| 'American Idol' Shania Twain Night Fits Michael Lynche, Siobhan Magnus Posted: 27 Apr 2010 07:13 AM PDT For the first time all year, the judges do not rave about Crystal Bowersox.
By Gil Kaufman 
Michael Lynche on "American Idol" Tuesday
Photo: Fox In a season filled with youthful mentors like Miley Cyrus, Usher, Adam Lambert and Alicia Keys, Tuesday night's (April 27) "American Idol" brought back a country/pop superstar who hasn't released a new album in eight years. But Shania Twain knows what she's talking about, since she was a guest judge during the audition rounds, and her soft-focus advice to the remaining six finalists helped a few — Michael Lynche, Aaron Kelly and Siobhan Magnus — get back in the thick of the competition, even as longtime front-runner Crystal Bowersox faced her first neutral notices of the finals. First up was barroom rocker Lee Dewyze, who Twain met during the Chicago auditions. He chose "You're Still the One," with Twain suggesting he hold off on the guitar at the top and come in more subtly with a piano. Dewyze took her advice, starting off quietly and then rising to sing the everlasting-love lyrics in his signature raspy voice. Admitting it's one of his favorite songs of all time (really, Dawg?), Randy Jackson said it started out, yes, pitchy but praised Dewyze for finding a way to make it his own by mid-song. "You found your sweet spot," he said, with Ellen DeGeneres agreeing and saying that Lee's talent is finding himself in each song. Simon Cowell said Lee picked the absolutely perfect tune from Twain's catalog but faulted what Kara DioGuardi labeled a smile as a "weird face." Shania said she was moved by the way Michael Lynche sang "It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing," reminding him that even though his singing seems effortless, he should remember to imbue it with feeling. Big Mike transformed the tune into a Maxwell-like R&B seduction play, giving the song a gospel flair and throwing in some ear-candy falsetto at the end that brought a tear to Twain's eye. Ellen compared the emotion Lynche brought to the song to the late, great Luther Vandross, and Jackson said Lynche has found his lane as a sensitive balladeer. "I thought the performance, however, was a little bit wet, as if you were in a musical acting out the words," Cowell said to the rest of the panel's confusion after agreeing with DeGeneres' Vandross analogy. "It was a little bit girly for you." How was construction worker Casey James going to rebound from criticism that he was a bit lazy last week? Encouraging him to let his confidence shine through, Twain was excited about James' choice of "Don't." Sitting on a stool and playing simple rhythm guitar, James sang a straightforward version of the midtempo ballad, stripping away some of his calling-card bluesy grit in favor of a more emotional, mellow rock vibe. "Casey, artists do not hide: the good, the bad, the ugly. They show it all, and that's what you did in that performance," said a pumped-up DioGuardi. "You didn't hide. You didn't cover it up with guitar. You were vulnerable, you were raw." Cowell and Jackson also said it was one of the best performances James has given on the show so far, praising him for finally finding his sweet spot. She can do blues and pop, but can season leader Crystal Bowersox do country? MamaSox, who got her guitar signed by Twain during the Chicago auditions, chose "No One Needs to Know," and Shania said she needed to let the emotion shine through. Backed by simple percussion, lap steel guitar, standup bass and mandolin, Bowersox crooned the tune in a peppy, old-timey country cadence, imbuing it with her particular charm while smiling through lyrics she said she hoped would get her boyfriend to "man up" someday. "Shocker, we don't like Crystal this week," Cowell frowned. "It was limp," he added, comparing it to being forced to listen to a hired band in a coffee shop. "I didn't feel any conviction from you." Randy was into the Nickel Creek vibe, even if, like Ellen, he didn't love the performance. Though Kara said it's kind of impossible for Crystal to not be good because of her honest nature, she, too, thought it was just OK. Aaron Kelly, 17, has been on the bubble for weeks, and Shania tried to put him at ease about singing "You've Got a Way," telling him to not worry about hitting the notes and just sing the song the way he feels comfortable. Kelly, arguably the most country of the remaining singers, convincingly and confidently sang the expansive ballad, giving one of his most solid performances in weeks. "The amount of emotion and depth that you showed when you sang that song ... the maturity you had to embrace those lyrics," Ellen said. Kelly proved he gets the "Idol" game by explaining that he changed a line about making love because he was singing the tune to his mom, and Kara praised his conviction. "For the first time in weeks, it actually felt sincere, it felt believable," Cowell said. The final spot belonged to Siobhan Magnus, who went with "Any Man of Mine." Twain encouraged her to get into the character of a woman who knows what she wants. Though her vocals were typically uneven, Magnus worked the crowd while strutting across the stage in a short flowered skirt and white boots, unleashing a pair of her signature rebel yells to cap off an upbeat performance. Simon, no fan of country music, loved the song, even though he felt the screaming at the end was unnecessary, comparing it to the sounds of a woman in labor. "I loved it!" Randy raved simply, as Kara agreed, saying Magnus was back in the competition. Someone will be sent home on Wednesday night's show, which will feature performances from Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, Sons of Sylvia and Shakira. What did you think of Tuesday night's performances? Who killed it? Who fell flat? Who should go home? Write in your comments below! Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos Related Artists |
| Plies Thanks Young Jeezy For The 'Opportunity' To Collaborate Posted: 28 Apr 2010 03:52 AM PDT 'It was my job to deliver him what I call an 'antique' verse,' Plies tells Mixtape Daily of 'Lose My Mind.'
