore was the highest-paid actress in Hollywood. She had a string of box-office successes, including Ghost, A Few Good Men, Indecent Proposal, Disclosure and The Hunchback of Notre Dame for which she was the first actress to reach the $10 million salary mark. Among other films for which Moore was considered were Basic Instinct, Flashdance, Runaway Bride, and While You Were Sleeping.

Moore's reputation suffered in the mid 1990s when her starring vehicles The Scarlet Letter, The Juror, Striptease, and G.I. Jane (a movie in which Moore shaved off all her long hair on camera, leaving her head totally bald) failed at the box office and garnered mixed reviews. Demi Moore was a founding "celebrity investor" in the Planet Hollywood chain of international theme restaurants (modeled after the Hard Rock Cafe and launched in New York on October 22, 1991) along with Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

In August 1991, Moore appeared nude on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine while seven months pregnant with her daughter Scout LaRue, with enormous attendant publicity. The image was endlessly parodied (including by Spy magazine, which placed her then-husband Bruce Willis's head on her body), but also spawned honest imitators as other pregnant celebrities posed nude. Moore again appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair in August 1992, wearing only a body painted "suit".

After a break from her acting career, Moore returned to the screen as a former member of Charlie's Angels gone bad in the 2003 film Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. In 2006, she appeared in Bobby which featured an all-star cast including her husband Ashton Kutcher although they did not appear in any scenes together. On June 1st of 2007, her most recent film, Mr. Brooks, was released. She appeared in Jon Bon Jovi's longform video "Destination Anywhere" as Janie.

Personal life
Moore's primary residence is in Hailey, Idaho, near the famous Sun Valley resort, although she spends much time in the Los Angeles area with Kutcher. She is a practicing follower of the Rabbi Philip Berg's Kabbalah Centre religion, and initiated Kutcher into the faith, having said that she "didn’t grow up Jewish, but... would say that [she has] been more exposed to the deeper meanings of particular rituals than any of [her] friends that did". She is also a passionate raw foodist or live-vegan. She also is the mother of three daughters: Rumer Willis (born in 1988), Scout LaRue Willis (born in 1991), Tallulah Belle Willis (born in 1994). All three children are with her ex-husband, Bruce Willis.

Haley Scarnato

2007-07-11T20:27:00.000+08:00

Haley Suzanne Scarnato (born July 15, 1982) is an American singer who was the 8th place finalist on the 6th season of American Idol.

Biography
Scarnato was born in San Antonio, Texas to Rose and Anthony Scarnato. She was a young gymnast between the ages of 5 and 15. After dislocating both of her shoulders, Scarnato moved on to other interests. Soon after, she found out that singing and music were her true passions and loves. She became a freelance singer, performing back up vocals with the Josephine Theatre (a local theater troupe), and singing in the band The Oh So Good! Band, a live wedding band in Texas. Haley graduated from William Howard Taft High School in San Antonio. She is a born-again Christian, and prays before every performance.

American Idol
Haley Scarnato auditioned for American Idol in her hometown of San Antonio, Texas. She sang Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me". Paula said that she had real nice control of her voice and said that it was lovely. Randy thought it was just okay and Simon agreed by saying "you look good, you sound, it's a bit cabaret". Both Simon and Randy didn't think she had much originality, but all three of them agreed that she did have a good voice and decided to let her through to Hollywood. While in Hollywood, she sang Celine Dion's "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" and Simon was very impressed with her vocals. In the group round she sang with fellow semi-finalists Amy Krebs and two other female contestants. Simon thought it was good, but said that he wasn't going to remember any of them. Scarnato made through to the Top 40 then finally made it through to the Top 24. On March 8, 2007, Scarnato was voted through to the Top 12 over Sabrina Sloan, with whom she was roommates. Scarnato tended to get mixed reviews and was seemingly always in the bottom 3. As the show went on, Scarnato's outfits tended to get a bit more revealing, which according to Cowell, kept her on the show. She was eliminated from the show on April 11 after receiving the lowest amount of votes during Latin Music Night, making her the first contestant in the top 12 to be eliminated after having been in the bottom two or three in any previous week.

