1 dead in Miley Cyrus tour bus crash

From the AP: One person was killed Friday when a tour bus belonging to entertainer Miley Cyrus overturned, but the 16-year-old Hannah Montana star wasn't on board, Virginia State Police said.

Sgt. Thomas Molnar said the bus ran off the left side of Interstate 85, struck an embankment and overturned. The accident occurred around 8:15 a.m. in Dinwiddie County, about 40 miles south of Richmond. Speed and weather weren't considered factors, although TMZ says the roads were wet from rain.

Molnar said the person who died at the scene was male, but didn't identify him pending notification of family members. One of the other nine people on the bus suffered minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital. Police wouldn't identify those aboard.

TMZ says officials were investigating whether the driver died before or after the accident, which may explain why it drifted off the road and skidded several hundred feet into a ditch.

Molnar said the bus was one of four traveling together after the singer's two-show stint Wednesday and Thursday in Long Island, N.Y. The group was heading to Greensboro, N.C., where she was scheduled to perform Sunday.

[Photo: Getty Images]

Source and source

Janet Jackson blames Dr. Conrad Murray for Michael's death

Janet Jackson has been staying pretty quiet since her brother Michael's death, but in an interview with ABC's Robin Roberts, the performer demands that MJ's doctor, Conrad Murray, be brought to justice. As if handing out a surgical anesthesia (possibly illegally) is something that warrants criminal charges!

"He was the one that was administering," Janet says in the interview, which will air Friday at 10 p.m. "I think he is responsible."

She also talks about how she feels about Michael's death, saying that when she heard the news, she was floored, and has been trying to cope ever since.

"It just didn't ring true to me. It felt like a dream," she said. "It's still so difficult for me to believe. It's, you know, you have to accept what is. But it's hard. You have to move on with your life. You have to accept what is and I understand that."

Luckily it sounds like Janet's largely been staying out of the estate fight her papa Joe has been waging. Not that she's given to believe accusations that Joe was an abusive father.

"You have to keep in mind that I'm the baby," Janet said, noting she's the youngest of nine siblings. "I think it's old-school. And that may extrapolate into, ah, being a little abusive. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

we understand that you just didn't witness it. So then how does she know that and then is so sure Murray is responsible for Michael's death? Oh, such circuitous logic!

[Photo: Getty Images]

Source

Ryan O'Neal shut out of Farrah Fawcett's will

The people closest to Farrah Fawcett in her final days, including longtime lover Ryan O'Neal, apparently got nothing in her will, RadarOnline reports. Maybe she was angry she didn't get her final wish to die at home.

While her will states that son Redmond would get $4.5 million from her estate, nephew Greg Walls got $500,000, dad James another $500,000 and ex-boyfriend Greg Lott another $100,000, O'Neal wasn't even mention. Neither were Alana Stewart, who filmed the documentary Farrah's Story, or Craig Nevius, who is suing Ryan and Alana for allegedly shutting him out of the production depsite making major contributions.

Also, her will stated that "Settlor declares that she wishes to remain at home for as long as possible during any period of illness or incapacity and to die at home." She instead died of cancer at age 62 in a Santa Monica, Calif., hospital on June 25. If that wasn't the reason she cut Ryan out of the will, maybe it was because he ran around telling everyone he asked her to marry him.

[Photo: Farrah and Ryan in 2004. Getty Images]

Source

Contestant on ABC's 'Wipeout' dies after stroke

A contestant on ABC's hit reality/game show series Wipeout died last week after having a stroke while performing a stunt, TheWrap.com reports.

Tom Sparks, a 33-year-old former DJ and production team member on Jimmy Kimmel Live, complained about knee pain during an obstacle two weeks ago and was sent off when producers noticed he was short of breath. He was taken to an L.A. hospital and later Cedars Sinai, where he required several brain surgeries before doctors determined so much brain damage had occurred and he couldn't be saved. He died Nov. 5.

Sparks was competing on the show with his wife of two months, Kate. His father, Bill Sparks, said that his son suffered from antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS), a disease that causes unnatural clotting of the blood, TheWrap says. Although Sparks was in good health and passed a physical for the show, such a disease would not be detected by normal tests.

“We offer our heartfelt condolences to the family,” a joint statement from ABC and production company Endemol read. “This is a tragic loss and our thoughts are with them at this time.”

Source

Lady Gaga's awards show arrival kills photographer

A photographer at Monday night's ACE Awards in New York apparently died after a fall when Lady Gaga arrived at the show, OK! magazine says. This may be too soon, but we always knew her fashion sense was killer.

“Gaga’s arrival made a photographer at the event pass out while standing on a ladder, causing him to fall to his death,” OK! quotes Fame Pictures. OK!'s Valerie Nome says that she did indeed see a photog lying on the sidewalk "with medical help surrounding him."

That's pretty tragic, but look at what girl is wearing. Nome says that she did all these weird clawing motions and refused to talk to anyone. Are we sure it wasn't Perez Hilton wearing his Gaga costume again?

