Former Warrant singer Jani Lane dies in Los Angeles (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Jani Lane, the once energetic blond lead singer and songwriter for heavy metal band Warrant, has been found dead in a Los Angeles motel room, police said. He was 47.

Lane, best known for singing lead vocals and writing the Hollywood glam band's hits such as "Cherry Pie" that led them to success in the late 1980s and early 1990s, was discovered in a motel in Woodland Hills on Thursday, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department said.

The cause of his death was unknown and coroner's officials were conducting an investigation into Lane's death.

The Ohio-born Lane left Warrant left several times, including in 1993 and 2004, before returning for a series for concerts in 2008, after which he left the band permanently.

Lane also pursued a solo career and appeared on a reality TV series about celebrities aiming to lose weight. He had been arrested several times for drunk driving.

The appearance of the formerly big-haired leather-clad singer, who would often bounce around on stage and dive into the audience, had changed in recent years as he sported cropped hair and glasses.

Warrant's other hits included "Heaven," and "Sometimes She Cries" and the rock anthem "Down Boys."

(Reporting by Christine Kearney, editing by Patricia Reaney)

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Costa Rica names suspect in singer Cabral killing (AP)

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica – A Costa Rican is suspected of being behind the ambush last month that killed Argentine folk singer Facundo Cabral and wounded a Nicaraguan businessman who is believed to have been the target, authorities said Tuesday.

Alejandro Jimenez Gonzalez is accused of leading an organized crime group involved in money laundering with operations around Central America, Costa Rican Attorney General Jorge Chavarria told reporters.

Chavarria said authorities believe a rift over a theft of illegal drug money led to the July 9 attack that Guatemalan authorities think was aimed at Henry Farinas, who survived. Farinas was driving Cabral to the airport when they were ambushed.

Costa Rican authorities said they raided five properties Tuesday believed linked to Jimenez or his family. They say he may have fled to Panama.

Three other suspects have been arrested in Guatemala in relation to the attack.

Guatemala's chief prosecutor, Claudia Paz y Paz, has said the men appeared to have had Farinas under surveillance for about a week before the attack.

A Guatemalan investigator, who would not allow his named to be used, has said the suspects told authorities they didn't know the famous folk singer was in the car.

Cabral, who was 74, rose to fame in the early 1970s as part of a generation of singers who mixed political protest with literary lyrics.

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Move to name peak for singer John Denver hits snag (AP)

By STEVEN K. PAULSON, Associated Press Steven K. Paulson, Associated Press – Mon Aug 8, 4:05 pm ET

DENVER – Thousands of Coloradans have signed a petition to honor environmentalist and "Rocky Mountain High" singer John Denver by naming a peak after him in the central Rockies close to where Denver penned the song.

But the U.S. Board on Geographic Names said federal policy is to avoid adding names to peaks in federal wilderness areas, and Mount Sopris, a majestic volcanic summit west of Aspen, is in one.

Others prefer a different place to recognize the revered singer, whose "Rocky Mountain High" is an official Colorado state song.

And still others oppose the idea because they just don't like the music of Denver, who was killed in a California plane crash in 1997.

Littleton resident J.P. McDaniel said she has thousands of signatures supporting her idea to name the east peak of the 12,965-foot mountain after Denver. She's sending application documents to the geographic names board, which is based in Reston, Va. A review process could take up to a year.

"This is to bring awareness of a person who really made a difference and gave a lot of his life to environmental issues. I think he'd be OK with it," McDaniel told The Associated Press on Monday.

McDaniel said she chose the mountain's east peak because Denver wrote "Rocky Mountain High" at Williams Lake, on the east side of Mount Sopris, which was named after Richard Sopris, an early Denver mayor who led a prospecting expedition nearby.

It's also in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area, which poses a problem. The geographic board's executive secretary, Lou Yost, said that under the board's interpretation of the Wilderness Act of 1964, applying new names to features in wilderness areas detracts from the wilderness experience.

Exceptions can be made for safety or educational reasons, he added.

