The Los Angeles Times has published an absolutely outstanding piece on the legendary career of Diana Ross.

This commentary, written by Ernest Hardy, points out that 12-time Grammy nominee Ross has not only never won a Grammy, she’s also never been given proper credit for achievements and impact on the music industry and the culture.

He provides some compelling reasons why. Here are some excerpts from the piece:

The Grammys aren’t the only place where 67-year-old Ross, a primary architect of modern pop culture over her five-decade career, has been undervalued.

It’s long been fashionable to lampoon her in the media and in critical circles, to dismiss her voice and her trailblazing accomplishments — to cast her in the one-note role of incorrigible diva.

Questlove, drummer and co-founder of the Roots, suggests that the failure to recognize Ross’ achievements is also due to the way art and artists are treated in this country.

“America is such a disposable arts culture,” he says, “that it’s easy to dismiss things, to take them for granted. And I’m one of those guilty people. I have every [Ross] album. I’ve seen every special. But you take it for granted so much that you don’t even mention it.”

Visual artist Mark Bradford observes: “She was a trailblazer who wrote chapter after chapter, who put herself at the center of the conversation and demanded a seat at the table,” he observes. “She didn’t want black power. She wanted power.”

“There’s this thing with women — especially women of color — that when they have ambition, it’s [perceived as] a character flaw” Bradford added. “But Diana Ross would throw it in your face. She didn’t apologize for it. We applaud ambition but on very narrow terms — for a woman, for an African American, and especially for an African American woman — and she ignored all those limited and limiting terms in order to set her own.”



Adam Lambert will reportedly be joining the legendary rock group Queen this summer as its lead singer at the Sonisphere Festival this summer.

Lambert would be stepping into the shoes of the late Freddie Mercury who died in 1991 and who last appeared with his band at Sonisphere.

‘The intention is to pay tribute to Freddie and the band by singing some f*****g great songs,’ Lambert reportedly told the UK’s Daily Star. ‘It’s to keep the music alive for the fans and give it an energy that Freddie would have been proud of.’

UPDATE: After reports of the collaboration were widely reported Friday, Lambert took to Twitter to say that his quotes were taken out of context and that ‘I haven’t confirmed any guest appearances.’

Lambert wrote that he was talking about when he joined the band at MTV’s EMAs in Belfast last November.

‘I’m truly flattered by your jump to such glorious conclusions mr journalist!!’ he tweeted Friday evening.

Read more about it over at Gay Star News. Also, below is the video for Better Than I Know Myself which he unveiled online at midnight. Check it out!

MY ALBUM COVER!!

Adam Lambert has just unveiled his new album cover via Twitter!

Trespassing will be released in March but the hype is continuing to build!

TRIBUTE: So sad to learn of the death today of singing legend Etta James. Her assertive, earthy voice lit up such hits as The Wallflower, Something’s Got a Hold on Me and, of course, At Last.

I saw her sing live exactly once and will never for get it. I was working a weekend shift for the Los Angeles Times in the early 90s and was assigned to cover a Blues Festival in Dana Point. I remember sitting on a grassy hill and listening to Miss James’ set, going back to the office to write the story then heading to the store to buy several of her CDs.

I’ve never stopped playing them.

Here are a trio of videos of her performing At Last, Something’s Got A Hold on Me and Take a Piece of My Heart.

Between Brett Ratner resigning from the Oscars and Ellen DeGeneres being named a new global AIDS envoy, it’s been a mighty busy day here at Greg In Hollywood.

But before I watch Kurt and Blaine go all the way on tonight’s Glee and Teddy get hitched to some dude on tonight’s 90210 (don’t ya wish TV was always this gay?), I want to wish a very happy birthday to openly gay singer Sam Sparro.

He was born in Sydney and spent his childhood there then his family moved to Los Angeles when he was 10. Sparro’s debut single, Cottonmouth, was released in late 2007. His second single, Black and Gold, peaked on the UK Singles Chart at number two in April 2008 and at number four in Australia and has since been used in soundtracks and promotional campaigns for various television series, video games, and films.