[Photo: Getty Images]

Source

Yves Saint Laurent tops list of richest dead celebrites

Being dead doesn't mean being broke, as Forbes' list of top-earning dead celebrities proves zombies do exist -- in estate terms, anyway.

Topping the “Lucky 13” chart is fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent ($350 million), who died in 2008. The composing duo of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II ($235 million) was next, followed by Michael Jackson ($90 million), who died four months ago but may have finally solved his cash flow issues. Elvis Presley ($55 million) came in fourth; J.R.R. Tolkien ($50 million) raked in fifth and Peanuts creator  Charles M. Schulz ($35 million) was sixth. Even ex Beatle John Lennon ($15 million) made the top seven.

“The money might be drying up in Hollywood, but there’s still plenty of cash being made in the graveyard,” Forbes senior editor Matthew Miller told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “The earning power of dead celebrities is more powerful than ever.”

Rounding out the final six were Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel ($15 million); Albert Einstein ($10 million); Michael Crichton ($9 million); Aaron Spelling ($8 million); Jimi Hendrix ($8 million); and Andy Warhol ($6 million). Coming in dead last was the spirit of quality American entertainment, which is completely bankrupt.

David Spade says he and family are okay with Chris Farley Direct TV ad

If you've had a chance to see the latest Direct TV ad featuring David Spade with his dead friend Chris Farley in a riff of Tommy Boy and thought that was the definition of tasteless, take heart in the fact that the big man's family gave the company their blessing. And forget the fact that it gives you this vague, heavy hearted feeling you can't shake.

"When Direct TV came to me and the Farley family with this idea about Tommy Boy, we talked and thought it would be a cool way to remind people just how funny Chris was," Spade told Asylum.com of the commercial, which has been reviled by some Farley fans. "It is a clever homage to my friend and a movie that we loved do."

So never mind the fact that they are molesting the image of the funny fat man a little over a decade after his 1997 heart attack. The family's okay with recutting his famous "fat guy in a little coat" scene, so forget how the fans may feel.

"We should look to Chris' family and friends for the ultimate opinion on this subject," a Direct TV spokesman told Asylum. "They were involved from the beginning of this project and felt that the spot was a great to tribute to Chris."

We've got to wonder, do you think that's justification for this ad? Watch it above and let us know what you think. We can only wonder how much money they got from resurrecting Farley.

Source

Bruce Springsteen cancels concert after roadie cousin dies

From the AP: Bruce Springsteen canceled a performance in Kansas City on Monday night after his cousin and road crew member died. The death of 36-year-old Lenny Sullivan was announced in a statement on Springsteen's Web site.

Sullivan was found dead at Kansas City's Intercontinental Hotel hours before Springsteen and the E Street Band were to take the stage Monday night. KC police spokesman Capt. Rich Lockhart said officers were investigating the death, although he said it was not suspicious.

The Sprint Center arena said tickets would be refunded.

Source

Capt. Lou Albano -- wrestler, entertainer, video dad -- dead at 76

 

Captain Lou Albano, the former professional wrestler, fake dad for Cyndi Lauper and Super Mario Brother has died, the AP reports. He was 76.

World Wrestling Entertainment confirmed the death Thursday on its Web site. The Mount Vernon, N.Y., native has been battling health problems for several months and was under hospice care, charity Wrestler's Rescue told Newsday.

Albano performed with WWE from 1983 to 1996, when he was inducted into its hall of fame. He began his wrestling career in Canada in 1953 after attending the University of Tennessee.

His stubby stature and rubberband fetish really captured the hearts of millions in 1983 when he played Lauper's father in the video for her hit single Girls Just Want To Have Fun on a fledgling MTV. He later claimed to be the catalyst for her success, WWE says, although we don't see him taking credit for the decline in her popularity.

[Photo: AP]

Source and source

Paul Anka gets 50 percent profits from new Michael Jackson single 'This Is It'

Not long after we told you about Monday's new Michael Jackson single This Is It, there was a copyright claim, which makes perfect sense, because nothing has gone smoothly in this tangled web of greed and deceit. But the good news is the whole thing has been taken care of, and all long after the Eastern time zone quit paying attention to the West Coast. If only it were all so easy.

Songwriter Paul Anka noted that he co-wrote the song with Jackson way back in 1983 for a duets album Anka was recording. He noted as much to Jackson's estate, which was quick to award him 50 percent of the single's profits, perhaps because an extended court battle would have held up the upcoming concert movie of the same name.

"They did the right thing," Anka said. "I don't think that anybody tried to do the wrong thing. It was an honest mistake. ... There's nothing but honorable people here."

Well, we'd take issue with that, but Sony put its money where its hits are. The origin of the song was a mystery, since it was found in a box of tapes with only a Spartan piano and vocal arrangement. Jackson's brothers added backing vocals and an orchestral accompaniment was layered on posthumously.

Maybe they should have listened to more freestyle in 1990, when Safire, nee Wilma Cosme, recorded it with Jackson and Anka writing credits as I Never Heard on an album called I Wasn't Born Yesterday, which actually enjoyed heavy rotation in The Juice* boombox back in the day (listen to it below for comparison). True story.

Source