But McDaniel said Congress set a precedent by renaming South Hunter Peak in Alaska's Denali National Park and Preserve after the late Sen. Ted Stevens, who was killed last year in a plane crash.

Not everyone is on board with the plan.

Carol Kurt of the Colorado Mountain Club in Aspen, about 20 miles east of Mount Sopris, said she has climbed the mountain eight times.

"I actually like it as Mount Sopris," Kurt said. Upon further reflection, she said, it wouldn't hurt to name one of the twin peaks after Denver.

McDaniel, who said she met Denver in the 1980s, said some comments she has received have been hurtful.

"One person said (Denver) was just a human muppet, while others said his music was too syrupy. There are only a few opponents, but they're really loud," she said.

___

Online:

http://johndenver.com

http://geonames.usgs.gov/

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S.Africa cricket captain Smith 'weds Irish singer' (AFP)

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – South African skipper Graeme Smith married Irish singer and model Morgan Deane at a private ceremony in Cape Town, media reported on Sunday.

The Sunday Times weekly newspaper said the couple exchanged vows at an intimate ceremony at St Bernard Catholic Church in Claremont on Saturday and afterwards joined family and friends at a reception overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Both Smith, 30 and Deane, 26, took to Twitter just before the ceremony.

Deane twitted:"Today I'm getting married to the man of my dreams," while Smith tweeted: "Thanks for all your positive vibes!! Most exciting day of my life."

The couple got engaged in April when Smith flew to Ireland to pop the question after the Proteas' shock 49-run defeat to New Zealand sent them crashing out of the Cricket World Cup in March.

His move angered South African fans who accused him of dodging the fallout of the Proteas' exit when he did not return home with the team after their quarter-finals loss.

However he apologised to the fans for not returning from India with the team after the World Cup exit, saying he should have explained his reasons earlier.

The Sunday Times said Deane arrived at the church, which was decorated with arum lilies, in a black Bentley sporting a white ribbon.

She emerged wearing a white silk dress and towering white peep-toe pumps holding a bouquet of white roses.

Smith wore a navy suit and tie with a white shirt.

Friends and family of the bride flew in from Ireland for the wedding.

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'Hundred Pounds of Clay' singer McDaniels dies (AP)

PORTLAND, Maine – Gene McDaniels, who recorded the 1961 hit "A Hundred Pounds of Clay" and later wrote Roberta Flack's chart-topping single "Feel Like Makin' Love," has died. He was 76.

McDaniels died Friday at his home in Kittery after a brief illness, his wife, Karen McDaniels, told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

During his career, he has had hits as a producer, writer and artist.

McDaniels' first hit was "A Hundred Pounds of Clay." The song, which featured his take on the Biblical account of the creation of the first woman, peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard pop chart in 1961, the same year his song "Tower of Strength" hit No. 5. McDaniels also recorded other hits, including "Point of No Return" and "Another Tear Falls."

As his success as a pop singer faded, McDaniels emerged as a successful songwriter. His most famous song, "Feel Like Makin' Love," went to No. 1 for Flack in 1974 and was also nominated for a Grammy. McDaniels' songs were also recorded by top artists like Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Johnny Mathis and Ray Charles.

In 1986, McDaniels received an award from BMI for his work on "Feel Like Makin' Love." His website says the song has achieved more than 6 million performances and has been recorded on 400 albums.

His song "Compared to What," received new life recently when it was re-recorded and released by John Legend and The Roots on their 2010 album, "Wake Up." Its socially conscious lyrics also led it to be used in eight motion pictures, including "The Ice Storm" and "Casino."

Even though McDaniels is best known for music that made the pop charts, his wife, Karen, says her husband's first love was jazz and he continued into the genre long after his pop career ended. He was working on music projects as a singer, writer and producer until his death, releasing an album of his own as recently as 2009.

"He is music. He cannot not do music. Every day was about music and his family," Karen McDaniels said.

McDaniels also branched out into movies in his later years. According to his website, 15 years ago he got involved in writing and producing film and video. He also did video game and audio book voiceover work.

