Amy Winehouse has early stage emphysema and her lungs have been damaged by smoking crack cocaine and cigarettes, her father said in an interview published yesterday (June 22).The Sunday Mirror quoted Mitch Winehouse as saying that Amy has an irregular heartbeat, and has been warned that she will have to wear an oxygen mask unless she stops smoking drugs."The doctors have told her if she goes back to smoking drugs, it won't just ruin her voice, it will kill her," Mitch Winehouse was quoted as saying. "There are nodules around the chest and dark marks. She has 70 percent lung capacity."The 24-year-old soul diva collapsed at her north London home last Monday after signing autographs for a group of fans and was taken to a London hospital for tests. She remained there all week.She is still scheduled to sing at a concert in London on Friday celebrating the 90th birthday of Nelson Mandela and plans to take part in the Glastonbury music festival the following day.
"When she's been inactive work-wise then that's when the problems really start. The doctors have said that medically there isn't any reason why she can't do Glastonbury," the paper quoted him as saying.He also pleaded with her drug-taking friends to stay away from her. "What hope does she have if people are taking drugs around her," he said.Chris Goodman, spokesman for Amy Winehouse, said, "If that's what Mitch says, that's what he says. It sounds right." Mitch Winehouse could not immediately be reached for comment.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
NBA’s petty game with rogue ref backfires
LOS ANGELES – As David Stern stood surrounded near a loading dock at the Staples Center, with all the beautiful people waiting courtside, with the return of a glamour NBA Finals, the commissioner had to consider the possibility that he had delivered an invitation for Tim Donaghy to embarrass the NBA again, to usurp its starry stage.
“He picks his spots,” Stern grumbled. “This guy is dancing as fast as he can to throw as much against the wall so his sentence won’t be as hard.”
There’s a chance Donaghy’s attorney, John Lauro, had long ago chosen to release wild stories of league corruption during the Finals, but there’s a possibility, too, that the league needlessly provoked it. The NBA wanted this Donaghy circus on Tuesday night about as much they wanted the San Antonio Spurs back in the Finals.
Within the past week, the NBA filed a letter with federal probation officials calling for Donaghy to pay restitution of $1 million, a sum that the league says it invested in investigating the rogue ref. When the government asked the NBA – considered the victim of Donaghy’s crimes – for a figure on its damages, the league should’ve shown restraint and taken a pass.
Donaghy is no sympathetic figure. He’s a bad guy, but he is also a broken man who has lost his family and his career. Whatever his prison sentence, his life is in ruins. He deserves everything he gets, but make no mistake: The blood money is beneath the NBA.
Let it go. Just let it go.
So, Donaghy had one dart left for Stern before the felon’s sentencing in July, and empowered with the feds requesting the judge grant Donaghy probation over prison because of his cooperation in the prosecution of his co-conspirators, Lauro fired on the commissioner who has trashed his client’s credibility for months. What’s more, Lauro tried to provide the judge details of disclosures that the feds didn’t include in the recommendation letter.
Nevertheless, the timing seems more about exacting revenge on Stern and his league than leveraging the judge for a shorter sentence. The lawyer waited until there were suspicions of strange officiating in Game 2, until the series had moved to Los Angeles for Game 3, and let loose these sordid stories of NBA corruption, compromises and fixes.
Still, Stern is right when he says – so far, anyway – that, “Mr. Donaghy is the only one here that’s guilty of criminal activity.”
Did the league and referees conspire to get the Lakers past the Sacramento Kings and into the 2002 NBA Finals? Did Yao Ming get unfairly targeted in the 2005 playoffs at the behest of the league? Were NBA referees punished for throwing superstars out of games? Do relationships among team officials, coaches and players with refs compromise calls on the floor?
There’s a chance there’s some chards of truth on the smaller ones, but the biggies? Do you truly think league executives would expose themselves to criminal prosecution for better television ratings, better matchups?
Enough with the conspiracies, enough.
Within the NBA, there’s a belief that Donaghy was always planning to file these papers in New York on Tuesday, but the recent timing of the league’s demand of $1 million restitution makes it look like Lauro and Donaghy were furious and struck back.
For the league, the money isn’t the issue. It can find that million between the cushions of couches in its midtown Manhattan tower. For the NBA, this was a self-defeating exercise, useless. And yes, Donaghy is responsible for his felony acts, for betting on games, providing gamblers inside information and, as Stern said, “a convicted felon who really violated probably the most sacred trust in sports.” Nevertheless, Donaghy had been an employee with a pattern of disturbing behavior, whose acts should have invited a more probing league investigation into his double life.
