MTV News |
- Ou Est Le Swimming Pool's Charles Haddon Dead At 22
- Concertgoer Leaps To Death At Swell Season Show
- Lauryn Hill's Long Road To Rock The Bells: A Timeline
- 'Expendables' Holds Steady At Friday Box Office
- Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton To Make 'Joyful Noise'
- Wyclef Jean Presidential Bid Squashed By Haiti Officials
| Ou Est Le Swimming Pool's Charles Haddon Dead At 22 Posted: 21 Aug 2010 04:40 AM PDT Haddon reportedly committed suicide after performing at Belgium's Pukkelpop festival.
Charles Haddon, lead singer of the British synth-pop trio Ou Est Le Swimming Pool, reportedly took his own life on Friday. He was 22. According to reports, the frontman plummeted from a telecommunications mast onto a parking lot after performing at the Pukkelpop festival in Belgium. According to BBC News, police are handling the incident as a suicide. "We are all so deeply saddened to confirm that our friend Charlie Haddon passed away yesterday, Friday 20th August," the band said in a statement posted on their MySpace page Saturday (August 21). Pukkelpop organizers confirmed the tragedy as well. "After performing with his band Ou Est Le Swimming Pool, singer Charles Haddon decided to take his own life," festival organizers said in a statement, according to the Guardian. "Our thoughts and sympathies go out to his family and friends." The electro-pop outfit was in the midst of a tour, and a schedule posted on their MySpace page shows that the trio had concerts lined up through October. Upcoming dates include slots at Australia's Parklife festival and a string of headlining dates in their native U.K. NME reports that on Saturday Ou Est Le Swimming Pool cohorts La Roux dedicated their performance at the U.K.'s V festival to their late friend. "Yesterday a friend of ours died. His name was Charley and he was from Ou Est Le Swimming Pool. They supported us on tour, and he died yesterday at Pukkelpop. So the whole of the set is for him really," La Roux singer Elly Jackson said. "Can we have a big hand for Charley please?" Share your memories of Charles Haddon in the comments below. Related Photos |
| Concertgoer Leaps To Death At Swell Season Show Posted: 21 Aug 2010 03:21 AM PDT The band is 'shocked and saddened' by the tragedy.
A man reportedly committed suicide at a concert featuring the band Swell Season on Thursday. According to The Associated Press, 32-year-old San Jose resident Michael Edward Pickels leapt to his death in front of an audience of hundreds at the band's show at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga, California. Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office spokesman Rick Sung said that Pickels jumped from a roof shielding the stage around 10 p.m. and fell onto the stage near Season frontman Glen Hansard. Hansard reportedly stopped playing and approached Pickels' body. He was later pronounced dead after attempts to revive him failed. "The band, crew and all involved with them are shocked and saddened by the death that occurred at the August 19th show. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the deceased, his family and friends," the group said in a statement posted on their website. "Making and performing music is what the band has always done in good times and in bad. Our hope is that in this communal experience tonight we can somehow help our own grieving process after what we just witnessed. The show will most certainly be different than any other we have ever played." The duo, who are known for winning an Oscar for Best Original Song in 2008, added that they plan to continue their current tour. According to their website, Season has shows scheduled for Saturday (August 21) and Sunday. "We wish to continue to be sensitive to family and friends of this individual and hope that in performing it is not viewed as a selfish act. We have not come to this decision lightly," the band said. "We continue to have them at the forefront of our minds and hearts." Related Artists |
| Lauryn Hill's Long Road To Rock The Bells: A Timeline Posted: 21 Aug 2010 02:11 AM PDT A history of the reclusive artist's spotty returns to the stage.