Born in Kansas City, Kan., McDaniels was raised in Omaha, Neb. His father was a minister and he sang in church choirs before leaving home for Los Angeles as a young man to break into the music business.

He moved to Maine about 25 years ago, his wife said.

McDaniels is survived by his wife, five sons, one daughter and a sister.

___

Associated Press writer Oscar Garcia in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

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Gospel singer Delois Barrett Campbell dies at 85 (AP)

By CARLA K. JOHNSON, Associated Press Carla K. Johnson, Associated Press – Wed Aug 3, 8:07 am ET

CHICAGO – When she sang "Fly Away," Delois Barrett Campbell's voice soared to the church rafters and her joy raised the roof.

The gospel legend was the oldest of the three singing Barrett Sisters, who electrified audiences worldwide with their powerful harmonies. She died Tuesday at a Chicago hospital at age 85, daughter Mary Campbell said. Delois Campbell's health had been deteriorating and she had been hospitalized at least twice in recent months.

"I believe she was born to sing," Mary Campbell said of her mother. "Each time she sang it was as if she were performing to a cathedral full of people, no matter how small the group was."

The Barrett Sisters, raised on Chicago's South Side and coached to sing by an aunt, grew up to become what music critic Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune has called "the greatest female trio in gospel history."

The trio shared a gospel lineage with the greats. In the girls' youth, Thomas A. Dorsey, now considered the father of gospel, was stirring up change as music director of Chicago's Pilgrim Baptist Church, where he mixed the worldly and the sacred during the Great Depression. In high school, Campbell joined the Roberta Martin Singers, a touring gospel group that emerged from the church's youth choir.

The popular music of the Andrews Sisters also influenced the Barrett Sisters, and as young women, they practiced blending their voices on both religious and secular songs. The Barrett Sisters recorded their first album together, "Jesus Loves Me," in the mid-1960s.

New generations discovered the Barrett Sisters when they appeared in the 1982 documentary "Say Amen, Somebody."

New Yorker film critic Pauline Kael described the trio as "dramatic, physically striking women with ample figures in shiny, clinging blue gowns." She wrote that they "sing so exhilaratingly that they create a problem." Kael wanted more music, less talking, in the film.

The film opened doors for the Barrett Sisters, Mary Campbell said. "That's when they began their European travels," she said. "It gave them the publicity they couldn't afford."

The sisters appeared in Patti LaBelle's 1990 television special "Going Home to Gospel." In 2008, they received the Ambassador Bobby Jones Legend Award at the Stellar Awards, the national gospel music awards show.

Campbell's husband, the Rev. Frank Campbell, died in 2000. The couple had four children; two are deceased.

The surviving members of the Barrett Sisters, Rodessa Barrett Porter and Billie Barrett GreenBey, sang with guest vocalist Tina Brown in March 2011 to celebrate Campbell's 85th birthday at a gospel concert in a Chicago church. Campbell, her voice diminished to a whisper, watched from a chair near the altar.

In a video clip from the concert, Brown paid tribute to Campbell. "She is my personal queen of the gospel," Brown said.

Campbell said her mother was visited on Monday by singer Jennifer Hudson, who said she grew up listening to the Barrett Sisters.

"She was by her bedside," Campbell said. "It meant a lot to us."

Funeral arrangements were pending.

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Lead singer of Breaking Benjamin fires bandmates (AP)

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – Breaking Benjamin has evidently broken apart.

The platinum-selling rock band from northeastern Pennsylvania is mired in a legal dispute over what its founder and leader singer, Benjamin Burnley, called an unauthorized remix of one of the band's hit songs, "Blow Me Away."

Burnley says in court documents that he fired guitarist Aaron Fincke and bassist Mark Klepaski via email after learning his bandmates had struck an agreement with Hollywood Records to issue the remix.