Post American Idol
On May 12, 2007, prior to Game 3 of the Western Conference basketball semifinals between the San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns, Scarnato sang the national anthem.

Stated on the May 25, 2007 edition of Larry King Live, she will be married on January 5, 2008.

All of Haley's studio recorded songs from Idol are now available to buy from iTunes, including "Turn The Beat Around", "Ain't Misbehavin'", "True Colours", "Missing You" and "Tell Him". Haley's EP failed to chart on any iTunes charts or the Billboard Digital Chart.

Sky Lopez

2007-07-11T20:26:00.000+08:00

Corrie Floris (born December 23, 1975, in Stillwater, Minnesota) is a former American pornographic actress and model, who is now an aspiring hip hop artist. She is currently known by her stage name Sky Lopez.

Since entering the porn industry in 1999, Lopez has both acted and directed pornographic films, as well as being employed under exclusive contracts with Vivid Entertainment (making her a Vivid Girl) and Shane's World Studios. She was also involved in many porn films and photo shoots with friend and fellow pornstar, Krystal Steal.

Despite her popularity and being considered one of the most exotic actresses in the business, Sky decided to retire in 2005. She has denounced the adult entertainment industry as being "...a long, exhausting, emotional winding road that leads to nowhere but self destruction"..."a very ugly world. Not one I would recommend for anyone."

Sky retired to become a hip-hop artist. She states that she had a dream in which she was "saved". Her dream showed her the path her life should take. As a result, she moved into a religious ministry house for six months. While staying there, she studied the Bible. She is now a devout Christian.

Don Omar

2007-07-11T18:46:00.000+08:00

William Omar Landrón (born February 10, 1978 in Puerto Rico), is a Latin Grammy Award-nominated reggaeton singer/rapper. He is best known as Don Omar.

Don Omar is one of the best known reggaeton artists in Latin America. His cross over success in the U.S. has given him more exposure to English speaking Reggaetón fans, making him one of the more recognizable faces of Reggaeton. Don Omar's popularity is currently rising and he recently appeared on MTV. Omar is best known for his songs "Dile" and "Dale Don Dale" from his first album The Last Don and "Reggaeton Latino" from the album The Chosen Few. His songs center around life and love; some examples of these would be "La Recompensa" (The Reward), "Pobre Diabla" (Poor Devil (fem.) and "Aunque te Fuiste" (Even Though You Left).

Musical career
He started his career after facing many obstacles when Héctor Delgado (from the duo Héctor y Tito) gave him an opportunity to be a backup singer. After that, he sang in a live concert with Héctor and Tito in 2003, which was released later as a CD and DVD, which included the songs that became instant hits, Baila Morena and Amor de Colegio.

His debut album, The Last Don, sold over 350,000 units in South America. Both "The Last Don" and the live edition of it have been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Worldwide, The Last Don: Live [CD & DVD] sold over one million copies, according to the official website. His debut single, "Dale Don Dale", sold over 100,000 copies in South America. He received the awards for "Latin Pop Album of the Year" and "New Artist & Latin Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year" by the Billboard Latin Music Awards in 2003. The Last Don: Live [CD & DVD] was also nominated for "Urban Music Album" at the 2005 Latin Grammy Awards

Both a singer and composer, Don Omar has made a significant impact on the Spanish market, participating in three sold-out concerts which filled the Canary Island's venues with more than 31,000 fans.

The first single released from Reggaeton Latino, "Dale Don Dale [Remix]" , which features rapper Fabolous, debuted at #1 on the crossover chart.

He is currently signed to VI Music and Machete Music through Universal Music Latino.

Don Omar's May 2006 album, "King Of Kings", became history's highest ranking reggaeton LP in the top 10 US charts, with its debut at # 1 on the Latin sales charts and the #1 spot on the Billboard Latin Rhythm Radio Chart with his single "Angelito". Don Omar was also able to beat the in-store appearance sales record at Disneyworld's Virgin music store previously set by pop star Britney Spears.

