Here's one title for which (Queen of Soul, please don't cut me) Aretha Franklin probably wasn't lobbying. She won an online poll that named PETA's list of worst-dressed celebrities, based on her penchant for draping her larger-than-life frame with "vulgar fur," as the list says she did at this year's Grammy Awards. "How about some R-E-S-P-E-C-T for animals?" the animal-rights organization predictably asks.Using stomach-churning imagery and bad puns, PETA also singles out shock rocker Marilyn Manson, who they criticize for wearing leather pants 24/7, "only peeling the smelly things off to have sex." (Ew. Forget the leather — who wants to think about little Brian Warner having S-E-X?) They advise actress Lindsay Lohan, perhaps more famous today for not wearing anything, that "there's no road to recovery for the foxes who are anally electrocuted so that you can look skanky." Kylie Minogue is compared to the pythons who gave their lives for her purse — they're both cold-bloode...
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Beyoncé's father, Matthew Knowles — who is also her manager — is defending his daughter in the public spat between her and Aretha Franklin. "It's childish, it's unprofessional," he said Thursday, People reports. "And it's a sad day when egos get bruised because somebody used the word king, queen, prince or princess."Franklin had taken umbrage to Beyoncé's introduction of Tina Turner as the "queen" ahead of their duet at Sunday's Grammy Awards. Franklin is known as "the queen of soul" — not to mention the original expert on getting r-e-s-p-e-c-t. — Anna DimondRelated:• "Queen of Soul" Slams Beyoncé's "Cheap Shot"
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Just as Natalie Cole and Amy Winehouse exited the après-Grammys ring, Aretha Franklin pulled Beyoncé in, taking issue with Ms. Knowles' introduction of Tina Turner at Sunday night's awards show. Setting the stage for her duet with Turner, Beyoncé name-checked Franklin and other high-caliber songstresses before hailing Tina as "one legend who has the essence of all of those things: the glamour, the soul, the passion, the strength, the talent. Ladies and gentlemen... give it up for the queen."And that was a royal mistake. "I am not sure of whose toes I may have stepped on or whose ego I may have bruised between the Grammy writers and Beyoncé," Franklin said in a statement. "However, I dismissed it as a cheap shot for controversy."Related:• Natalie Cole Disses "Crazy" Amy Winehouse's Grammys • The Grammys' Best and Worst Moments
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American IdolKatharine McPhee was rumored to be this year's Mario Vasquez, the dropout from last season who went on to superstardom. Or, rather, Starbucks. Well, Katharine said she'll be in it for the long haul, although I might have to quit Idol if Ryan Seacrest insists on saying things like "do you have the McPheever?" No, but cheese-ball lines like that do make me ill. Katharine did an okay Aretha Franklin — not quite up to Kelly Clarkson standard, but the judges loved her. They weren't quite as sold on Paris Bennett's "Conga," but she had fun anyway.
I was very impressed with Lisa, but she once again was scolded for singing an "old" song.
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Question: I've always wondered who sings the theme song to the funniest show on UPN, Half & Half. If you can tell me, it would be a great help! Thanks.
Answer: Talk about kismet — I've always wanted to be a great help. So I'll tell you that the Half & Half theme song is sung by Melonie Daniels, a gospel artist who also cowrote the tune. Daniels has worked as a background singer for Mariah Carey and has appeared on releases from Aretha Franklin and Frankie Knuckles, among others. You can find out more about her here.
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