By Shaheem Reid 
Plies
Photo: Rahman Dukes/MTV News Celebrity Favorites: Plies Plies and Young Jeezy have an obvious respect for each other. If you know either one of the Southern street champs, you know they won't do collaborations with just anybody. Plies just released the song "Look Like," featuring Jeezy and Fabolous, which comes on the heels of the underground record "So Bad" that leaked last year and the Snowman's current club anthem "Lose My Mind." "For me, bruh, to have an opportunity to create the situation I created with my brother and to have an artist from a record-selling standpoint and accomplish what the Snowman accomplished and to reach out to us and allow us to know there was a situation he wanted us to be a part of, it speaks a lot to what we gained and built in this business," Plies said of being on "Lose My Mind." "It speaks a lot of him as a person. A lot of times in this game, a lot of cats can respect you and be scared to show you they respect you. I take my hat to him for it. It was my job to deliver him what I call an 'antique' verse and watch the record respond out of the gate like it is in the clubs and in the streets. I think we got a hell of a situation. "He hit me the other day, and I told him he has a song that I consider to be a street antique," Plies added. "To pick and choose the records we do is the most important thing. I always told myself from day one: I'll never be a music whore when it came to this business. I always wanted to make sure I did in my heart what I felt was the right things to do. To get myself in a financial space where I don't have to make desperate decisions, I feel we accomplished that thus far. I'm gonna try to continue to make more right moves than wrong moves." Although the version of "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)" that appeared on Raymond v. Raymond doesn't feature Plies' verse that rocked on radio this winter, the Florida native didn't have anything negative to say about working with Usher. "It was good," Plies said about the experience. "I was on my way to New York. My brother actually got the call. They say they needed the record back in a couple of hours. I didn't hear the record. My brother, he didn't have to let me hear it. He said, 'It's a go, bruh.' I got the record, they called back, said they needed it in an hour. Ran to the studio, had my assistant push my flight back. We heard the record; we felt the record was great." For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines or follow the Mixtape Daily team on Twitter: @shaheemreid and @mongosladenyc. Related Videos |
| Why Lee Dewyze Will Win 'American Idol' Posted: 28 Apr 2010 03:52 AM PDT Crystal Bowersox might be the front-runner, but so was Adam Lambert, in Bigger Than the Sound.