Lauryn Hill is making a much-heralded return to the stage — and the spotlight — at this year's Rock the Bells Tour. However, die-hard fans of the Grammy-winning singer/MC hope the appearance breaks L-Boogie's decade-long tradition of mounting rare and spotty shows. Hill, who shot to fame as a member of the pioneering hip-hip trio the Fugees, became a critically-acclaimed media darling and the subject of arguably cultish fan worship after the breakout success of her solo debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Yet, in the wake of the chart-topping success of Miseducation and her then record-setting five Grammy wins in 1999, the artist began to withdraw from the world stage. Sure, she rocked the VMAs, scored a Best Dressed nod from Vogue, and continued to nab a bevy of music trophies. However, by 2001 Hill had nearly vanished from the scene. She released the live album MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 in 2002 but since then, public sightings of Hill have been relegated to the odd festival appearance. Here's a timeline of Hill's stage shows after the success of Miseducation: »After Miseducation dropped in 1998, Hill grabbed Outkast as the opening act for her first solo tour which kicked off in February 1999. "It's really kind of unlike anything in hip-hop before. I've got a horn section and all these people onstage. It's a lot of fun, we bring the music to you live," L-Boogie toldMTV News in April of that year. »Hill's solo debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill snagged five trophies at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards. Hill chose to perform the album cut "To Zion" with Carlos Santana instead of hit singles like "Doo Wop (That Thing)" because "that was a song that I'd never had the opportunity to perform [live]." » David Bowie introduced Lauryn Hill at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards. The singer and MC ripped a medley including "Lost Ones" and "Everything Is Everything." »Hill appeared on the revamped Smokin' Grooves Tour with The Roots and onetime tourmates Outkast in 2002. She played an acoustic set and eschewed much of her hit catalog. "A lot of her diehard fans are thrown off and hope she would go back to doing one Fugees song or one song off of [The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill]," The Roots' ?uestlove said at the time. "But I've seen people crying [when she sings]." »At a 2003 concert at the Vatican, Hill blasted the Catholic church for the institution's alleged role in widespread sexual abuse scandals involving priests. "I realize some of you may be offended by what I'm saying, but what do you say to the families who were betrayed by the people in whom they believed?" Hill reportedly said. »Hill reunited with the Fugees for a September concert in Brooklyn thrown by comedian Dave Chappelle. The show is later featured in the documentary "Dave Chappelle's Block Party." »Buzz about a possible Fugees reunion ramped up when Hill, Pras and Wyclef played a 2006 Grammy party concert after surprising the crowd with a set at the 2005 BET Awards. »Hill surprised fans once again with a set at the 2006 Rock the Bells festival in California. Sporting a yellow hoodie and big hair, L-Boogie spit "Doo Wop (That Thing)," "Lost Ones" and the Fugees' "How Many Mics." »Hill made headlines with a 2007 free show in Brooklyn. Donning garish makeup, bold jewelry and a leather fringe vest in late-summer heat, Hill scatted her way through sometimes incomprehensible versions of her songs. » Hill co-headlined a 2010 New Zealand festival and sang "Doo Wop" dressed in a leather jacket and sun bonnet. The star was reportedly more cheerful and happy about hitting the stage than in previous shows. Are you excited to see Lauryn Hill get back onstage? Let us know in the comments below! Related Artists |
| 'Expendables' Holds Steady At Friday Box Office Posted: 21 Aug 2010 12:01 AM PDT The action flick takes the top spot for the second consecutive week.
#1 "The Expendables" ($5 million) Sylvester Stallone and his crew of beefy mercenaries have maintained their grip on the Friday box-office crown for a second week in a row. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the action flick, packed with gun-toting, muscled-up stars like Terry Crews and Mickey Rourke, kicked off the weekend with an estimated $5 million in ticket sales. Friday's haul brings the film's total gross to $53.4 million. Following closely behind in second place is the scary-movie parody "Vampires Suck." The flick, which sends up the teen mania-inducing franchise "Twilight" among other horror films, pulled in $4.4 million on Friday. The film has scored $10.8 million since it hit theaters on Wednesday. The new comedy "Lottery Ticket" took third place on Friday. "Lottery," which stars Bow Wow as a kid who deals with the sudden neighborhood-wide fame of scoring a winning lotto ticket, made $3.9 million. The aquatic horror flick "Piranha 3D" shared its fourth-place Friday debut with the sumptuous globe-trotting Julia Roberts vehicle "Eat Pray Love." "Piranha," which follows lakeside dwellers as they battle schools of flesh-tearing fish, brought in $3.6 million. "The Other Guys" took the sixth-place slot during its third week in theaters. Theatergoers are still heading out to catch Will Ferrell and Mark Walhberg in the buddy-cop comedy which raked in $2.9 million. Friday's ticket sales bumped the film's cumulative total to $81 million. The Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman rom-com "The Switch" and the kid-friendly Emma Thompson adventure "Nanny McPhee Returns" both scored Friday debuts in the top 10 at seventh and eighth place respectively. For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more -- updated around the clock -- visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. |
| Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton To Make 'Joyful Noise' Posted: 20 Aug 2010 11:35 PM PDT The movie star and country queen attempt to save a gospel choir in their new flick.