With the highest charting debut by a reggaetón artist, Don Omar's "King Of Kings" (VI) enters at No. 7 with 87,000, besting Daddy Yankee's No. 24 entry with 2005's "Barrio Fino En Directo." "King Of Kings" crowns the Top Latin Albums chart as well. In April 2007, Don Omar received the Latin Billboard award for "Reggaeton Album of the Year" for King of Kings.

The songs Los Bandoleros and Conteo were featured in the movie The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift during the scene with the cameo appearance of Vin Diesel.

Philanthropy
Founded in 2004, Treasure Kids Fund is an organization created by Don Omar, dedicated to autistic children. Proceeds from the sales of his second tennis shoe will be donated to the organization.

Don Omar continues to expand awareness for Reggaetón music, becoming one of the few artists in this music genre to embark on global tours through some of the largest cities in Europe, U.S. and Central and South America.

Paris Hilton

2007-07-11T12:58:00.000+08:00

Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American celebrity, socialite, business woman, model, actress and recording artist.

She is an heiress to a share of both the Hilton Hotel fortune and the real estate fortune of her father Richard Hilton.

Hilton rose to fame around 2001, when her reputation as a 19-year-old socialite spilled out into the national scene from New York's tabloids. The media fascination with her led to her role in the successful Fox reality series The Simple Life, which has aired for five seasons so far.

As an actress, she has appeared in several minor roles, most notably in the horror film House of Wax (2005). In 2006 she released her debut self-titled album Paris. Hilton has since garnered notoriety as a result of several legal incidents, the repercussions of which have caused Hilton to serve time in a correctional institution in 2007.

Early life and family background
Born in New York City, New York, Hilton is the oldest of four children of Richard and Kathy Hilton.

Her younger sister is Nicky Hilton, and her younger brothers are Barron Hilton II, and Conrad Hilton III. On the maternal side of her family, Hilton is a niece of two child stars of the 1970s, Kim Richards and Kyle Richards. By marriage, she also is related to Zsa Zsa Gabor and Elizabeth Taylor. Her paternal grandparents are hotel chairman Barron Hilton, and his wife, the former Marilyn Hawley; Hilton's paternal great-grandparents were Hilton Hotels founder Conrad Hilton and his first wife, Mary Barron. When Conrad Hilton died in 1979, he left nothing in his will to his children or other descendants. Barron Hilton contested this decision and prevailed in court in 1988. The value of Paris's inheritance has been variously estimated at between $30 and $50 million.

Personal life
Hilton was engaged to fashion model Jason Shaw from mid-2002 to early 2003. On May 29, 2005, she announced her engagement to Paris Latsis, a Greek shipping heir; the engagement was called off five months later. Thereafter, she began dating another Greek shipping heir, Stavros Niarchos III, but in May 2006, Hilton publicist Elliot Mintz informed the press Paris and Stavros had broken up. In an attempt to rediscover herself, Hilton imposed a ban on sexual activity for one year starting in July 2006. She told Regis and Kelly: "One-night stands are not for me. I think it's gross when you just give it up. Guys want you more, if you don't just hand it to them on a platter."

In July 2006, Paris Hilton was photographed kissing her best male friend Brandon Davis, the man who "ranted against" Lindsay Lohan on national television, five days later.

In January 2007, Hilton's private life again created headlines with the launch of ParisExposed.com, a website that featured images of personal and medical documents, video, and other private material, allegedly obtained when the contents of a storage locker rented by Hilton were auctioned off due to lack of payment. CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 discussed footage obtained from the website which features Hilton using several ethnic slurs. On February 3, 2007 Hilton obtained a temporary injunction against ParisExposed.com, closing down the website for a short period of time before the site went back online.

In a June 11, 2007 phone interview from jail, Hilton told Barbara Walters that while serving time in jail, God has given her a new chance, and that she will no longer "act dumb."

Model Career
Hilton began modeling as a child, appearing first in charity events. At 19, she signed with Donald Trump's modeling agency, T Management. Hilton has worked with modeling agencies such as Ford Models in New York, Models 1 Agency in London, Nous Model Management in Los Angeles, and Premier Model Management in London. She has appeared in numerous advertising campaigns, including Iceberg Vodka, GUESS, Tommy Hilfiger, Christian Dior, and Marciano. In 2001, Hilton began to develop a reputation as a 19-year-old socialite, being identified as "New York's leading It Girl" whose fame was beginning to "extend beyond the New York tabloids".

