stanhotton

stanhotton

'We were shocked to see this,' read the Jacksons' message; Durbin tweeted an apology on Thursday.
By Gil Kaufman

James Durbin performs on "American Idol" on Wednesday
Photo: Michael Becker/ Fox

Some people might argue that it's patently unfair to take rank amateurs, put them on the biggest show on TV and then expose them to potential worldwide ridicule every week. Because it's one thing to tune in to "American Idol" from your living room or play shows at the local wings joint, it's another thing entirely when you get up on that stage and open your mouth with tens of millions watching and listening.

James Durbin learned this lesson the hard way this week when he made what he thought was an innocent crack about not setting himself on fire during his pyro-tastic cover of Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)" on Wednesday night.

Asked by host Ryan Seacrest if he was worried about dancing around among the flames shooting up from the piano onstage, Durbin joked, "I have a lot of hairspray in my hair to keep it from jumping around — so much so, the one thing I was worried about was having a 'Pepsi moment.' "

The seemingly innocent crack was a reference to the 1984 on-set accident in which late pop icon Michael Jackson was badly burned during the shooting of a Pepsi commercial by some wayward pyro effects. The serious burns he suffered in the incident allegedly led to his longtime addiction to pain medication and prescription drugs.

The Jackson family was not amused by the quip and sent a statement to TMZ on Thursday.

"We were shocked to see this. It's nothing to make light of and everybody should be focusing on who was responsible for Michael's death," read the statement. Family patriarch Joseph Jackson also was reportedly miffed that "Idol" producers did not cut the comment from the West Coast feed of the show.

Durbin defended his slip-up in a tweet, which has since been scrubbed from the singer's official "Idol" Twitter feed, that explained, "For anyone talkin ... I said pepsi NOT MJ! I have no disrespect for Michael. I grew up singing his art. I guess youll take it how you want it." He later added, "Talkin about MJs passing is too soon. Making a reference to an incident 25 years ago..not too soon. The stab was at pepsi people."

It's worth noting that Pepsi's bitter rival, Coca-Cola, is the main "Idol" sponsor, a fact that Seacrest reminded Durbin of in an awkward moment after the comment on the show.

What did you think of James Durbin's "Pepsi" quip? Tell us in the comments.

Related Artists

Michael Jackson

LeAnn Rimes Leeann Tweeden Leelee Sobieski Leighton Meester

stanhotton

A pesar de lo dicho ayer, Peter Mensch, manager del guitarrista Jimmy Page, se retractó totalmente en eso que la banda buscaría un reemplazo al ultragenial Robert Plant para seguir rockeando y toureándola por el mundo tras su show de 2007 en el O2 Arena de Londres por el poder de la música más sexual de la historia. No habrá más Led Zeppelin, no hay planes de que lo haya.

Mensch comentó: "Led Zeppelin se acabó. Si no los vieron en el 2007, se los perdieron. Probaron reemplazantes a Robert Plant, pero nada funcionó. Se acabó. No hay planes para continuar. Francamente, ojalá todos dejaran de hablar al respecto."

Los fans no están nada contentos, especialmente los británicos, considerando los precios delirantes de las entradas del show reunión.

¿Y a ti? ¿Qué te parece todo esto?

Related Artists

Led Zeppelin

Mila Kunis Milla Jovovich Minka Kelly Minki van der Westhuizen

stanhotton

The joint album from the two rap superstars finally has a release date.

Jay-Z and Kanye West
Photo: Getty Images

Related Artists

Connie Nielsen Cristina Dumitru Daisy Fuentes Dania Ramirez

stanhotton

'Michael Jackson's This Is It' Premieres In Los Angeles

Related Artists

Kelly Monaco Kelly Ripa Kelly Rowland Kerry Suseck

stanhotton

Singer covered songs ranging from classic 'Pleasure Principle' to 2008's 'Feedback' at New York show.
By Vaughn Schoonmaker

Janet Jackson (file)
Photo: Christopher Polk/ Getty Images

NEW YORK — Often imitated, never duplicated, Janet Jackson's outbursts of meticulous choreography, sassy exclamations and smoldering gazes into the audience kept them on their feet for the entire two-hour set of her greatest hits at Radio City Music Hall. Monday night marked the last of three sold-out shows at the historic venue on her monumental Number Ones: Up Close and Personal Tour.