The Citizens' Voice of Wilkes-Barre (WILKS'-ba-ree) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_en_mu/storytext/us_broken_breaking_benjamin/42466442/SIG=10mgcb88k/*http://bit.ly/pWAMOt reports that Burnley seeks at least $250,000 and the exclusive right to the Breaking Benjamin name. Fincke and Klepaski deny Burney's claims. A Luzerne County judge has ordered arbitration.

The band's management declined to comment to the newspaper.

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Boys II Men singer talks band's early days (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – Boys II Men singer and "The Sing-Off" judge Shawn Stockman said his group was brought together more by music than friendship.

"When me and the guys first started singing, we sounded so good, like, we didn't even like each other," he said at the Television Critics Association summer press tour Monday. "Seriously: We were singers before we were friends. But we sounded, to us, so good together that it was addictive. We wanted to sing together all of the time."

Stockman described the early days of his group to make a point about the power of music.

He and fellow judges Ben Folds and Sara Bareilles agreed that the acapella music featured on the show can be less lucrative than other musical forms -- so the people who do it, do it for love of their art.

Stockman said Boys II Men used to sing together in subways for the acoustics -- and turn people down when they tried to give them money.

"The harmonies would go for miles and people would try to give us money and we were like, we don't want it. It wasn't about money," he said.

"The Sing-Off" returns for its third season in the fall.

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Singer will.i.am to work with US, perform in China (AFP)

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US singer will.i.am, the frontman of the Black Eyed Peas, will partner with the State Department to promote cultural and educational exchanges with China by directing a concert in Beijing this year.

The Grammy winner met with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday to discuss President Barack Obama's "100,000 Strong Initiative," which aims to increase the number of US students in China, the State Department said.

The concert, which will feature performances by will.i.am and other US and Chinese pop stars, will promote and benefit the plan, said the statement, which did not give details about the other participants.

"In order to become responsible global citizens, young people need to experience the world around them," will.i.am said in the statement.

"We must make sure that American students have the cultural awareness and skills necessary to succeed in a global economy."

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Aspiring singer Pablo Dylan speaks about grandpa Bob (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – Pablo Dylan, the 15-year-old grandson of music legend Bob Dylan, is making a name for himself in rap.

The son of Bob's oldest son Jesse - a music video director who has worked with the likes of Lenny Kravitz, Tom Petty, and Will.I.Am for the Barack Obama "Yes We Can" video - Pablo Dylan released his "10 Minutes" mixtape, available for download on his site.

"We got like 50,000 views on that, and I just got back in the studio to work on things and perfect everything," Pablo said in an interview with AllHipHop.

In his single, "Top of the World," Pablo raps: "I'm a grandson of a man nothin' less than legendary."

"I consider him the Jay-Z of his time, he continued in the AllHipHop interview. " has a legacy that a lot of people look up to."

While his name carries the weight that got his work out there, Pablo is hoping to gain traction based on his own efforts.

"Of course we do two different things, and I don't want people to see me for what he has done," Pablo told AllHipHop. "But, what I have done, I mean from a musical and personal standpoint, is definitely influenced by him."

(Editing by Jill Serjeant)

(This story corrects the name Pablo Dylan in the first paragraph)

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Winehouse family visit growing shrine to singer (AFP)

LONDON (AFP) – Amy Winehouse's parents visited the growing shrine of flowers, messages and candles left in tribute outside her London home Monday, as doctors carried out a post-mortem on the 27-year-old's body.

Mitch and Janis Winehouse formally identified the British soul singer's remains before going to see the growing memorial outside her home in Camden Square, north London, which also included beer cans and vodka bottles.

Taxi driver Mitch said they were "devastated" by Winehouse's death at her house on Saturday, which is not being treated as suspicious. The cause of death remains unknown.

With her sultry vocals and trademark beehive hairstyle, Winehouse was considered one of the finest British female singers in years, but she had struggled with drink and drug addictions.

A post-mortem examination took place on Monday and an inquest was formally opened, allowing the body to be released to her family for her funeral. It was immediately adjourned until October 26.

Although the family have yet to set a date, Jewish funerals traditionally take place as soon as possible following a death.