Sparro’s self-titled debut album, Sam Sparro, was released in the UK in April 2008 and reached the top five on the UK Albums Chart. He was nominated for a Grammy and was named Outstanding Music Artist at the 2009 GLAAD Media Awards.

I adore Cyndi Lauper as an artist and even more as a person who has used her fame to help the LGBT community on so many levels.

She is on the cover of the latest issue of Frontiers IN LA which I just picked up at Cafe Tropical in Silverlake (you’ve gotta try the guava empanadas here!). Anyway, Stephan Horbelt talks to the great star about her latest album and her performance – scheduled for tonight! – at Club Kokia in LA.

Here are some excerpts:

When I started singing, I had all intentions of being this really fantastic background singer. But I kept falling because I couldn’t dance on the platform and sing at the same time. So when they got a manager, he said, listen, she keeps falling, so bring her to the floor—she sings good but her dancing is really bad. So I did! Then it went from that funk disco stuff to a Janis Joplin tribute band—that’s when I started singing. And so, to do this now is kinda like going back to the beginning again. It’s great.

You’re known for being an unwavering advocate for gay equality. How would you describe your relationship with the LGBT community?
Close friends and family—end of story. I was a working mom—rocker, whatever—who was working in her field and saw how things were going under different administrations, where even the president was making speeches about hate. And I was like, OK, I’m not gonna stand by anymore. And at that time, if anybody said anything, they were called dissidents. And I was like, no, that’s called ‘American.’ You’re allowed in this country to raise your voice up if you feel that something is wrong. And if you raise your voice up, you should also vote, because if you want to be included and you want your opinion to count, you gotta vote. It’s our birthright as Americans—the freedom of speech. So I said, ya know, maybe there’s something I could do. [Sigh] I just didn’t know what was happening in my country. Doesn’t everybody give a damn about equality? Isn’t that why everyone came here, so they could have a fair shot?

So I got involved, but a very big part of all the activism that goes on is not just me. I’m the famous person, but it’s my manager who works tirelessly, Lisa Barbaris, and Gregory Lewis, who has been the strong-arm of the Give A Damn Campaign and a lot of what we’re doing.

The politicians are politicians—they could give a hoot. But if you really want to talk about bullying and things that are happening in this country, here’s the deal: If your kid is a bully, he or she is in just as much trouble as the kid who’s being bullied. They have issues—something’s up. And here’s the other thing: If we go around bullying each other and everyone is afraid of this and that, you know what we’re left with? Nothing. You’re left with a bunch of a fear.

Like the Matthew Shepard thing—we didn’t just lose Matthew. Those other two kids are gone—they are lost. And ya know, it’s the parents—it’s us as parents. Are you gonna show up for your kid or not? Are you gonna teach your kid hate and fear? Yeah? Why? That hate and fear is gonna ruin your child.

Then I met Joe Solmonese from the HRC, I started working with them and with Judy Shepard, and I started to see that they really care about changing things by informing people about stuff, offering the information. Because if we don’t have information—information is power, and I still believe in power to the people. Not some of the people, all of the people. Not just the fanatics who want you to have their religion. That’s why I live in this country—I don’t want anyone else’s religion. I like that ‘separation of church and state’ thing. That’s why I stay here.

But yeah, I’m an advocate. I have a strong-arm in my manager. She also is an advocate. Gregory is also an advocate. All these people who I’ve met who work tirelessly—yeah, I’m the guy in front to shake hands and take pictures, but that’s what I’m supposed to be doing.

Here is a LINK to the entire interview with Miss Lauper.

She enjoyed such 60s chart-toppers as Do You Know the Way to San Jose, Walk On By, Anyone Who Had a Heart, I Say a Little Prayer, Alfie and I’ll Never Fall in Love Again then in the late 70s and 80s hit it big again with Heartbreaker, I’ll Never Love This Way Again, Deja Vu, Love Power and That’s What Friends Are For, among others.

Friends won Grammys for Warwick and her singing partners Gladys Knight, Elton John and Stevie Wonder and the single’s proceeds raised more than $3 million for the American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR).