Who has paid the price in the NBA? Who lost their job over Donaghy? Perhaps the NBA wouldn’t have had to pay $1 million for this investigation – if it did spend that much – had it gone deeper in its original probes.
From the beginning, Stern engaged in a relentless campaign to isolate the corruption to Donaghy. He cast doubts on Donaghy’s credibility with constant refrains that he’s a “convicted felon.” Stern started in the summer, calling him a “rouge, isolated official.” All along, his instincts were right: As long as the scandal was contained to this creep, the sport could survive the scandal.
As it turned out, the story never had the legs that the NBA feared. The league was still moving quietly toward Donaghy’s sentencing in mid-July, when it looks like it took a foolish risk.
Stern doesn’t need restitution out of Donaghy. He needs him out of the news, out of his life. And how many millions of dollars would the NBA have paid for that crook to be out of sight, out of mind, on a night the starry Hollywood stage at Staples should’ve belonged to Kobe Bryant?
“He picks his spots,” Stern grumbled. “This guy is dancing as fast as he can to throw as much against the wall so his sentence won’t be as hard.”
There’s a chance Donaghy’s attorney, John Lauro, had long ago chosen to release wild stories of league corruption during the Finals, but there’s a possibility, too, that the league needlessly provoked it. The NBA wanted this Donaghy circus on Tuesday night about as much they wanted the San Antonio Spurs back in the Finals.
Within the past week, the NBA filed a letter with federal probation officials calling for Donaghy to pay restitution of $1 million, a sum that the league says it invested in investigating the rogue ref. When the government asked the NBA – considered the victim of Donaghy’s crimes – for a figure on its damages, the league should’ve shown restraint and taken a pass.
Donaghy is no sympathetic figure. He’s a bad guy, but he is also a broken man who has lost his family and his career. Whatever his prison sentence, his life is in ruins. He deserves everything he gets, but make no mistake: The blood money is beneath the NBA.
Let it go. Just let it go.
So, Donaghy had one dart left for Stern before the felon’s sentencing in July, and empowered with the feds requesting the judge grant Donaghy probation over prison because of his cooperation in the prosecution of his co-conspirators, Lauro fired on the commissioner who has trashed his client’s credibility for months. What’s more, Lauro tried to provide the judge details of disclosures that the feds didn’t include in the recommendation letter.
Nevertheless, the timing seems more about exacting revenge on Stern and his league than leveraging the judge for a shorter sentence. The lawyer waited until there were suspicions of strange officiating in Game 2, until the series had moved to Los Angeles for Game 3, and let loose these sordid stories of NBA corruption, compromises and fixes.
Still, Stern is right when he says – so far, anyway – that, “Mr. Donaghy is the only one here that’s guilty of criminal activity.”
Did the league and referees conspire to get the Lakers past the Sacramento Kings and into the 2002 NBA Finals? Did Yao Ming get unfairly targeted in the 2005 playoffs at the behest of the league? Were NBA referees punished for throwing superstars out of games? Do relationships among team officials, coaches and players with refs compromise calls on the floor?
There’s a chance there’s some chards of truth on the smaller ones, but the biggies? Do you truly think league executives would expose themselves to criminal prosecution for better television ratings, better matchups?
Enough with the conspiracies, enough.
Within the NBA, there’s a belief that Donaghy was always planning to file these papers in New York on Tuesday, but the recent timing of the league’s demand of $1 million restitution makes it look like Lauro and Donaghy were furious and struck back.
For the league, the money isn’t the issue. It can find that million between the cushions of couches in its midtown Manhattan tower. For the NBA, this was a self-defeating exercise, useless. And yes, Donaghy is responsible for his felony acts, for betting on games, providing gamblers inside information and, as Stern said, “a convicted felon who really violated probably the most sacred trust in sports.” Nevertheless, Donaghy had been an employee with a pattern of disturbing behavior, whose acts should have invited a more probing league investigation into his double life.
Who has paid the price in the NBA? Who lost their job over Donaghy? Perhaps the NBA wouldn’t have had to pay $1 million for this investigation – if it did spend that much – had it gone deeper in its original probes.