Up-and-coming boy band Mindless Behavior opened the show with songs including "#1 Girl," "Future" and their debut single, "My Girl." With their Usher-esque dance moves and shouts like "Where the ladies at?" the boys brought the tween girls out of hiding, judging by the shrill screams escaping various corner of the music hall.

At 9:00 sharp, the lights went down and Janet's fans were on the edge of their seats, watching music videos for "The Best Things in Life Are Free" and "Rhythm Nation" projected on big screens across the venue. A small shadow drifted toward center stage, and when the colorful lights came up, Jackson, wrapped in a shoulder-padded catsuit, complete with slick short hair, blasted into "The Pleasure Principle," dancing as hard and intensely choreographed as she did when the song first came out in the 1980s.

With barely a spare second between songs, Janet dazzled her way through her biggest hits, including "Miss You Much," "All for You" and "Nasty," and more recent hits like 2008's "Feedback."

Videos displayed during Jackson's costume changes included vintage clips from "Diff'rent Strokes," a funny scene from "Poetic Justice" where Jackson slyly rejects the advances of Tupac Shakur's character, and a rather heavy scene, as Jackson's character in "Why Did I Get Married" destroys her husband's house with a golf club, screaming hysterically.

Considering the tough couple of years the Jackson family has faced, the dark moments in the video seemed fitting, and everyone was beside themselves with bittersweet joy when Michael Jackson's face popped up on the big screen and she performed their hit single "Scream."

Janet emerged for her encore in a tight white one-piece disco suit, and performed "Diamonds," "Make Me" and "Together Again," which appeared to be the biggest hit of the evening. As Jackson graciously bowed out, her straight face transitioned into a smirk, suggesting that despite the hard times she has experienced recently, we can expect to see this singing and dancing pop legend shine far into the future.

"Its amazing!" Janet fan Elena Mercantini gleamed afterward. "It's like she's still 20 years old!"

"She's hot, she's amazing and she's still got it after all these years" added Alison Klinger of Long Island. "Best concert I've ever been to!"

Related Photos

Michael Jackson: A Life In Photos

Related Artists

Eva Mendes Evangeline Lilly Eve Fergie

stanhotton

Family & Friends Say Goodbye To Michael Jackson

Related Artists

Michael Jackson

Marla Sokoloff Marley Shelton Mary Elizabeth Winstead Megan Ewing

stanhotton

Them Crooked Vultures make their debut with a post-Lollapalooza set.
By James Montgomery

Dave Grohl (file)
Photo: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

Officially, Lollapalooza ended Sunday night in Chicago's Grant Park, with dueling sets from the Killers and Jane's Addiction. Unofficially, it ended very early Monday morning, across town at venerable rock club the Metro, with a surprise show by Them Crooked Vultures.

To the unfamiliar, the Vultures might seem like an odd choice to close out Lolla weekend ... until you realize that they're made up of Foo Fighters frontman/ former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, Queens of the Stone Age mastermind Josh Homme and Led Zeppelin legend John Paul Jones. And their gig at the Metro was their world premiere.

According to some reports, the Vultures actually turned down Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell's request to replace the Beastie Boys as headliners at the festival, opting to debut in front of some 1,100 super-psyched fans at the Metro, rather than 75,000 in Grant Park (tickets for the gig were announced via Foo Fighter/ QOTSA fan clubs). Meaning that, in a lot of ways, this was the most sought-after ticket in town.