Business ventures
In the autumn of 2004, Hilton released an autobiographical book, Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-in-Chic Peek Behind the Pose, co-written by Merle Ginsberg, which includes full color photographs of her and gives her advice on the life as an heiress. Hilton reportedly received a $100,000 advance payment for this book. Some in the media panned the writing as amateurish, and the book was parodied by Robert Mundell on The Late Show with David Letterman. Nonetheless, the book became a New York Times bestseller. Hilton followed it up with a designer diary, also with Ginsberg, called Your Heiress Diary: Confess It All To Me.

Hilton has helped design a collection of purses for Japanese label Samantha Thavasa, and has also been involved in the design of a jewelry line for Amazon.com. In 2004, Hilton was involved in the creation of a perfume line by Parlux Fragrances. Originally set to be a small release, demand was high and necessitated a wider release before Christmas of 2004. The launch was followed by a 47% increase in sales for Parlux, which was predominantly due to sales of the Hilton-branded perfume. After the success of Hilton's perfume, Parlux Fragrances released several more perfumes with Hilton's name, including fragrances lines for men.

Hilton lent her name to a chain of nightclubs known as Club Paris in 2005. The first of which in Orlando, Florida has been a success, and a second club located in Jacksonville, Florida opened in July 2006. Hilton was fired in January 2007 by the owner of Club Paris, Fred Khalilian, after she had failed to attend several scheduled promotional appearances.

According to Forbes Magazine, Hilton earned approximately $2 million in 2003–2004, $6.5 million in 2004–2005, and $7 million in 2005–2006.

Rachel Bilson

2007-07-11T00:21:00.000+08:00

Rachel Sarah Bilson (born August 25, 1981) is an American actress. After growing up in a California show business family, she made her television debut in 2003 and subsequently became well-known for playing Summer Roberts on the prime time dramedy series The O.C. Bilson made her film debut in the 2006 film The Last Kiss and will star in the 2008 thriller Jumper.

Biography
Rachel Bilson was born in Los Angeles, California to a Jewish American father (writer/director/producer Danny Bilson) and a Philadelphia-born Italian American mother, Janice Stango, who is a sex therapist. Her father comes from a showbusiness family, as her great-grandfather, George Bilson, was the head of the trailer department at RKO Pictures, while her great-grandmother, Hattie, was a screenwriter and her grandfather, Bruce Bilson, is a film director. Bilson's parents divorced during her childhood, and in 1997, her father remarried Heather Medway, an actress and the mother of Bilson's half sister Hattie.

Bilson has been noted as having a "self-destructive, rebellious period" during her teen years. When she was thirteen, she and a group of her brother's friends were involved in a car accident, a head-on collision with another car. As a result, Bilson was unconscious for a few days, had a scar above her right eye, and sometimes suffers from migraines and memory loss; she has stated that the experience "changed" her, encouraging her to "stop... getting into trouble" and stopping her from "going down that road". Bilson graduated from Walter Reed Middle School in 1996 and from Notre Dame High School in 1999. During her time at Notre Dame, she appeared in productions of Bye Bye Birdie, Once Upon a Mattress and The Crucible, and appeared on stage together with Katharine McPhee, who attended the same school and would later be a finalist on American Idol.

Career
Bilson attended Grossmont College in San Diego, but dropped out after one year, taking her father's advice to pursue a professional acting career and making several appearances in commercials, including advertisements for Raisin Bran and Pepto-Bismol. She made her screen acting debut in early 2003, appearing in episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, and in the short film, Unbroken. Bilson was subsequently cast in The O.C., which debuted in August of 2003. Her character, Summer Roberts, was initially intended to appear in only a few episodes, but became a series regular after a successful run, as Bilson's on-screen romance with Seth Cohen (Adam Brody) became a noted aspect of the series.