From the beginning, Stern engaged in a relentless campaign to isolate the corruption to Donaghy. He cast doubts on Donaghy’s credibility with constant refrains that he’s a “convicted felon.” Stern started in the summer, calling him a “rouge, isolated official.” All along, his instincts were right: As long as the scandal was contained to this creep, the sport could survive the scandal.
As it turned out, the story never had the legs that the NBA feared. The league was still moving quietly toward Donaghy’s sentencing in mid-July, when it looks like it took a foolish risk.
Stern doesn’t need restitution out of Donaghy. He needs him out of the news, out of his life. And how many millions of dollars would the NBA have paid for that crook to be out of sight, out of mind, on a night the starry Hollywood stage at Staples should’ve belonged to Kobe Bryant?
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Injury-prone Jankovic set for Ivanovic test
PARIS (Reuters) - Jelena Jankovic goes into Thursday's French Open semi-final against fellow Serb Ana Ivanovic with both form and fitness weighing heavily against her.
Second seed Ivanovic will walk on to Court Philippe Chatrier as fresh as a daisy after conceding just 20 games in her five matches so far as she seemingly walks towards a first grand slam title with total assurance.
Jankovic, meanwhile, has also not lost a set at Roland Garros but her progress has been, by comparison, tortuous.
Treated for a wrist injury in her second-round match against Marina Erakovic, she also needed medical attention on a stiff neck and shoulder in the fourth round and made a dash home to Serbia before her quarter-final triumph to receive treatment.
The pair have met six times and Jankovic has prevailed only once in Los Angeles two years ago, and Ivanovic won in straight sets in their only previous meeting on clay.
But what Jankovic lacks in fitness and previous form, she more than makes up for it in self belief.
"My dream is to become number one in the world, and now I'm very close. So I will try my best, and hopefully I can do it," said the third seed, who will replace Maria Sharapova at the top of the pile if she takes the title.
"I had troubles in the past against her, but I don't think we played on clay many times. So it's a different game and it's different circumstances, so I think it will be a completely different match. So we will see how it will goes this time.
"I really have to attack. She has some weaknesses in her game, and I really need to play good tactically to play the right shots, play the right game, and then we will see.
Justine Henin's crown as queen of Roland Garros is looking like an increasingly perfect fit for Ivanovic.
She has destroyed the opposition this fortnight, clubbing winners off both wings and appears the clear heir apparent to the now retired four-times champion from Belgium.
Both born in Belgrade 2-1/2 years apart, the two Serbs have never developed a close friendship because of their different coaching decisions, but Ivanovic is aware of her rival's strengths.
"She's a tough opponent and she defends really well. (I need to) step in and be aggressive and play my game," said Ivanovic, who also has Sharapova's top spot in her sights.
"Every match is a new match, a new experience, and I just have to keep playing like I played so far."
Second seed Ivanovic will walk on to Court Philippe Chatrier as fresh as a daisy after conceding just 20 games in her five matches so far as she seemingly walks towards a first grand slam title with total assurance.
Jankovic, meanwhile, has also not lost a set at Roland Garros but her progress has been, by comparison, tortuous.
Treated for a wrist injury in her second-round match against Marina Erakovic, she also needed medical attention on a stiff neck and shoulder in the fourth round and made a dash home to Serbia before her quarter-final triumph to receive treatment.
The pair have met six times and Jankovic has prevailed only once in Los Angeles two years ago, and Ivanovic won in straight sets in their only previous meeting on clay.
But what Jankovic lacks in fitness and previous form, she more than makes up for it in self belief.
"My dream is to become number one in the world, and now I'm very close. So I will try my best, and hopefully I can do it," said the third seed, who will replace Maria Sharapova at the top of the pile if she takes the title.
"I had troubles in the past against her, but I don't think we played on clay many times. So it's a different game and it's different circumstances, so I think it will be a completely different match. So we will see how it will goes this time.
"I really have to attack. She has some weaknesses in her game, and I really need to play good tactically to play the right shots, play the right game, and then we will see.
Justine Henin's crown as queen of Roland Garros is looking like an increasingly perfect fit for Ivanovic.
She has destroyed the opposition this fortnight, clubbing winners off both wings and appears the clear heir apparent to the now retired four-times champion from Belgium.
Both born in Belgrade 2-1/2 years apart, the two Serbs have never developed a close friendship because of their different coaching decisions, but Ivanovic is aware of her rival's strengths.