Taking the stage just after midnight, the Vultures — Grohl on drums (of course), Homme on guitar and vocals, Jones on bass and keys and frequent QOTSA contributor Alain Johannes on guitar — ripped through 12 songs in 80 minutes, all taken from their upcoming debut, which may or may not be called Never Deserved the Future, and may or may not be hitting stores on October 23 (early "promo" videos touting both those facts were revealed over the weekend to be hoaxes perpetrated by QOTSA fans).

The songs, with appropriately Homme-ian titles like "Scumbag Blues," "Mind Eraser (No Chaser)," "Caligulove" and "Interlude w/Ludes," sounded pretty much how you'd expect, given the band's pedigree. They rocked, hard — Chicago Tribune critic Greg Kot described them as "fresh, invigorating and just plain nasty" — delving off into psychedelic, reverb-filled excursions and exploring proggy territory, "both of the old-school Yes variety, and the more modern Tool flavor," according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Jim DeRogatis.

It's not known if Monday's Metro performance was a one-off event for the Vultures — there have been whispers of a full-blown tour, but a spokesperson for Homme had not responded to MTV News' request for comment at press time. Nor was it clear whether or not they'll have an album out in October.

Early Monday, a Crooked Vultures Twitter account, which had previously posted links to the band's official-looking Web site and the Metro's online ticketing site — posted a link to what appears to be the group's first bit of official merchandise: a Deserve the Future T-shirt. Cost: $30.

Related Videos

The Lollapalooza 2009 Experience

Related Photos

Vampire Weekend, Jane's Addiction, More At Lollapalooza 2009

Related Artists

Eva Green Eva Longoria Eva Mendes Evangeline Lilly

stanhotton

Beat It

Artist: Michael Jackson
Label: Epic Records
Director: Bob Giraldi
Album: Thriller [Bonus Tracks]

Kelly Ripa Kelly Rowland Kerry Suseck Kim Kardashian

stanhotton

Justin Timberlake also wanted to sign Bieber, 'Never Say Never' star said in 2009.
By Jocelyn Vena

Justin Bieber
Photo: Brian Phares/MTV News

Just as the world was learning who Justin Bieber was, MTV News caught up with the shaggy-haired singer in September 2009. He was gearing up to release his debut album, My World, and plotting his pop-world domination. In the year and a half since that interview, Bieber has done the nearly impossible, launching himself into the pop mega-sphere.

In the chat, Bieber recalled how he and his manager, Scooter Braun, met and eventually got big names interested in signing the teen.

"My manager found me on YouTube. He flew me out to Atlanta for the first time — I'd never actually been on a plane before. He flew me to Atlanta where i was going to the studio to meet some people," he recalled.

"And Usher happened to roll up in his Range Rover. I ran up to him, and I was like, 'Usher, I love your songs. Want me to sing you one?' The politest possible way he could say no, he did. ... I took the hint. I didn't get to sing for him: He had to run into a studio session."

But later, Usher was beckoning the teen back to the ATL. "He actually watched my videos — after my manager got to talking to him — and was like, 'I should have let this kid sing,' and flew me back to Atlanta where I got to sing for him in a proper setting. A week later, I had a meeting with Justin Timberlake, who also wanted to sign me, so they both kind of wanted me."

As the story goes, Bieber went with Usher, and the two never looked back.

"As far as Usher being my mentor, he's definitely given me words of wisdom. I hear it from everybody, but definitely to hear it from Usher is great, just to stay humble and grounded is very important," he explained.

"There's a lot of people, especially young stars, that have gone down the wrong path, and I definitely plan to stay humble and stay grounded and keep my family first, because that stuff really is important in life."

On Friday, Justin Bieber's 3-D documentary, "Never Say Never," opens. The film takes a look at how the teen star worked to hit it big. MTV News has been chatting with him along the way, from the time he first burst on the scene in 2009 until now, as he embarks on a huge 2011 that will include a tour and more new music.