As a result of the success of The O.C., Bilson has become well-known among teenage audiences. At the 2005 Teen Choice Awards, Bilson collected three awards - "Choice Hottie Female", "Choice TV Actress (Drama)" and "Best Onscreen TV Chemistry" (jointly won with Adam Brody). In 2005, Maxim magazine named her sixth in their annual "Hot 100 List"; in 2006, the publication awarded her #14. The UK edition of FHM Magazine named her 28th in the 2006 100 Sexiest Women in the World list, while the US Edition Ranked her 77th in 2005. Bilson was also named one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" in 2006 People magazine.

Bilson's first film role was in The Last Kiss, a romantic comedy/drama also starring Zach Braff and Jacinda Barrett. In the film, which opened on September 15, 2006, Bilson plays a college student who seduces Braff's character. Bilson had long wanted to work with Braff, having admired the film Garden State, which he directed and starred in. A body double was used for the film's sexual scene between Bilson and Braff's characters, as Bilson specified that she "feels really strong" about not appearing in a nude scene. One review of the film noted that Bilson played the role with "surprising depth", although another critic described her role as "Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction as an airhead valley girl with a hot bod".

Bilson has stated that she prefers acting in feature films to appearing on television, and that she would like the kind of roles "that Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson are offered". She has specified that though she is "grateful" for the success of The O.C., she feels that the show "is over" and that she is "ready to move on" to film roles. In September of 2006, unconfirmed reports surfaced that Bilson was linked to star in a film version of the comic book character Wonder Woman; Bilson has stated that these reports were untrue. These reports spawned solely from a Wonder Woman costume she wore in an episode of The O.C.

In late 2006, Bilson was cast in the role of Millie in Doug Liman's thriller Jumper, as the replacement for actress Teresa Palmer; Bilson began filming the role in October of that year. The film is scheduled for a February 2008 release.

Personal life
Bilson began dating her The O.C. co-star, Adam Brody, in 2003. In 2005, Brody gave Bilson a pit bull, Penny Lane, as a birthday present. The couple later adopted another dog, Thurmen Murmen. The two split in November 2006. She is currently rumored to be dating Hayden Christensen.

Rachel has been recognized by several media sources as being a "fashion junkie". She has described herself as having a "vintage" sense of style, and noted Kate Moss and Diane Keaton as inspirations. Bilson enjoys watching television game shows, especially Jeopardy!, and has stated that if she were not acting, she would be a pre-school teacher. Her favorite designers are, Stella McCartney, Marc Jacobs and Chanel. Bilson has turned down requests to appear semi-nude in magazines, specifying that she feels that her body "is sacred" and "not there for the whole world to see". However, she has been featured in Stuff magazine.

Angelina Jolie

2007-07-11T00:08:00.000+08:00

Angelina Jolie (born June 4, 1975) is an American film actress, a former fashion model, and a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency. She is often cited by popular media as one of the world's most beautiful women and her off-screen life is widely reported. She has received three Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and an Academy Award.

After appearing as a child alongside her father Jon Voight in the 1982 film Lookin' to Get Out, Jolie's acting career began in earnest a decade later with the low budget production Cyborg 2 (1993) and she played her first leading role in a major film in Hackers (1995). She appeared in the critically acclaimed biographical films George Wallace (1997) and Gia (1998), and won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the drama Girl, Interrupted (1999). She achieved international fame as a result of her portrayal of video game heroine Lara Croft in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), and since then has established herself as one of the best known and highest paid actresses in Hollywood. She had her biggest commercial success with the action-comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005).

Divorced from actors Jonny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton, Jolie currently lives with actor Brad Pitt, in a relationship that has attracted worldwide media attention. Jolie and Pitt have three adopted children, Maddox, Pax and Zahara, and a biological child, Shiloh. Jolie has promoted humanitarian causes throughout the world, and is noted for her work with refugees through UNHCR.

Angelina Jolie Voight in Los Angeles, California, she is the daughter of actors Jon Voight and the late Marcheline Bertrand. Jolie is the niece of Chip Taylor, sister of James Haven and the god-daughter of Jacqueline Bisset and Maximilian Schell. On her father's side, she is of Czechoslovakian and German descent, and on her mother's side she is French Canadian and is said to be part "Iroquois", although Bertrand's alleged Native American ancestry was once disputed by Voight in an interview in 2001.