Miss Warwick recently sat down with HIV Plus magazine to talk about her decades of AIDS activism. Here are some excerpts:

“I’m a performer. The industry I am in has lost a multitude of talented people,” says Warwick, who lost her assistant to AIDS in the 1980s before the disease even had a name.  “That’s when I had a very strong message sent to me to stop talking and start doing, and as a result of it, my advocacy started getting known throughout the country.”

Today, Warwick’s advocacy continues in communities like Harlem, where she works to educate young African-Americans who are hit particularly hard by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. When asked her thoughts on the cause of the disproportionate impact, she responds, “Economics, nothing more than that.” Still, she said that services have multiplied and improved over the years, continuing, “…there was no place for African-Americans to go, which give me even more strength to combat this thing.”

Some things, however, have not changed for the singer, whose career now spans five decades. “Lyrically, it’s the same message of I’m going to be there for you,” Warwick says. “Friends are the ones who are there for you. That’s exactly what this is all about. Being human. Having humanity.”

Here is a LINK to the complete article.

The singing star, whose new album, Stronger, is just out, told the ladies of The View this week that she has dated “some cool guys” but has yet to meet one that she wants to spend the rest of her life with.

“I’m from a small town so, like, everyone’s married with children or about to have children,” she said. “So it’s a little hard when you go home and people are like — and that’s why people think I’m gay – because they’re like ‘Why aren’t you married?’ And I’m like, ‘it doesn’t happen for everyone right off the bat.”

Well, that’s just silly!

“U2 and five handsome, strapping men from Stoke and Manchester. I’m not afraid to admit it, they made me ask the question ‘Am I gay?’” Martin said earlier this week at The Q Awards in London.

Martin, who is married to Gwyneth Paltrow, made the remark while presenting a trophy for songwriting to Gary Barlow, a member of Take That.

Martin rarely speaks about Paltrow, the mother of his two children, publicly and he joked on The Ellen DeGeneres Show this week that the Oscar winner has “been a great beard for me now, for 10 years.”

Good grief Adam Levine is good looking.

But you already knew that!

The Maroon 5 frontman and breakout star of NBC’s The Voice is on the cover of OUT Magazine and talks candidly about a variety of topics. Here are some excerpts:

On being a part of The Voice: “That show’s become a part of me. Being in a position where you can help these people out and — of course I get paid, and of course it’s good for my career as well. But there’s a lot of real talent, and it makes me excited to know I’m part of that.”

On his sexuality: “There’s no way to hide my straightness,” he says, “but if people didn’t think there was a small chance I was gay, then I wouldn’t be doing my job very well. Look at the best ones, guys whose sexuality was always questioned. Bowie. Jagger. Freddie Mercury. I wouldn’t be the front man of a band if that question hadn’t come up at some point. …I’m extremely comfortable in my sexuality, so I can think, Oh, that’s a good-looking dude. Acknowledging that someone’s attractive and wanting to fuck a dude are two different things.”

On his younger brother who is gay: “I can single-handedly dispel any ideas that sexuality is acquired,” he says, laughing. “Trust me, you’re born with it. My brother is gay, and we knew when he was two. We all knew. We all really wanted to provide some cushion for him and constantly let him know that it’s OK. A lot of people don’t want their kid to be gay and will fight it at all costs. But I’ve got news for you—it’s a losing fucking battle. The more you fight it, the more fucked-up your kid’s gonna be. You’ve just gotta embrace it from the beginning. That’s the only way to deal with it as a family. Otherwise, you’re just screwing yourself over, and you’re gonna make your kid miserable.”

Here is a LINK to the entire interview.

The all-female rock band The Go-Go’s got a well-deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today. All five members - Charlotte Caffey, Belinda Carlisle, Gina Schock, Kathy Valentine, and Jane Wiedlin – were on hand for the unveiling outside the site of The Masque, said to be where the band first performed on stage. Among those in attendance was Belinda’s impressive son, James Duke Mason, who is the founder of the new Trailblazer Campaign.

He wrote on Facebook of being “so proud” of his mom and her bandmates and that he was there “not just as the son of a GoGo, but as a fan of the amazing, groundbreaking music the band has created over the last 3 decades.”