The post-mortem was conducted at the nearby St Pancras Mortuary, with the formal inquest opened and adjourned in a two-minute hearing at St Pancras Coroner's Court.

Inquests in England establish the identity of the deceased, and the place, time and cause of death.

Coroner's officer Sharon Duff gave Winehouse's full name, age, date and place of birth, divorcee status, address and occupation. She said her parents had identified the body and tissue samples had been taken.

"She was certified dead at her home by a paramedic and a doctor on July 23," Duff said.

"A section 20 post-mortem has been carried out and histology and toxicology taken to determine the cause of death.

"The scene was investigated by police and determined non-suspicious."

Police said the toxicology results were not expected for two to four weeks.

Mitch Winehouse, who flew back from New York after hearing of his daughter's death, could barely speak as he was consoled by fans and well-wishers.

"Thank you for coming. This means so much to my family," he said, his voice cracking with emotion.

Winehouse was particularly close to her father, a jazz aficionado, who inspired her love of music by singing to her when she was a child.

"You people in the street, I can't tell you what this means to us. It really is making this a lot easier for us," he said.

"Amy was about one thing and that was love. Her whole life was devoted to her family and her friends.

"We're devastated and I'm speechless."

The singer's mother was in tears when she looked at the tributes and took pictures of them on her mobile phone.

Winehouse won acclaim with her 2003 debut album "Frank" but her second and last album, "Back to Black", released in 2006, contained her biggest-selling single "Rehab" and propelled her to international success, landing her five Grammy awards.

She married Blake Fielder-Civil in Miami in May 2007 but they had a tempestuous relationship. He spent part of their marriage behind bars for attacking a pub landlord and a subsequent attempt to cover it up.

They divorced in July 2009.

Winehouse often laid bare her demons in her lyrics, but they increasingly took over, and she had to scrap a European comeback tour after stumbling through the opening performance in Belgrade on June 18.

Media reports Monday said that with her health frail, her doctor had paid a routine check-up visit on Friday evening and left with no concerns.

Winehouse had spoken to her security guard at around 10:00 am Saturday, when she was in her bedroom saying she wanted to sleep, her spokesman Chris Goodman told The Sun newspaper. He found her dead six hours later.

The singer is expected to top the British charts when they come out on Sunday following a huge surge in demand.

"Back to Black" re-entered the charts at 59 on Sunday, the Official Charts Company said, despite there being only a few hours between her death and the weekly charts being compiled.

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Britain's "Rehab" singer Amy Winehouse dies aged 27 (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) – Amy Winehouse, one of the most talented singers of her generation whose hit song "Rehab" summed up her struggles with addiction, died in London on Saturday at the age of 27.

The Grammy winner, famed for her black beehive hair, soulful voice and erratic behavior on and off stage, was found dead at her new home in Camden a month after a shambolic performance in Serbia forced her to cancel her entire European tour.

Police were called to the address at around 1500 GMT and nearly five hours later the body was removed for a post mortem after it appeared she had lost her battle with drink and drugs.

"Inquiries continue into the circumstances of the death," said police superintendent Raj Kohli. "At this early stage it is being treated as unexplained and there have been no arrests in connection with the incident."

He said reports that Winehouse had died of a suspected drugs overdose were speculation at this stage.

Family members had long warned that Winehouse's lifestyle, which saw her in and out of rehab and blighted her career as a live and recording artist, could be her downfall.

Her last filmed performance was in Serbia in June, when Winehouse was jeered by the crowd as she struggled to perform her songs and stay upright. On some tunes, the audience did most of the singing.

The gig, posted on the YouTube video sharing site, prompted her management to cancel all scheduled performances and give the performer as long as it took to recover.

Winehouse's record label Universal said in a statement: "We are deeply saddened at the sudden loss of such a gifted musician, artist and performer. Our prayers go out to Amy's family, friends and fans at this difficult time."

Around 50 shocked fans and onlookers as well as camera crews and photographers gathered behind police tape blocking off the leafy street where Winehouse had just moved into a new house.