After her parents' separation in 1976, Jolie and her brother were raised by their mother, who abandoned her acting ambitions and moved with them to Palisades, New York. As a child Jolie regularly saw movies with her mother and later explained that this had inspired her interest in acting; she had not been influenced by her father. When she was 11, the family moved back to Los Angeles and Jolie decided she wanted to act and enrolled at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, where she trained for two years and appeared in several stage productions. She later recalled her time as a student at Beverly Hills High School (later Moreno High School), and her feeling of isolation among the children of some of the area's more affluent families. Jolie's mother survived on a more modest income, and Jolie often wore second-hand clothes. She was teased by other students who also targeted her for her distinctive features, for being extremely thin, and for wearing glasses and braces. Her self esteem was further diminished when her initial attempts at modeling proved unsuccessful. As her despondency grew, she started to cut herself; later commenting during an appearance on CNN, "I collected knives and always had certain things around. For some reason, the ritual of having cut myself and feeling the pain, maybe feeling alive, feeling some kind of release, it was somehow therapeutic to me." At 14, she dropped out of her acting classes and dreamed of becoming a funeral director. Her self-loathing led her to embark on a rebellious period in her life; she wore black, dyed her hair purple and went out moshing with her live-in boyfriend. Two years later, after the relationship had ended, she rented an apartment above a garage a few blocks from her mother's home. She returned to theatre studies and graduated from high school, though in recent time she has referred to this period with the observation, "I am still at heart—and always will be - just a punk kid with tattoos".

Jolie is noted as "the one A-list celebrity without a publicist", and she quickly became a tabloid's favorite, since she presented herself as very outspoken in interviews, once claiming to be "most likely to sleep with a female fan".

Today, Jolie is one of the best known celebrities around the world. According to the Q Score survey by Marketing Evaluations Inc., in 2000, subsequent to her Oscar win, 31% of respondents in the United States said Jolie was familiar to them, by 2006 she was familiar to 81% of Americans. In a 2006 global industry survey by ACNielsen in 42 international markets Jolie, together with Brad Pitt, was found to be the favorite celebrity endorser for brands and products worldwide. Also in 2006, Jolie was among the Time 100, a list of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time, she was featured on the cover of Forbes "The Celebrity 100" edition, ranking at No. 35, and she was described as the world's most beautiful woman in the "100 Most Beautiful" issue of People. In February 2007, she was voted the greatest sex symbol of all time in the British Channel 4 television show The 100 Greatest Sex Symbols. In 2007, Jolie was named as one of the Power Givers by Time Magazine.

Andrea Berg

2007-07-10T23:36:00.001+08:00

Andrea Berg was one of the biggest-selling German pop divas of her generation, winning three consecutive ECHO awards for her commercial prowess. Born January 28, 1966, in Krefeld, Berg was discovered in 1992 by producer/svengali Eugen Römer, who ushered her into the studio within a week of signing. Her debut LP, Du Bist Frei, quickly followed, and while sales were poor, the follow-up, Gefühle, proved a massive hit, led by the smash single "Die Gefühle Haben Schweigepflicht." The 1997 release Träume Lügen Nicht solidified Berg's chart success, and after a hiatus heralded by the impending birth of her first child, she resurfaced in 1999 with Weil Ich Verliebt Bin. Two years later Berg issued her first Best Of collection, a blockbuster hit that spent more than four consecutive years on the German charts and earned her the first of her ECHO prizes. Her next studio LP, Machtlos, also reached number one upon its mid-2003 release. In 2006, Berg returned with Splitternackt.

Amanda Beard

2007-07-10T23:26:00.000+08:00

Amanda Ray Beard (born October 29, 1981, Irvine, California) is an American Olympic swimmer and model.