Get More: Adam Lambert, Behind the Music, Free Music Videos, Top Songs

The new album, which Barbra personally produced, features ten Bergman songs which she has never previously recorded. Included in the set are the Academy Award-winning song The Windmills of Your Mind from the 1968 film The Thomas Crown Affair as well as So Many Stars which was a hit for Sergio Mendes & Brazil ’66, Nice ‘n’ Easy as popularized by Frank Sinatra, and That Face as first recorded by Fred Astaire.

Also in August, PBS will begin airing One Night Only – Barbra Streisand at the Village Vanguard.

In September 2009, a select group of fans and friends had the rare opportunity to experience the legendary star’s performance in the ultimate up-close-and-personal setting of the historic Village Vanguard in Greenwich Village. She was at her most intimate accompanied by piano, bass, guitar and drums.

Check your local PBS listings.

Superstar Adam Lambert, who performed on American Idol Thursday, talked to The Hollywood Reporter this week about a variety of topics including the dance remix of his anthem Aftermath (proceeds from download sales of the song benefit the Trevor Project) and about the exciting current Idol contestant James Durbin.

Here are some highlights:

THR: You performed on Idol last season with lasers and smoke, this acoustic version of “Aftermath” was far more stripped down. Is that meant to convey the vulnerability of the song? How did you feel about the performance?

Adam Lambert: I felt really good. It was a bit out-of-body, as usual, but I always find that those are probably the best performances. There’s something kind of magical that happens when you’re completely in another zone. It’s like peoples’ energy affecting you from the outside in.

Q. And getting across the message of the song was important to you…

A. Yeah, it’s about being honest with yourself and the people you love. We’ve all been there where we’ve been worried about that moment — whether it’s having a secret or something to overcome or get past – of chaos that happens right before you make the big step to fix it or to relieve yourself. It’s a scary time, it’s uncertain, so that’s one of the things that I wrote the song about. In my mind, it was about coming out and how scary a step that is. And how once you do make the leap, you go, “Wow, I feel liberated, there are other people like me, all I feel now is love!” Hopefully the message gets out there.

Q. Which ties together nicely with the Trevor Project initiative?

A. It can be about a lot of different things. It’s a really interesting song because one of the people I wrote it with was talking about overcoming addiction, someone else said it spoke about family. When I was an adolescent, I was really confused and had the good fortune to be raised in a very liberal, open home, but not everybody is. Back when I was dealing with that, I didn’t really have a lot of examples. So that was one of the other reasons why I wanted this song to be a battle-cry, because there’s not a lot of people that are championing this type of issue.

Q. Last year it was Siobhan Magnus, this year, people compare James Durbin to you. You just met James, what was that like?

A. He’s great. He seems like such a nice guy and he sounds great on the show. He’s amazing, a total rocker!

Q. And the comparisons, whether welcome or dismissed?

A. I take it as a compliment because I think he’s good. And he said the same thing. I do see the similarities with the high rocker thing but I do think we’re really different as well. It’s like saying me and David Cook are the same just because we’re both guys and singing rock. I think James is much more metal. And if I had to make any sort of observation, I’d venture to say he’s more 80s and I’m more 70s. But I think he’s really talented.

Here is video of Adam’s performance on Idol from a few days ago in case you missed it:

Justin Bieber is just 16 and in the process of forming his thoughts about all kinds of things.

But he’s also a teenager with millions of rabid fans.

So when the teen star was asked in the March 3 issue of Rolling Stone his views on various hot-button issues, I was happy to see he does not give a closed-minded response in regards to homosexuality: “It’s everyone’s own decision to do that. It doesn’t affect me and shouldn’t affect anyone else.”

He also does not come out against pre-marital sex but does say: “I don’t think you should have sex with anyone unless you love them. … I think you should just wait for the person you’re … in love with.”

He also was asked about the intensity of his fans: “I really don’t know why they’re acting that way. And you know what? I don’t think about it. My attitude is, why ask questions when things are going so well? Ain’t no questions that should be asked in this situation! They love me, and that’s it.”

I know all you Adam Lambert fans are eagerly awaiting the singer’s follow-up album to For Your Entertainment.

Well rest assured that the Grammy nominee is doing a lot more than just growing his hair long these days.

Adam says he hopes to have a new CD out by the fall with a single hitting the airwaves by late summer.