By James Montgomery 
Lee Dewyze
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Fox I hate to break it to you, fellow members of Bowersox Nation, but our girl isn't going to win "American Idol." It pains me to write that, as I love Crystal and all that she stands for (shoot, I feel like I know her), and I really want her to win, but it's just not in the cards. Not with Lee Dewyze still shrugging in the background, anyway. See, no matter how much Simon Cowell wants to shout it, "American Idol" is not "a singing competition"; it's a popularity contest. If the show were based on vocal ability, producers would have just ended the competition last week, after Bowersox leveled the room with her tearful take on "People Get Ready," or last month, when she lapped the field with "Me And Bobby McGee," or, well, you catch my drift. At this point, the questions about her "marketability" or "relevancy" are moot: Her voice is timeless. She has proven that she can sing anything, anytime, anywhere, and she can do it better than anyone else on the show. So of course, she will still end up losing. Because "Idol" isn't based on talent (I mean, it is up to a certain point — usually about the time we reach the top 10, then things tend to get all high-schooly). It's based on intangible stuff like "familiarity" and "likability." And those are the two categories in which Bowersox doesn't dominate. For better or worse, viewers tend to vote for the contestant they feel they have the most in common with, the one they feel is a nice person, the one they already feel like they hear four times an hour on the radio. And more often than not, that contestant happens to be a slightly scruffy, well-proportioned, slightly hunky, kinda underdoggy, totally inoffensive guy. And this year, that guy is Lee Dewyze. Let me stop here for a second and say that I don't dislike Dewyze in any way. I actually don't have any kind of opinion of him (and I don't think I'm in the minority by saying that), which doesn't exactly bode well for his post-"Idol" career. After thinking about it for a full five minutes, here's about all I can come up with to say about him: He seems like a pretty nice guy. He has good teeth. He is probably nice to animals and children and the elderly. Sometimes he wears a goofy knit cap. He plays the kind of bland, radio-ready sorta-rock that continues to mystify me. Of course, none of this makes him interesting — and, frankly, when he speaks, I tend to lose consciousness — but it makes him a shoo-in to win season nine of "American Idol." "Idol" voters don't want "interesting"; they want "nice," "dependable," "relatable." This doesn't change — or, at least, it hasn't for the past three seasons. Just look at last year, when everyone was rushing to crown Adam Lambert the champion. I argued that Kris Allen would win "Idol" because "he seems like a solid, trustworthy guy — like a combination cowboy/firefighter, or a youth minister (which I think he actually is). If you think about it for a few seconds, you'll probably realize that you know someone exactly like him — and you are not alone. Everyone in America knows someone like Kris Allen. Or, at least, more people know someone like him than they do Adam Lambert." As it turns out, I was right. So with something like four weeks left in the competition, I'm calling it for Lee Dewyze. He reminds me too much of Allen in every possible way, right down to the fact that most of the media that covers "Idol" seems hell-bent on making him the "underdog," despite all evidence to the contrary. Plus, to be honest, it's not like Crystal has really salted this one away, either, what with the whole "I-quit, no-wait-I-don't" drama surrounding her last week. There are too many holes in her story. She is considered too weird by the people who actually vote on this thing, and eventually — probably in the finale — her luck will run out. I am not alone in thinking this, either. Just Tuesday, I spoke to a pair of "Idol" experts for a piece I was working on called "Can Crystal Bowersox Lose 'American Idol'?" Sadly, they both agreed that, yes, she could, and it would probably be to Dewyze. Of course, I'm willing to be proven wrong — I just don't think I will be. America will go for Lee Dewyze, because they've gone for him in season seven (David Cook) and eight (Allen). They will go for him because he's the safe, familiar choice, and because he seems nice. But most of all, they will go for him because he's not Crystal Bowersox. That's a shame, but it's not exactly shocking. America likes things safe, and this is "American Idol," after all. Questions? Concerns? Hit me up at BTTS@MTVStaff.com. |
| Will Lauren Conrad Make A Final 'Hills' Cameo? The Stars Weigh In Posted: 28 Apr 2010 03:52 AM PDT 'It would be nice to have her come back,' Audrina Patridge says of a possible LC reunion.