"She's a tough opponent and she defends really well. (I need to) step in and be aggressive and play my game," said Ivanovic, who also has Sharapova's top spot in her sights.
"Every match is a new match, a new experience, and I just have to keep playing like I played so far."
(1-W) Detroit Red Wings (3-2) at (2-E) Pittsburgh Penguins (2-3), 8 p.m.
The Detroit Red Wings will get another shot at clinching Lord Stanley's Cup tonight, when they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins for Game 6 of the best-of-seven finals.
The Red Wings grabbed a 3-1 series edge with a Game 4 victory in Pittsburgh, but were unable to seal the title in Monday's home test against the Penguins. Instead, Pittsburgh rallied late in regulation to send Game 5 to overtime and then won it 4-3 in the third extra period.
Petr Sykora's power play goal at the 9:57 mark of the third OT cut Pittsburgh's series deficit to 3-2 and the club can force a decisive Game 7 on Saturday in Detroit with a victory on its home ice tonight.
Marian Hossa had a goal and an assist while Maxime Talbot scored with 34.3 seconds left in the third period to tie the contest at 3-3. The Penguins won the contest despite being outshot by a whopping 58-32 margin.
In the third session, Pittsburgh was awarded a power play when Jiri Hudler was called for a high-sticking double-minor after he hit Rob Scuderi and drew blood.
On the power play, Sergei Gonchar, who had sat out the first and second overtime periods with back spasms, blasted a shot from the right point that missed the net. However, Evgeni Malkin grabbed the puck along the right side and fired a pass out to Sykora, who snapped a wrister from the right circle that hit off the left arm of Chris Osgood and squeezed into the net for the win.
Marc-Andre Fleury came up with his best game of the series thus far as he stopped 55 shots in the win for Pittsburgh, which is looking for its first Stanley Cup championship since 1992.
Darren Helm, Pavel Datsyuk and Brian Rafalski each scored a goal for the Red Wings, who are seeking their fourth Cup in the past 11 seasons. Osgood, who shut out the Pens in Games 1 and 2 at Joe Louis Arena, finished the game with 28 saves.
Henrik Zetterberg added a pair of assists in the loss and is second to Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby in playoff scoring with 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists). Crosby is leading all scorers with 26 points on six goals and 20 helpers.
The Red Wings are shooting for their fourth Stanley Cup title in the past 11 seasons and the 11th in the storied history of the franchise. Detroit won back-to-back titles in 1997 and '98 before they last hoisted the Cup in 2002.
Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, a native Swede, is trying to become the first European captain to lead his team to a Stanley Cup title. Lidstrom was a member of Detroit's last three Cup champion teams, but the legendary Steve Yzerman was the team captain on those squads.
Meanwhile, in order to win this series the Penguins must become the second team in NHL history to erase a 3-1 series' deficit to win the Stanley Cup. The Toronto Maple Leafs came back from a 3-0 hole to beat Detroit in the 1942 Cup finals.
Pittsburgh was the best home team in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, going 26-10-5 at the Igloo. The Pens were a perfect 9-0 at home in the playoffs before dropping Game 4 to the Red Wings.
The Red Wings were one of the best road teams in the NHL during the regular season, posting a 25-12-4 mark away from Michigan. Detroit is 6-4 as the visiting club in the playoffs.
Detroit came into this series as the favorites, having won the Presidents' Trophy as the team with the best record in the NHL during the regular season. Pittsburgh was the Atlantic Division champion and the second- seeded team in the Eastern Conference.
Both teams took impressive paths to the Cup finals this year, as the Penguins rolled through the Eastern Conference playoffs with a 12-2 record and Detroit claimed the West championship by winning 12 of 16 games. The Red Wings even set a franchise record at one point with nine consecutive victories this postseason.
Detroit defeated Nashville in six games during the opening round, swept Colorado in the following series, and beat Dallas in six tests of the conference finals.
The Penguins swept Ottawa in the first round and defeated the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers in five games during the conference semifinals and finals, respectively.
The Red Wings grabbed a 3-1 series edge with a Game 4 victory in Pittsburgh, but were unable to seal the title in Monday's home test against the Penguins. Instead, Pittsburgh rallied late in regulation to send Game 5 to overtime and then won it 4-3 in the third extra period.