Country music and hip-hop royalty Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah are slated to rule things on the big screen as co-stars in the upcoming flick "Joyful Noise." According to The Hollywood Reporter, the musicians/actors will play a pair of ladies who work to stop the closure of a scrappy gospel choir. Latifah will portray the mother of a couple of teenagers who takes the reins of the Pacashau Gospel Choir after the choir leader dies. Parton will play the late choir director's wife who is gunning for the chance to helm the singing group. The country diva and jazz/pop/hip-hop mogul may also bust out a few tunes together in the film. "Noise" reportedly has a musical angle and director Todd Graff, the writer/director behind the 2003 coming-of-age flick "Camp," is working on the script. "Noise" marks a return to the silver screen for Parton, who followed up her successful crossover from country to pop with Hollywood hits in the '80s like "Steel Magnolias" and "Nine to Five." Latifah will stick up for a choir that has fallen on hard times in "Noise" but the multimedia mogul has said she wants to help out promising actors in Hollywood as well. The hip-hop pioneer and big-screen A-lister broke down her reasoning for bringing rapper Common onboard for her last project, "Just Wright." "Every time that I do a movie, when I get into a position of power and my voice actually meant something, I realized that I could no longer walk out onto a set and look at a bunch of white males," Latifah, who was a producer on "Wright," told MTV News earlier this year. "That was just no longer acceptable. I need to see dynamics. I needed to see what I just came out of from walking off the street when I came in here. Where are the women? Where are the people of color? I need to see that in front of me, 'cause I just don't feel like it's right." What do you think about Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton joining forces onscreen? Let us know in the comments below! For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Artists |
| Wyclef Jean Presidential Bid Squashed By Haiti Officials Posted: 21 Aug 2010 05:38 AM PDT 'Though I disagree with the ruling, I respectfully accept the committee's final decision,' Jean says.
Wyclef Jean is officially out of the running to be Haiti's next president. Haitian election officials put the kibosh on the musician's bid to lead the troubled island nation, according to The Associated Press. "Though I disagree with the ruling, I respectfully accept the committee's final decision, and I urge my supporters to do the same," Jean said in a statement. "I want to assure my countrymen that I will continue to work for Haiti's renewal; though the board has determined that I am not a resident of Haiti, home is where the heart is -- and my heart has and will always be in Haiti." The Haitian electoral council reportedly did not reveal why Jean was found ineligible to become an official candidate, but the singer has been dogged by questions about his status as a resident of Haiti. The news comes after recent reports indicated that Jean was not on the approved list of candidates for the November 28 election. Jean's attempt to become president of Haiti has been a brief but memorable endeavor. After speculation that the Grammy-winning artist would seek political office reached a fever pitch, Jean announced his intention to run for president on August 5 on CNN's "Larry King Live." The MC said that he was inspired to enter the political arena after witnessing the devastating effects of the January earthquake that has ravaged the nation. "After January 12 ... being out here with my wife and picking up dead bodies from the ground, I felt that because of the youth of Haiti and the population, that this is not even Wyclef saying that 'I want to be the president of Haiti.' I feel like I'm being drafted by the population right now to give them a different face, a different voice," Jean said. However, Jean's political aspirations were quickly questioned by high-profile critics such as actor Sean Penn and Jean's former Fugees bandmate Pras. Pras told MTV News that he didn't believe the chart-topping artist had the experience to guide the country through its range of complex issues. "He talks about health care, he talks about education, he talks about infrastructure," Pras said. "But that's in any society. That's right here in America, we need that. But how are you gonna get to that point? There's a short-term goal that needs to be addressed and there's a long-term goal. To be honest with you, the short term is probably more important than the long term. And he didn't even mention the short term." How do you feel now that Wyclef won't be Haiti's next president? Let us know in the comments below! Related Artists |
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