By Jocelyn Vena 
Lauren Conrad
Photo: Jordan Strauss/ Getty Images The drama on the final season of "The Hills" is sure to be juicy, but it would be an extra-special treat for fans if original star Lauren Conrad stopped by one last time. While there are no confirmed plans for LC to hang with her crew again on the show, her pals admit that they'd be down with having her make one final appearance. "I feel like when Lauren was on, she was like the very good one who was always telling everyone what they did wrong or what they should have did, so with her coming back, it'll be like our older sister coming back and giving us advice," Audrina Patridge told MTV News. "It would be fun. It would be nice to have her come back." Patridge said "there's been talk of that," but, obviously, nothing is final. "I am not sure if she is actually coming back to the show, but it would be nice towards the end," she said. "The last episode, she comes back, and we all kind of rekindle and, you know, spend our last moment together before it's all over." Kristin Cavallari joined the show in season five, just as her frienemy LC was leaving, but she'd totally be down to share the screen with Conrad. "I think it would be amazing if she came back. I think it would be great, but there's nothing set in stone," she said. "I think that's how we should end it: have Lauren and I in a scene together. That's how we should end it. That would be amazing." Would you like to see LC come back? Tell us in the comments! "The Hills: Final Season" airs at 10 p.m. ET/PT every Tuesday followed by "The City" at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. Related Videos Related Photos |
| Lady Antebellum 'Honored' To Perform On 'American Idol' Posted: 28 Apr 2010 03:52 AM PDT 'I tried out for the show twice and didn't make it past the first round,' frontwoman Hillary Scott recalls.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Gil Kaufman 
Photo: MTV News It's Shania Twain Week on "American Idol," and Nashville's latest crossover sensations, Lady Antebellum, are bringing their hit "Need You Now" to the "Idol" stage on Wednesday night (April 27). Frontwoman Hillary Scott said being featured on the #1 show in the country, in a performance that was recorded earlier this month, had a special meaning for her. "I tried out for the show twice and didn't make it past the first round," she told MTV News. "So that is what you call validation." All jokes aside, Scott said being up on that stage felt pretty good. "It was amazing [after] watching it on television so many times, and then you get there, and the room is not as big as you think it's going to be, but it's just beautiful. We had a live audience, and it was fun. We were just honored to be there." Scott recently 'fessed up to loving Justin Bieber, but that doesn't mean they're prepared for his level of pop-music success. "You just never know when you write a song and you go into the studio and record it what it's gonna do. And honestly, ['Need You Now'] took on a new life when we went into the studio," she said. "Whenever we heard that this song was getting picked up and played on pop radio, we were completely shocked but excited, because that just means more people are hearing it. We want to headline tours very soon, so the more people that hear it, the better. It's bringing light to the country-music genre, which we are so proud of." Are you excited to see Lady Antebellum on "Idol"? Tell us in the comments! Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' 'American Idol page', where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Artists |
| Exclusive: Game Woos Stacey Dash In 'Shake' Video -- Watch It Now! Posted: 27 Apr 2010 05:55 AM PDT Bow Wow and Cool & Dre also make cameos in the Red Room clip.
By Jayson Rodriguez, with additional reporting by Shaheem Reid and Rahman Dukes 
Game and The Clipse in "Shake"
Photo: Black Wall Street It's always more fun in California. That's not the state motto, but the tourism board should consider it after taking a peek at Game's new video for "Shake," an MTV News exclusive. In the video, Game rubs shoulders with a number of celebs, from actress Stacey Dash to Bow Wow to producers Cool & Dre. The opening scene finds Dash gazing out at the beach from the balcony of a secluded property. Game quickly walks up behind her, taking in the view, before backing away into the house again. There, the camera pans to reveal two scantily clad women asleep on the couch. The L.A. rapper then strolls into his walk-in closet — which is a modest characterization. Game's "closet" is about the size of your local Foot Locker and boasts more sneakers and athletic apparel than the retailer. He sports a pair of Air Jordans and a throwback Michael Jordan jersey and begins his adventure. The ensuing high jinks take Game from behind the wheel of an SUV to riding shotgun in a red Ferrari. Along the way, he stops by Bow Wow's for a quick pickup, then he's back on the road. (The contents of the bag the rappers pass from one to the other are revealed at the end.) Directed by Taydoe and financed by Game, the video marks the first offering from his mixtape The Red Room, out Monday. The mixtape features appearances by Birdman, Nipsey Hussle, Hurricane Chris and others. His next full-length project, The R.E.D. Album, is due June 15 and features guest spots from Dr. Dre and Justin Timberlake. What do you think of Game's latest video? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists |
| Bret Michaels Is At Risk For Seizures Posted: 27 Apr 2010 07:24 AM PDT 'Doctors remain hopeful for a full recovery,' rocker's reps say of diagnosis.