Petr Sykora's power play goal at the 9:57 mark of the third OT cut Pittsburgh's series deficit to 3-2 and the club can force a decisive Game 7 on Saturday in Detroit with a victory on its home ice tonight.
Marian Hossa had a goal and an assist while Maxime Talbot scored with 34.3 seconds left in the third period to tie the contest at 3-3. The Penguins won the contest despite being outshot by a whopping 58-32 margin.
In the third session, Pittsburgh was awarded a power play when Jiri Hudler was called for a high-sticking double-minor after he hit Rob Scuderi and drew blood.
On the power play, Sergei Gonchar, who had sat out the first and second overtime periods with back spasms, blasted a shot from the right point that missed the net. However, Evgeni Malkin grabbed the puck along the right side and fired a pass out to Sykora, who snapped a wrister from the right circle that hit off the left arm of Chris Osgood and squeezed into the net for the win.
Marc-Andre Fleury came up with his best game of the series thus far as he stopped 55 shots in the win for Pittsburgh, which is looking for its first Stanley Cup championship since 1992.
Darren Helm, Pavel Datsyuk and Brian Rafalski each scored a goal for the Red Wings, who are seeking their fourth Cup in the past 11 seasons. Osgood, who shut out the Pens in Games 1 and 2 at Joe Louis Arena, finished the game with 28 saves.
Henrik Zetterberg added a pair of assists in the loss and is second to Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby in playoff scoring with 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists). Crosby is leading all scorers with 26 points on six goals and 20 helpers.
The Red Wings are shooting for their fourth Stanley Cup title in the past 11 seasons and the 11th in the storied history of the franchise. Detroit won back-to-back titles in 1997 and '98 before they last hoisted the Cup in 2002.
Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, a native Swede, is trying to become the first European captain to lead his team to a Stanley Cup title. Lidstrom was a member of Detroit's last three Cup champion teams, but the legendary Steve Yzerman was the team captain on those squads.
Meanwhile, in order to win this series the Penguins must become the second team in NHL history to erase a 3-1 series' deficit to win the Stanley Cup. The Toronto Maple Leafs came back from a 3-0 hole to beat Detroit in the 1942 Cup finals.
Pittsburgh was the best home team in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, going 26-10-5 at the Igloo. The Pens were a perfect 9-0 at home in the playoffs before dropping Game 4 to the Red Wings.
The Red Wings were one of the best road teams in the NHL during the regular season, posting a 25-12-4 mark away from Michigan. Detroit is 6-4 as the visiting club in the playoffs.
Detroit came into this series as the favorites, having won the Presidents' Trophy as the team with the best record in the NHL during the regular season. Pittsburgh was the Atlantic Division champion and the second- seeded team in the Eastern Conference.
Both teams took impressive paths to the Cup finals this year, as the Penguins rolled through the Eastern Conference playoffs with a 12-2 record and Detroit claimed the West championship by winning 12 of 16 games. The Red Wings even set a franchise record at one point with nine consecutive victories this postseason.
Detroit defeated Nashville in six games during the opening round, swept Colorado in the following series, and beat Dallas in six tests of the conference finals.
The Penguins swept Ottawa in the first round and defeated the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers in five games during the conference semifinals and finals, respectively.
The Declaration
As the title suggests, "The Declaration" is in many ways about womanhood and empowerment, which is why Ashanti chose to work with producers and collaborators outside the Inc. family. On the synthy, Darkchild-produced "So Over You," Ashanti croons about getting past a former relationship, while the Jermaine Dupri-mixed "Good Good," featuring elements of Michael Jackson's "The Girl Is Mine," finds her confidently belting about her abilities to please in bed. Ashanti continues to celebrate her femininity on tracks like the sensual, Robin Thicke-assisted "Things You Make Me Do" and the bass-heavy "Girlfriend," where she teases about all the things she'd allow her love interest to do if they were a couple. Meanwhile, "Mother" is inspired by Ashanti's close bond with her own mother, and "Shine" is aimed at motivating young women.—Mariel Concepcion
Usher Scores Second Best Sales Debut Of '08
Katie Hasty, N.Y.
