07/28/2011
Amy Winehouse 'Had A Huge Heart,' Producer Salaam Remi Says
Remi opens up about working with Winehouse on third album, which is not complete.
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Kim Kane
Amy Winehouse
Photo: Roger Kisby/ Getty Images
Salaam Remi was already an established producer before he met a then-unknown singer named Amy Winehouse, having already created hits for the likes of Nas, the Fugees and Ini Kamoze (to name just a few). But from the minute he was introduced to Winehouse in 2002, his life — and career — were forever changed. Because not only did he produce the lion's share of her recorded work (her 2003 debut Frank and the follow up, 2006's iconic Back to Black), but he became a close friend with the mercurial Winehouse too, a confidant who knew her better than most.
So when Winehouse died on Saturday in her London home, it was somewhat fitting that Remi was nearby: in town to attend the wedding of the singer's former manager. In fact, he had planned on stopping by Winehouse's apartment that day to catch up with the singer.
MTV celebrates Amy Winehouse's music with a special show tonight.
Days after Winehouse's death, Remi spoke via telephone with New York's Power 105.1 host Kim Kane about the loss of his dear friend and the status of her new album. Kane was kind enough to share their conversation with MTV News.
"We were working on it; it's not a complete album," Remi said, debunking reports that her third LP was finished and slated for release. "We had a lot of things going, there are recordings, but first things first, I think. We're trying to focus on what's at hand and what her family wants to do. So those reports [that there is finished material] are false."
Read more about Amy Winehouse's influence on music beyond "Rehab."
Remi also told Kane that despite near-constant speculation about Winehouse's health, he believed that she was well enough to complete her new album and was actually using the ongoing recording sessions as a sort of therapy, channeling her emotions and frustrations into her songs.
"To put it all in a nutshell, Amy loved to sing, to write ... that ability never left her," he said. "She was very good at channeling her emotions into lyrics, and then being able to sing them. She was in a place to go forward and make it happen. ... The way that Amy and I always created was, she would write and we would toss ideas around."
And though details surrounding Winehouse's death remain murky, Remi said that he's trying very hard to block out the near-constant media coverage of her passing and focus instead on the private moments the two shared in the studio. Those moments revealed the artist few ever knew: opinionated, funny and, above all else, caring.
"Amy had strong opinions on everything. .... She was very opinionated about what she liked. At the end, she was a real person," he said. "She had a huge heart. We'd be working for hours and she would have everybody in the room snickering. She always had a joke. You could hear a lot of that in her lyrics, she could be sarcastic and she was extremely witty ... but more than anything else she was a real person, an individual artist."
Celebrate Amy Winehouse on Wednesday night (July 27) at 6:30 p.m. ET/PT, when MTV will air an encore presentation of a performance she taped in the MTV studios in 2007.
Related Videos Related Photos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1668008/amy-winehouse-salaam-remi.jhtml
Jesse James Awarded Sole Custody Of Daughter Sunny
Jesse James Awarded Sole Custody Of Daughter Sunny
Jesse James has been awarded sole custody of his seven-year-old daughter Sunny after a legal battle with his ex-wife, former porn star Janine Lindemulder. Jesse, [...]
Jesse James Awarded Sole Custody Of Daughter Sunny Stupid Celebrities GossipStupid Celebrities Gossip News
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/stupidcelebrities/~3/0PE65mBkcso/
07/27/2011
Spotted: Mariska Hargitay and Amaya ? Happy In the Hamptons
Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/N3ozUWxs460/
Jake Gyllenhaal: Back From Dad's Wedding
Enjoying an afternoon outing, Jake Gyllenhaal was spotted arriving at a friend?s house in Los Feliz, CA on Tuesday (July 26).
Dressed in workout clothes, the ?Source Code? actor looked a bit on the buff side as he hurried out of the view of the on-hand paparazzi.
The sighting comes as Jake headed to the North Shore of Oahu over the weekend to show his support for his film director father?s second wedding.
Joined by sister, Maggie, the 30-year-old stud happened to be one of the groomsmen, while he also was able to fit in a little Aloha State surfing during the brief island getaway.
Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/jake-gyllenhaal/jake-gyllenhaal-back-dads-wedding-528596
Rihanna Tops Lady Gaga In Facebook Fans
Rihanna has around 40,000 more admirers than Gaga on the social-networking site.
By Gil Kaufman
Rihanna
Photo: Vallery Jean/ FilmMagic
We talk a lot around here about all the records Lady Gaga is breaking, but as of Friday (July 15), there was one title that even Gaga's ferocious Little Monsters couldn't help her win: Queen of Facebook.
Though Mother Monster has an impressive 40,575,791 Facebook fans at press time, she was just pushed down to #2 in the bid to be the most popular woman on Facebook by Rihanna, who slipped into the lead with 40,616,457 fans, or around 40,000 more Facebook admirers than Gaga.
The passing of the torch was noted by Facebook's marketing director Randi Zuckerberg, who tweeted on Thursday, "Sorry, Gaga! As of today, Rihanna has passed Lady Gaga as the #1 most popular woman on Facebook."
Of course Gaga still rules the roost on Twitter (with 11.6 million followers, she bests Rihanna, who is down at #13 in Twitter followers), where she was the first person to surpass the 10 million mark. And that's just one of the many records she's smashed on her way to the top.
She can also breathe easier now that her personal YouTube channel has been restored after going offline earlier this week thanks to a copyright-violation issues.
A YouTube spokesperson told MTV News that the takedown order was given after Gaga had accumulated an unspecified amount of copyright claims, which results in an automatic suspension of an account. The clip that appeared to trigger the suspension involved unauthorized posting of a recent performance from Japan involving the popular boy band SMAP, who appeared in a medley of Gaga tunes on a TV broadcast.
Do you "like" Rihanna or Gaga on Facebook? Let us know in the comments!
Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1667357/rihanna-lady-gaga-facebook-fans.jhtml
Ashley Tisdale: Workout Ready
Keeping her fabulous form in tip-top shape, Ashley Tisdale was spotted at Equinox gym in Los Angeles, California this afternoon (July 27).
The "High School Musical" hottie kept it casual for her heart-pumping physical fete, wearing a red t-shirt, black leggings and a pair of silver and blue running shoes.
Staying busy with promotional duties, Ashley appeared on her first-ever Comic-Con panel over the weekend to discuss her Disney Channel animated series "Phineas and Ferb."
While discussing her voice work for the show, Tizzie told press, "It?s really fun, it?s a whole different world from doing live action things, it?s once you kind of get into that world it?s amazing."
Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/ashley-tisdale/ashley-tisdale-workout-ready-528657