But he is being thoughtful about what to record.

“…I’m going to take my time and really write the most personal songs, the most powerful songs,” Adam said. “I really want it to be something that’s really honest and real. … I’m starting to talk to some writers and come up with some ideas, and I’ll be writing a lot of it myself. It’s going to be very pop, very rock, maybe even a little dark.”

Source: OnTheRedCarpet.com

American Idol opens its 10th season tonight on a new night for performances (Thursday nights will be the results shows) and with two new judges: Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler.

As we all know by now, Simon Cowell had a big sendoff at the end of last season, Ellen DeGeneres quit during the summer and Kara DioGuardi was given the boot.

So there’s all sorts of reasons to tune in tonight: How will the sole returning judge Randy Jackson fare as the one with the final word? Will Jennifer and Steven be a good fit for the show? How long will host Ryan Seacrest pause between the words “This …. …. …. is American Idol” ?

So much to look forward to! Oh yeah, and a whole new crop of contestants! Will we find another Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Chris Daughtry or Adam Lambert? Or will this be a lackluster Lee DeWyze, Taylor Hicks, Kris Allen season?

I had a chance to chat with Idol’s executive producer Nigel Lythgoe over the weekend about this fresh start for the show. He was the original showrunner but left in 2008 to focus on So You Think You Can Dance? He was lured back last spring and is excited for the revamped show to finally air.

“I just want to get it on the air now!” he told me.

So, is the show going to be better than ever?

“What are we going to say? ‘No it’s terrible, you shouldn’t watch it?’” he said. “We’re always going to say, ‘This is the best season ever, the talent’s the best.’ Ironically I do believe the talent is the best we’ve had in many, many years. I think Steven and Jennifer brought a new excitement to it. Forget the speculation now, just see it and judge for yourselves. I think everyone’s going to be very happy. I know I am.”

Idol remained the top-rated show on television last season but it did suffer a significant drop in viewers. Does he feel extra pressure because of that?

“I don’t worry about ratings,” he insisted. “I’m not paid to worry about ratings. I’m paid to make the best show I can and I believe that that’s what we’re doing. After that, it’s up to the public. Ratings-wise, I’ll let somebody else worry about that.”

How has it been for him to be back in the Idol fold after two seasons away?

“It’s been great,” he said. “I’ve come back because it’s at a very creative time. Once you get into that vibe of ‘Don’t touch anything! Don’t touch anything!’ there’s no need for an executive producer. I think over the last two years mistakes have been made and now we’re back to being on the right road and being creative so it’s delightful for me. I’m back with my Idol family and it’s a good time to be there.”

American Idol’s two-hour season premiere airs tonight on Fox at 8 p.m.

Really enjoyed seeing out musician Dave Koz at the LA Gay and Lesbian Center’s annual gala last month.

I waited to post our interview until it got closer to the date of his 13th annual Dave Koz and Friends Christmas tour coming to LA’s Nokia Theater on Sunday Night (Dec. 19). Ticket info HERE.

David has been playing the holiday show in other venues and also promoting his first album on the Concord label called Hello Tomorrow which came out in October.

“It’s a very positive reflection on the future during these crazy unfamiliar times,” Dave says of the disc. “I’m proud to say it camew out as number one on the Billboard contemporary jazz chart and the single is number one.”

Dave had long been one of America’s best-known saxophonist for years when he decided to come out publicly as a gay man in 2005.

He told me he has had absolutely no regrets.

“I’m a musician, it took me forever to come out. I never planned on doing it,” he admits. “It wasn’t until I was 40 that I did it. And when I finally did it, it was the right time. It was a blip on the screen, it made no impact on my career at all.”

So professionally it did not matter one iota. But personally, it was very profound.

“I just became a whole person for the first time,” he says. “So if some [gay] kid is growing up in some city or some rural place in the US, if they want to me a jazz musician, they can Google me and they’ll see that guy came out and it’s fine, nothing happened. If my life helps just one kid deal with this in their life, it will be worth it.”

“In 2010 there are so many positive role models for kids nowadays on television, in the music world and films,” he added. “But there’s still so much misunderstanding and intolerance.”