Beard made her first Olympic appearance at the 1996 games at the age of 14. She won silver medals in the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststrokes, and a gold in the medley relay. Her young-teen manner captured the attention of the media, and she was often photographed clutching her teddy bear which joined her on the medal stand. She won a bronze medal in the 200-meter breaststroke at the 2000 Games. Amanda attended the University of Arizona where she captured an individual NCAA National Championship in 2001.

In 2003 she became the world champion and world record holder in the 200m breaststroke. She also made a good showing at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials, and she competed in the 2004 Olympic Games, where she won a gold medal in the 200-meter breaststroke, her first individual gold medal. She also won a silver medal in the 200-meter individual medley, and she finished fourth in the 100-meter breaststroke.

Amanda has won eight United States titles (thrice in both the 200m breaststroke and the 100m breaststroke, plus twice in the 200m individual medley). She was 1st in world ranking of 200m breaststroke in 2003.

Her modeling work through photos in swim wear, including bikinis, has been in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. She is a spokesperson for Defenders of Wildlife, and she enjoys interior decorating. Both of her sisters, Leah and Taryn, are swimmers. Amanda placed eighth in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Celebrity car race in 2006.

Beard dated South African swimmer Ryk Neethling for nearly six years, but that relationship ended in the spring of 2005. She is well-known among stock car racing circles, after dating several of the drivers. Her relationship with Nextel Cup Series driver Carl Edwards ended in April of 2006.

Beard was featured on the cover of the September 2004 issue of FHM magazine that was titled the "Sexy Olympic special". Alongside Beard were pro volleyball player Logan Tom, pro track stars Amy Acuff and Jenny Adams, and fellow pro swimmer Haley Cope. Amanda was featured on the cover and an inside pictorial for the August 2006 issue of FHM, which also named her the world's sexiest athlete on the cover.

Amanda posed for the July 2007 issue of Playboy. She was featured on the cover and in a nude pictorial.

Beard's personal bests in long-course meters are:

100m breaststroke: 1:07.42
200m breaststroke: 2:22.44 (2nd Fastest Swimmer in event)
200m individual medley: 2:11.70

Jeong Ryeo Won

2007-07-10T22:49:00.000+08:00

Jeong Ryeo-Won was born January 22, 1982 with the birth name Jung Yeo Won. She is a South Korean singer who turned into an actress. She was a member of a former girl band named Chakra.

Religion: Christian
Nicknames: "Hot Dog", "DaRamJue" (squirrel)
Childhood dream: College professor, pharmacist, judge
Hobbies: Music, watching movies, sketching, drawing character
Things she does well: Piano, gymnastics
Personality: Casual, happy, peppy
Habit: Fond of shaking her leg

Early life
Jeong Ryeo Won is the second child of the three children. Jeong was born in Korean but she immigrated with her family to Brisbane, Australia when she was 12 years old. She was an ordinary girl next door who wanted to be either a translator or a professor.

"In the first few years in Australia, I couldn't get along with Australian students," Jung admits. "Since there were few Asians in the neighborhood, the Australian students were very curious about me, but they also bothered me. When I was in sixth grade, I was standing at a pedestrian crossing one day and a car stopped. The driver rolled down the window and spat at me, shouting, 'Go home!' “

"At first, I didn't even understand what he said. I had never been abused for being yellow before." Since then, she studied English hard. "I thought, 'Hang in there and you'll soon be able to hold your own in English,' and I made progress quickly. One year later, I gave a speech as a representative of Asian graduates and talked about my experience of discrimination. I got a big round of applause."

Jeong was an international business major before she came to Korea. While visiting her mother’s country in the summer of 1999, she was discovered on the street and this changed her life, and her career path.

Grade School: JoongPyun Elementary
High School: McGrager State High
University: Griffin University --> GoRyu University

Career
On a trip to Korea in 1999, she was discovered by an agent who invited her to the K-pop group named Chakra. She was one of the exotic female foursome Chakra, but she confessed she felt like she was wearing uncomfortable clothes all those years when she was in the group. After the split up of the girl group, she made a successful debut as a full-time TV actress in MBC's "My Lovely Samsoon." She said she had to go through 11 auditions in the previous year, in which she was a cast in none of the roles. She even doubted her decision of becoming an actress. Looks like she did the right decision to pursue it!