By Larry Carroll 
Bret Michaels
Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images With fans from all over the world watching every update closely, it was revealed Tuesday (April 27) that Bret Michaels has been diagnosed with a condition that could lead to severe seizures. In a statement posted on BretMichaels.com, representatives said the "Celebrity Apprentice" star has been told that he suffers from a side effect that could lead to seizures. "Test results indicate a setback in Bret Michaels condition, a side effect from the brain hemorrhage called hyponatremia a lack of sodium in the body which leads to seizures," the statement reads. " ... Due to the severity of his condition, Bret Michaels continues to remain hospitalized in an intensive care unit at an undisclosed hospital." A lifelong Type 1 diabetic, Michaels has been found to suffer from hyponatremia. Caused by a lack of sodium in the body, it can lead to seizures; reps for Michaels wouldn't confirm whether he had actually suffered seizures recently or in the past. Michaels, who is 47 years old, suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage stroke last week. The stroke causes bleeding in the fluid-filled spaces around the base of the brain and could have proven fatal. Reps for the rocker say that the unnamed hospital where he is staying plan additional tests to determine the cause of the rupture. The statement from his website also says: "Michaels has undergone a continuous series of tests while in the ICU including angiograms, CT scans, MRIs and transcranial dopplers (TCD's). Doctors state Michaels is very lucky as his condition could have been fatal. ... Doctors remain hopeful for a full recovery and plan to release more specific information next Monday." Share your well wishes for Bret Michaels in the comments below. Related Photos |
| 'Glee' Recap: Kristin Chenoweth Comes 'Home' Posted: 27 Apr 2010 07:13 AM PDT Sue Sylvester terrorizes Mercedes while Mr. Schuester is reunited with high school crush April.
By Jean Bentley 
Amber Riley in "Glee"
Photo: FOX "Glee" might have been on a roll during its first two weeks back from hiatus, but sadly, all good things must come to an end. Tuesday's (April 27) episode "Home" featured a whole lot of emotional backstory and music unrecognizable to the youth (Burt Bacharach? Really?), making for an hour of television better suited for Internet surfing than actually paying attention. The two main plots this week were both emotional doozies, with not much comic relief in between. Sue Sylvester told new Cheerio Mercedes that she had to lose 10 pounds in a week and start wearing a skirt with her uniform before a reporter from Splits magazine arrived to write a feature on Sue and the cheerleading team. Not one for pretense, Sue didn't even pretend to tell Mercedes to lose the weight in a safe manner — though she did ask Kurt and Mercedes: "How do you two not have a show on Bravo?" Kurt's diet of Splenda and celery trumped Mercedes' actually healthy chicken breast and salad, but Santana and Brittany let the two new Cheerios in on their secret to staying skinny: the Sue Sylvester Master Cleanse. It's a lovely sounding mixture of water, maple syrup, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and a dash of ipecac (a vomiting agent). Sometimes Brittany adds a teaspoon of sand. Eventually, Mercedes got so hungry that she began hallucinating her classmates as delicious baked goods and pulled a "Mean Girls" at the big pep rally by talking to her classmates about self-empowerment and singing Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" (the episode's only recent song!) instead of the rehearsed number. Fortunately for Sue, the Splits reporter loved it and turned what was supposed to be a scathing takedown of the coach into a fawning rave. The other heavy plot involved Kurt's dad and Finn's mom dating. Kurt worked through his crush on Finn by setting their parents up then getting the jock's help in redecorating his room (and singing Bacharach's "A House Is Not a Home"). Finn worked through his issues about his mom replacing his dad by getting uptight when she wanted to throw away the recliner in their living room but ultimately realizing the error of his ways. Unfortunately for Kurt, his plan backfired, and Finn ended up bonding with Mr. Hummel, who put his own son on the backburner for an opportunity to have a little "guy talk" with his girlfriend's son — taking away both Kurt's crush and the father/son bond he craved. It ultimately worked out for Finn, however, who realized it might be time to let his father go and welcome a new man into his life, especially a new man who made his mother so happy. Though Kristin Chenoweth is always a delight, her appearance in this episode was both nonsensical and unnecessary. Mr. Schuester found April at a roller rink he was scouting as a potential New Directions rehearsal location. The two duetted on Bruce Springsteen's "Fire" and later a medley of the Burt Bacharach/ Hal David hits "One Less Bell to Answer" and "A House Is Not a Home," which were probably previously unfamiliar songs to those born after 1975. Mr. Schu and April flirted a little bit but didn't actually get busy. April decided to buy the auditorium for New Directions with the payday she got when her rich, older boyfriend croaked, ensuring Sue wouldn't be able to steal it for the Cheerios again and allowing for one more number, this time "Home" from "The Wiz." Seriously. You know there's something wrong when Kristen Chenoweth sings four of the show's six numbers, one of which was already a rehash of a number sung just minutes before ("A House Is Not a Home"). Were you disappointed in this episode of "Glee," or are we overreacting? Should the musical numbers have been more current? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos Related Photos |
| Siobhan Magnus Wins The Judges Back With 'Any Man Of Mine' Posted: 27 Apr 2010 07:13 AM PDT 'Guess who's back? Siobhan!' Kara DioGuardi says after the Shania Twain Week performance.