Four years after his "Confessions" rocked the charts, Usher returns to The Billboard 200 at No. 1 with "Here I Stand." With 433,000 U.S. copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan, the LaFace/Zomba album is the second biggest debut this year behind the 463,000 start of Mariah Carey's "E=MC2.""Here I Stand" was led by the single "Love in This Club" featuring Young Jeezy, which was No. 1 for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. Usher's "Confessions" started at the penthouse in 2004 with a whopping 1,096,000 units and spent nine weeks on top. It went on to be the year's best-seller.Coming in at No. 2 is the New Line soundtrack to the "Sex in the City" movie. The set -- which features tracks from artists as diverse as the Weepies, Jennifer Hudson, Run-D.M.C. and Nina Simone -- moved 66,000 copies. It's the highest debut for a multi-artist theatrical film soundtrack since "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" also started at No. 2 in November 2005.3 Doors Down's Universal Republic self-titled set falls 1-3 with 63,000, a 59% sales decrease. Bun-B's Rap-A-Lot/Asylum set "II Trill" is down 2-4 with 40,000 (-59%), Leona Lewis' Syco/J album "Spirit" climbs 6-5 with 39,000 (-23%) and Reprise's retrospective Frank Sinatra collection "Nothing But the Best" slips 4-6 with 37,000 (-32%). Duffy's "Rockferry" (Mercury) endures a 19% sales decrease, moving 36,000 and ascending 8-7. Carey's chart-topping Island Def Jam album "E=MC2" continues its decline 7-8 with a 20% sales decrease to 36,000. Al Green, who is also on the "Sex in the City" soundtrack, starts at No. 9 with "Lay It Down," selling 34,000. The Blue Note effort is Green's highest debut ever and his highest charting album since "I'm Still in Love with You" reached No. 4 in 1972.
Death Cab For Cutie's "Narrow Stairs" (Atlantic) rounds out the top tier, falling 5-10 with 33,000 (-36%).Only two other efforts bow inside the top 50 this week. Cyndi Lauper's "Bring Ya to the Brink" (Epic) debuts at No. 41 with 12,000. It's the singer's first U.S. pop album since 1996's "Sisters of Avalon." Fergie's "The Dutchess: The Deluxe E.P." -- which contains the four tracks tacked on to the deluxe reissue of that album -- hops on board at No. 46 with 11,000. Interscope's "The Dutchess" reissue, released last week, causes the original album to bounce back up 104-28. Album sales this week are up 0.44% from last week's sum with 7.24 million units and down 13% from the same week last year.
Four years after his "Confessions" rocked the charts, Usher returns to The Billboard 200 at No. 1 with "Here I Stand." With 433,000 U.S. copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan, the LaFace/Zomba album is the second biggest debut this year behind the 463,000 start of Mariah Carey's "E=MC2.""Here I Stand" was led by the single "Love in This Club" featuring Young Jeezy, which was No. 1 for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. Usher's "Confessions" started at the penthouse in 2004 with a whopping 1,096,000 units and spent nine weeks on top. It went on to be the year's best-seller.Coming in at No. 2 is the New Line soundtrack to the "Sex in the City" movie. The set -- which features tracks from artists as diverse as the Weepies, Jennifer Hudson, Run-D.M.C. and Nina Simone -- moved 66,000 copies. It's the highest debut for a multi-artist theatrical film soundtrack since "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" also started at No. 2 in November 2005.3 Doors Down's Universal Republic self-titled set falls 1-3 with 63,000, a 59% sales decrease. Bun-B's Rap-A-Lot/Asylum set "II Trill" is down 2-4 with 40,000 (-59%), Leona Lewis' Syco/J album "Spirit" climbs 6-5 with 39,000 (-23%) and Reprise's retrospective Frank Sinatra collection "Nothing But the Best" slips 4-6 with 37,000 (-32%). Duffy's "Rockferry" (Mercury) endures a 19% sales decrease, moving 36,000 and ascending 8-7. Carey's chart-topping Island Def Jam album "E=MC2" continues its decline 7-8 with a 20% sales decrease to 36,000. Al Green, who is also on the "Sex in the City" soundtrack, starts at No. 9 with "Lay It Down," selling 34,000. The Blue Note effort is Green's highest debut ever and his highest charting album since "I'm Still in Love with You" reached No. 4 in 1972.