TV Series

Cain and Abel (SBS, 2008)
What Star Did You Come From (MBC, 2006)
Autumn Shower (MBC, 2005)
My Lovely Sam-Soon (MBC, 2005)
Hello Franceska (MBC, 2005)
Saxophone (KBS, 2002)

Movies

Hello Ani (2007)
My Boyfriend is Type-B (2005)
Emergency 19 (2002)

Commercial Advertisements

Maypole (clothing)
Giordano (clothing)
Minute Maid (with Jung Ryu Won)

Heart Evangelista

2007-07-08T11:34:00.000+08:00

Love Marie Payawal Ongpauco, better known in her stage name as Heart Evangelista, is a Filipina actress, singer, model and VJ.

Childhood
She was born on February 14, 1985 to parents Reynaldo and Cecilia Ongpauco, she was the youngest in her family, with one brother (Miguel) and four sisters (Lisa, Marjorie, Michelle and Camille).

She comes from the Ongpauco clan of Barrio Fiesta fame. Her uncle (Rod Ongpauco) is the founder of the Barrio Fiesta restaurant chain while her father founded several Barrio Fiesta branches in San Francisco. She grew up and studied in the United States and her family moved back in her late toddler years to the Philippines.

Career
She was first discovered by a commercial agent while shopping at the mall with sister Camille. She signed up with Star Magic (formerly known as Talent Center) and was paired with John Prats in the show G-Mik. Her relationship with John Prats gained tremendous popularity, and they starred in several movies together-Trip, Ang Tanging Ina and My First Romance. They also starred in a teen-oriented show "Berks." After which their real and reel life romance fizzled.

Since then, she was paired with Geoff Eigenmann in the primetime soap opera "Hiram" which also starred Kris Aquino, Dina Bonnevie, John Estrada and Anne Curtis. This TV show earned her a Star Awards Best Actress nomination at the age of 20.

She has also starred in a fantasy-action TV show called Panday with her current boyfriend, Jericho Rosales.

Another notable achievement is winning best new female personality for both Star TV and Star Movie awards. She also won texter's and listener's choice at Himig Handog Awards for her single "Love Has Come My Way." Heart also released a single "Tell Me" in Australia which made it into the charts, peaking at number 18.

She is now managed by Manila Genesis Entertainment after her decision not to renew her contract with Star Magic (formerly Talent Center of ABS-CBN).

After taking almost a year off work and focusing mainly on hosting gigs and on her charitable foundation Heart Can, she has recently renewed her ties with mother station ABS-CBN and is now under a per project basis. She is set to do a new sineserye for the station, a remake of the movie Hiram Na Mukha and a new variety show as well. She also has a new album coming out in 2007.

Romance and Controversy
She had an off-screen romance with on-screen partner John Prats. After this, she was linked to a non-showbiz political scion. She has since then confirmed these to be true. She was also linked to actor John Lloyd Cruz but she denied having him as a boyfriend but admitted to going out with him on several dates. She was also rumored to date Geoff Eigenmann probably because of their soap together (Hiram) and in MYX but these rumors proved to be false. She is currently dating Jericho Rosales, thus who was 6 years her senior and rumors of marriage keep cropping up and they both say it most likely will happen but not right now because Heart is too young.

Religion or Charity Work
Since early 2006, she has been very vocal about her conversion from Catholic to Born Again Christian. She attends the Victory Christian Fellowship. She has always stated that her conversion is the reason she moved from the Star Magic (backed by mega-media-corporation ABS-CBN) to the small and independent religious/secular Genesis.

Since September 2006, she has started taking on a humanitarian role and founded Heart Can, a foundation to help children with respiratory diseases. The Heart Can foundation is taking her through a series of mall shows and has distributed several cans for donations in order to raise money for the young children to be benefited by the charity.

Even if her transfer from Star Magic to Genesis has caused her to lose projects and her popularity has declined from what it was before, Heart says she has no regrets because she needed the spiritual counsel that Genesis could provide her. She has also stated that she is very happy with her life, "not just working but having...living a life."