By Katie Byrne 
Siobhan Magnus performs on "American Idol" Tuesday
Photo: MTV News Country Week is always a wild card on "American Idol," either forcing some creativity from contestants working out of their comfort zones or burying them alive. Since Siobhan Magnus is a bit of a wild card herself, she had no problem tackling Shania Twain Week and making it work for her big voice and oddball sensibility. Magnus chose "Any Man of Mine," keeping a pretty traditional country arrangement but speeding it up a notch. Twain, who opened up her songbook for the week and acted as mentor, warned Magnus that the song is "all about attitude. You've got to put some attitude in those lyrics." Siobhan stayed true to Shania's vocals for most of the song — until the end, of course. For the grand finale, she let huge notes fly (including one of her trademark screeches) and unleashed some hair-metal-worthy guitars to match. The judges have given Magnus a hard time in the past for either coloring inside the lines or going way overboard. What did they think of this go-round? "I loved it," Randy Jackson said, kicking off the positive reviews and complimenting her "punk/country" look. "Way to pull the Shania Twain into the station," Ellen DeGeneres said, continuing her choo-choo Twain joke from her first critique. "Guess who's back? Siobhan!" Kara DioGuardi enthused. Even Simon Cowell was into it, with one exception: "The screaming at the end may have gone a little bit ... it was almost like you were giving birth up there." What did you think of Siobhan's performance? Did she get Shania's "attitude" right? Let us know in the comments! Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos Related Artists |
| Guru's Sister Talks About His Death, Memorial Plans Posted: 27 Apr 2010 04:19 AM PDT Patricia Elam says there may be a public memorial on Gang Starr MC's birthday, July 17.
By Shaheem Reid 
Guru Patricia Elam, the older sister of late Gang Starr MC Keith "Guru" Elam, said her family learned about his death through the media — one day after he died. Elam alleges that Solar, Guru's medical proxy, longtime business partner and musical collaborator, never told the Elams of Guru's death. "[My son] Justin found out on the Internet and called me. I had to call my dad," Patricia told MTV News Tuesday (April 27) via phone. "[Keith's 9-year-old son] KC found out riding in the car, hearing it on the radio. That's not right if you care about someone. That's not how you treat them. My brother would never have wanted us to find out that way. Never in a million years. Especially his son. Come on, now." Solar told MTV News last week that he has "nothing but the utmost respect" for Guru's family, but acknowledged that the relationship "got weird in the end." Patricia said that learning of her sibling's death was only part of their nightmare. When the family inquired with the hospital as to the whereabouts of Elam's body, they were told it was on its way to a funeral home to be cremated. "The hospital released the body in [Solar's] care. I don't know how it was determined what funeral home it would go to," Patricia explained. "My son Justin was looking online and saw something that the body was going to be cremated. My father was calling the hospital looking for the body and they were like, 'We released it to the health-care proxy.' Luckily my other brother happened to be in New York on something unrelated and he started calling funeral homes in the area, if you can imagine. Fortunately the third one he called was the right one. He said, 'Listen, I'm the brother of Keith Elam, do not release that body to anyone but me.' Thankfully he was able to get there in time." Ms. Elam says that eventually the family did cremate Guru's body, as it was his wish. "The cremation has already occurred," she explained. "For our family, we'll have our own private memorial." Patricia also revealed that the Elams do understand that Guru's fans would like to celebrate his life and legacy as well, and that a public memorial for his fans is being discussed that would take place on what would have been the MC's 49th birthday, July 17. "I don't have any more specifics at this point in time," she said. "There's also talk of a musical tribute; I don't have the specifics on that yet. We want something for the public and for fans. We're also working on a website so fans can post things. We've gotten so many wonderful, loving messages and tributes from around the world. We want fans to have a place for that." Post your memories of Gang Starr and Guru in the comments section below. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