A few left flowers, candles and a teddy bear. One note of condolence read: "Beautiful Amy, night night, sleep tight."

"BACK TO BLACK"

The British singer was discovered by soul singer Tyler James at the age of 16 and in 2003 her debut album "Frank" was released, to general acclaim.

Her second album "Back to Black" was released in October 2006 and reached the No. 1 spot in Britain and earned her five Grammy awards, pop music's equivalent of the Oscars.

The album produced a string of memorable tunes, including "You Know I'm No Good," "Love Is a Losing Game" and "Rehab," which contained the line: "They tried to make me go to rehab. I said 'no, no, no.'"

Born on September 14, 1983, to a Jewish family with a history of jazz musicians, Winehouse's personal life has filled Britain's tabloid newspapers.

Winehouse was photographed wandering the streets of London barefoot and in only a bra and jeans in 2007 looking confused, the same year she married Blake Fielder-Civil who spent time in prison for beating up a pub landlord. They divorced in 2009.

In 2008, the singer's father Mitch said she had developed the lung condition emphysema and warned it could kill her if she continued to smoke drugs.

Mitch, a taxi driver who launched his own musical career on the back of his daughter's success, was in New York when the news broke. British media said he was on his way back to London.

Tributes poured in for an artist whose personal troubles stole the headlines in recent years and thwarted plans for an eagerly-anticipated third album.

Soccer star and celebrity David Beckham told Sky News: "It's very sad, she was such a talented girl, and a girl with such a huge future. Our hearts go out to her family, her loved ones."

Sarah Brown, wife of former prime minister Gordon Brown, tweeted: "sad sad news of Amy Winehouse - great talent, extraordinary voice, and tragic death, condolences to her family."

Kelly Osbourne, a singer and television personality, also took to the micro blogging site, writing: "i cant even breath right now im crying so hard i just lost 1 of my best friends. i love you forever Amy & will never forget the real you!"

"RICH, SOULFUL VOICE"

The Recording Academy in the United States praised the singer, who brought elements of jazz and Motown back into the musical mainstream.

"Her rich, soulful and unique voice reflected her honest songwriting and earned her a devoted fan following, critical acclaim, and the genuine respect and admiration of her musical peers," said its president Neil Portnow.

Broadcaster and radio DJ Paul Gambaccini said Winehouse's early death was sadly no surprise.

"We have been dreading this news for some time, hoping against hope that she would turn herself around, but she showed no evidence of being able to do so," he told BBC TV.

"She just could not control herself. It's tragic because both (her) albums were superb. We have 40 years of Frank Sinatra records, it turns out we only have two Amy Winehouse records."

Daniel Rossellat, founder of the Paleo Festival in Nyon, Switzerland, where Winehouse had been due to perform before withdrawing from the tour, likened her to Janis Joplin, another gifted singer who died at the age of 27.

"It is the tragic end to a wonderful voice, similar to Janis Joplin both in destiny and in voice," he told Swiss television.

Singer Billy Bragg wrote on his Twitter page that Winehouse joined not only Joplin but also Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain -- who all died at the same age.

(Additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva, editing by Peter Millership)

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Singer R. Kelly out of hospital after surgery (AP)

CHICAGO – A spokesman for R. Kelly says the R&B singer is out of the hospital following throat surgery this week.

Spokesman Allan Mayer said Thursday that the 44-year-old left Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago and is recuperating at his home in the city.

Mayer says it isn't clear when the Chicago native might be well enough to resume performing.

The Grammy-winning singer had complained of throat pain and was taken to the hospital on Tuesday. The same day, surgeons drained an abscess on one of his tonsils.

The self-proclaimed Pied Piper of R&B released a critically acclaimed retro-soul album last year, titled "Love Letter." He recently completed the U.S. leg of a worldwide tour.

Kelly won a Grammy in 1997 for his gospel-tinged "I Believe I Can Fly."

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Hot Singer Eva Rahman New and Exclusive Sexy Looks in Sharee Picture

                       BD Female Hot Pop Singer Eva Rahman New and Latest Hot Photos Collection

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