Related Videos

Related Photos

Photos From Justin Bieber's Interview With Sway

Related Artists

The Pussycat Dolls Thora Birch Tila Tequila Tina Fey

stanhotton

Video Phone (Extended Remix)

Artist: Beyoncé
Label: Columbia, Music World Music
Director: Hype Williams
Album: I Am...Sasha Fierce

Majandra Delfino Malia Jones Malin Akerman Mandy Moore

stanhotton

'We all felt 12 again, sliding down the side of this building, shooting, screaming,' Tyrese Gibson tells MTV News.
By Kara Warner

Shia LaBeouf in "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
Photo: Jaimie Trueblood

For those who've seen "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," there is so much going on in the film that one could spend the next 12 months breaking down all the dirty details. We've already tackled the nods to "Star Trek" and the "Transformers"-specific Easter eggs, so today we turn our attention to one of the film's most impressive action sequences: the part when evil Decepticon Shockwave sends his massive, spinning, snakelike destroyer after our protagonists, who become trapped in the upper stories of a tall building. The Transformer proceeds to cut the building in half, leaving our heroes no option but to jump out of the windows and slide down the outside of the building to safety.

MTV News had the scene's stars, Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Tyrese Gibson, explain how they managed to pull off that sequence.

"The building comes up on what I can only describe as a crane," Whiteley explained of the rig used to support and move the specific set piece. "It tilts to about a 40-degree angle. It's built to look like the outside of a skyscraper," she said. "Shia, myself, Tyrese, the Marines, we all set at the top, Mike [director Michael Bay] would scream 'Action!' and then we would slide down this thing," she recalled. "And then flower pots, chairs, paper and fake glass, tennis balls, every office supply you could possibly think of would get thrown down after us."

Despite the gravity of that particular scene, it turns out that the boys thought of the tilting skyscraper set piece more like a ride at a county fair.

"This thing had to be 150 to 200 feet in the air. It was like a huge slide," Gibson said. "We all felt 12 again, sliding down the side of this building, shooting, screaming, doing everything we had to do in those scenes.

"It was scary stuff," he added with a smile. "It was scary with the idea that we are about to be eaten, eaten alive."

"We shot that for three weeks or so," LaBeouf said. "You're basically pulling yourself on rope to get to the top of the thing. It's like a big slide, you know those slides they have at fairs where you get the little brown bag? Brown bag slides, sort of like that."

Huntington-Whiteley added that in the midst of all the fun had while sliding, she learned very quickly to pay attention to her landing and get out of the way when she reached the bottom of the set piece. "I'd always hit the bottom first. It took one time to realize if I didn't get out of the way really quick, I was going to get flattened by a 300-pound man coming quite quickly after me!"

Check out everything we've got on "Transformers: Dark of the Moon."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

Related Videos

MTV Rough Cut: 'Transformers: Dark Of The Moon'

Related Photos

'Transformers: Dark Of The Moon'

Vitamin C Vogue Whitney Able Whitney Port

stanhotton

Five people were arrested, five officers injured during Smif-n-Wessun's album release party on Tuesday.
By Rob Markman

Smif-n-Wessun
Photo: MTV News

It was all love, according to Brooklyn, New York, rap group Smif-n-Wessun and their producer Pete Rock. That was until the police came and busted up the group's album-release party in Manhattan on Tuesday night.

"It was beautiful, man. Me and my wife and my family walked up in there, everybody giving us love, pounds, they're happy I'm in the house," Pete Rock said of the scene at Tammany Hall, the club where Smif-n-Wessun performed and held an album-release party for their new LP, Monumental, released on Duck Down Records.

According to Rock, the night went smoothly as he, Tek and Steele (the two rappers who make up the group Smif-n-Wessun) performed songs from their new album in front of the sold-out crowd. For the group, the first signs of trouble arose when the club's house lights came on. "We noticed two cops came in when the lights came on. Then they went back out, then they came back in," Pete Rock recalled.

The legendary hip-hop producer, who has crafted hits for Kanye West, Busta Rhymes and Mary J. Blige, then saw his friend Lewis Peña being assaulted by the police. "Like four or five cops threw him against the wall, beat him with the stick, punching him with closed fist, had him on the ground beating him motionless with their sticks and it was just crazy. It just got crazy," he said.

Rock witnessed his wife and stepdaughter being hit by police as well. Peña, his stepdaughter Jade Everette, and three others were arrested that night. All five of the individuals arrested by police were later released on their own recognizance, MTV News has confirmed with the rap group's attorney.

Five officers were injured during the melee, one with cuts on his neck, one with a broken nose, one with a broken tooth and two with contusions to the head, according to MSNBC.com.

In a statement issued to MTV News, New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly justified the officer's actions that night: "Police officers had every right to defend themselves against individuals assaulting them, and used appropriate force in doing so. They also protected civilians who were being pelted with bottles at the outset, as they responded to the location at the request of the club's own security."

Steele, who witnessed the drama inside of the club unfold from the stage, tells a drastically different story. "That party, it was flawless. It was flawless, it was packed. I personally was under the impression that security had everything taken care of," he said. "I was totally not aware of anything that might have happened outside. As far as inside, it was all smiles; it was all smiles and fun."

That was until he saw Peña, who was onstage with the group earlier, being beaten by the cops. "My initial response to that was, 'What is my friend doing on the floor? This guy just stepped off the stage. Why is he on the floor?' " Steele told MTV News. "Their response was, 'Get the F back.'

"They pushed us back in the club, they maced him while he was on the floor, maced us back in the club. It was pandemonium."

From the outside of the club, fans documented the ruckus on camera phones and personal video devices. Many of the clips have since been uploaded to YouTube and other social-networking sites. Pete Rock and Smif-n-Wessun say that they were unaware of any drama and say that club patrons should have been forewarned by police and given a chance to exit in an orderly fashion. "Nobody came into the club, nobody said, 'Listen we're going to shut it down in a few minutes, everybody disperse,' " Steele said. "When we got that information, people were leaving. The police incited a riot by grabbing folks, by pushing folks out."

Related Artists

Gina Philips Gisele Bündchen Giuliana DePandi Giulianna Ramirez

stanhotton

Video Phone (Extended Remix)

Artist: Beyoncé
Label: Columbia, Music World Music
Director: Hype Williams
Album: I Am...Sasha Fierce

Julie Benz Julie Berry K. D. Aubert Karen Carreno

stanhotton

The 'O.M.G.' singer looks forward to sharing the stage with his protégé on Sunday night.
By James Montgomery

Usher
Photo: Amanda Edwards/ Getty Images

HOLLYWOOD — At Sunday's 53rd Grammy Awards, Usher will be pulling double duty as both a nominee and a performer. Of course, given the massive year he just completed — with the success of his smash single "O.M.G." and as a mentor to rising phenom Justin Bieber — Ush's Grammy plans seem rather fitting.

Especially since he'll be performing with Bieber (and Bieber's pal Jaden Smith), a move that's just as much about celebrating Usher's successes as it is the successes of his young protégé.

"Having been through [the Grammys] so many times, you couldn't want for anything more than for your young protégé to have the opportunity to have one, so, in support of him having his moment, I wanted to be here," Usher told MTV News on Thursday, hours before his performance at the (Belvedere) RED launch party in Hollywood. "And also to be there to perform, to kind of tell the story of how we came together. This music business has definitely been good to both of us, and this year we have a lot to be happy for."

And just how will the dynamic duo tell that story? Well, Usher wasn't about to reveal all the details, but he did say that he's hoping their performance will show another side of Bieber ... a side most tend to overlook.

"The performance will be fun," Usher explained. "We want to get up there and just do what we do. Be comfortable, and have a great time. ... This is kind of a crossover for Justin. Having performed on so many different stages, this is the way that I wanted him to be seen and an opportunity to show the industry — a lot of the industry, that didn't believe [in him] — some of his other talents. He's going to play acoustically, and also, we'll get down a little bit."

And though Ush is up for a pair of Grammy awards on Sunday — Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best Contemporary R&B Album for Raymond v. Raymond — he's most looking forward to sharing the stage with Bieber and giving fans a look at where the young artist will be heading next.

"I'm very proud, man. I definitely saw it from the beginning, but thanks to the team that we have around us, it was made to happen. And that story has only just begun," Usher said. "The story of Justin Bieber doesn't stop with screaming girls; we need screaming fans all around the world ... a cultural experience that's much more than just fanfare. And that's what this is. That's what the Grammys will be; that's what my next phase for Justin is. This is the way I found him: I found him with a guitar in his hand, so I want him to be seen that way."

Don't miss "Snooki & Sway: Live From the Grammys," a red-carpet live stream kicking off Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on MTV.com. And stick with us all Grammy night for coverage of the red carpet, the show, the afterparties and beyond!

Related Photos

Related Artists

Amanda Righetti Amanda Swisten Amber Arbucci Amber Brkich

stanhotton

'I feel like we were very annoying to people on set,' co-star Leighton Meester tells MTV News.
By Christina Garibaldi

Katie Cassidy, Leighton Meester, and Selena Gomez in "Monte Carlo"
Photo: Twentieth Century Fox

Selena Gomez's When the Sun Goes Down was released on Tuesday, but the star isn't just celebrating a new album this week. She heads back to the big screen with a leading-lady role in "Monte Carlo."

In the movie opening this weekend, Gomez plays not one, but two characters: an American teenager, Grace, and British heiress Cordelia, which required the Disney actress to take on an English accent.

"I did about two weeks [of training] before the film," Gomez told MTV News of learning the accent. "It was really fun [but] I was really nervous."

And the fun didn't stop there. Gomez also bonded on the set with her "Monte Carlo" co-stars, including "Gossip Girl" star Leighton Meester, who plays Gomez's stepsister; Katie Cassidy; and "Glee" heartthrob Cory Monteith, who had the tough job of working alongside some of Hollywood's most beautiful ladies.

"Going to hang out with a bunch of hot chicks in Europe? Sign me up!" Moneith laughed when we asked what attracted him to the role. "It was a no-brainer. They approached me to do a movie, and I heard Selena Gomez wanted to do it and shoot in Europe."

The cast spent two months filming overseas, primarily in Monte Carlo and Paris, and they had as much fun onscreen as they did off.

"We sang a lot," Gomez said of her castmates.

"I feel like we were very annoying to people on set," Meester added.

Of course, considering Monteith, Meester and Gomez are all singers, it's hard to believe anyone found them "annoying." So what was their song of choice?

"[We sang] to actual songs that were out," Gomez said. "But we would create our own lyrics; it was really fun."

"There was a little jumping and jiving," Monteith admitted. "We were so taken away by the moment, shooting in Paris, shooting the Eiffel Tower," he speculated about what may have inspired all that singing. "It was incredible."

Check out all of the stars in action when "Monte Carlo" hits theaters on Friday.

Check out everything we've got on "Monte Carlo."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

Ashanti Ashlee Simpson Ashley Greene Ashley Olsen

stanhotton

Piece of Me

Artist: Britney Spears
Label: Jive/Zomba Label Group
Director: Wayne Isham
Album: Blackout

Joss Stone Jules Asner Julia Stiles Julianne Hough

stanhotton

Celebs Bid Farewell To Oprah Winfrey At Her Final Show Tapings

Related Artists

Leonor Varela Leslie Bega Leslie Bibb Lil Kim

stanhotton

Ke$ha, Chris Brown Heat Up The Us Hot Hollywood Party

Related Artists

Ke$ha

Mariah Carey Mariah OBrien Marika Dominczyk Marisa Coughlan

stanhotton