Death Cab For Cutie's "Narrow Stairs" (Atlantic) rounds out the top tier, falling 5-10 with 33,000 (-36%).Only two other efforts bow inside the top 50 this week. Cyndi Lauper's "Bring Ya to the Brink" (Epic) debuts at No. 41 with 12,000. It's the singer's first U.S. pop album since 1996's "Sisters of Avalon." Fergie's "The Dutchess: The Deluxe E.P." -- which contains the four tracks tacked on to the deluxe reissue of that album -- hops on board at No. 46 with 11,000. Interscope's "The Dutchess" reissue, released last week, causes the original album to bounce back up 104-28. Album sales this week are up 0.44% from last week's sum with 7.24 million units and down 13% from the same week last year.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Ryan Briscoe gets IndyCar victory in Wisconsin
Ryan Briscoe drove through the smoke and found a little bit of redemption.
For a moment on Sunday at the Milwaukee Mile, it seemed the new Team Penske driver would wind up watching his crashed IndyCar being towed to the paddock for the fourth time in the first six races this season.
Not this time.
The 23-year-old Australian held off a late charge from Indianapolis 500 champion Scott Dixon, avoided the late-race accident - barely - and gave team owner Roger Penske his 300th racing victory.
Four laps from the end of the ABC Supply A.J. Foyt 225, the track ahead of Briscoe was enveloped in smoke and all he could do was hit the brakes hard and hope.
"A million things went through my mind when I saw all that smoke," Briscoe said. "With a couple of laps to go, I knew how to keep Dixon behind me. I think I'd have been in tears if I didn't get through."
Just ahead of the leader, pole-winner Marco Andretti and Ed Carpenter collided, sending both into the wall. Vitor Meira, the Indy 500 runner-up who crashed in qualifying on Saturday, then drove over Andretti's car, flew through the air and slammed into the concrete barrier.
Asked how close he came to hitting Meira, Briscoe replied, "I think it was less than a foot."
Somehow, though, his No. 6 Team Penske Dallara came through the melee unscathed and Briscoe was able to drive slowly to the checkered flag under caution, claiming his first IndyCar victory.
It was a major step for Briscoe just a week after an embarrassing pit lane accident in which he took out fan favorite Danica Patrick at Indy.
"The car was just magic today," Briscoe said. "We just came through the field."
And that wasn't easy, with a 26-car field, the biggest open-wheel lineup at the suburban Milwaukee track since 27 started the 1998 CART race. Sunday's race was often a high-speed traffic jam with lots of close calls.
Briscoe, who lost his ride after a season with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2005, got another chance with Penske's team this year but crashed in three of the first five races, falling to 19th in the points before Sunday's win boosted him up to eighth, 100 points behind leader Dixon.
Briscoe dedicated the win to former Penske driver Rick Mears, a four-time Indy winner who is now a consultant for the team. Mears was honored before the race on the 30th anniversary of his first win, which came on the same track.
"I can't tell you how special it is to win my first IndyCar race on the 30th anniversary of Rick's first win," Briscoe said.
"I wouldn't have won it without his advice here."
Penske said he was proud of his new driver, the 15th different winner for the team in IndyCar racing.
"I think, today, he really got the monkey off his back," the owner said. "We knew how good he was. From the standpoint of his confidence, this is exactly what he needed to break the ice."
It appeared for most of the 225-lap race that Dixon would run away to another victory, but Briscoe, who started 11th, caught the leader and passed him on lap 177. All the drivers up front made green-flag stops before the finish, but Briscoe came out of the fuel stops back out front on lap 207 and stayed there despite heavy pressure from Dixon.
Dixon, who led 147 laps to Briscoe's 36, was also happy to get through the accident without damage.
"Briscoe, you've got to give him credit," the New Zealander said. "He drove the wheels off that thing. He could really take advantage of the high line when I tried a couple of times and nearly ended up in the fence. It was the most fun I've had in a long time, to be honest."
All the top cars made it through the late crash without damage.
Two-time defending race winner Tony Kanaan finished third, followed by Dan Wheldon and Briscoe's teammate Helio Castroneves.
Asked if he could have caught Briscoe in the last few laps if the caution had not come out, Dixon shrugged.
"I think it was just going to come down to how you hit traffic," he said. "With three laps more, who knows what was going to happen."
Patrick was never in contention, finishing a lap down in ninth.
"I had some understeer issues all day," said Patrick, who earlier this season became the first woman to win an IndyCar race.
"This is where we as a team need to find out what the problem is and find a solution. On a good note, we finished the race, which we have not been able to do in the last two races."
For a moment on Sunday at the Milwaukee Mile, it seemed the new Team Penske driver would wind up watching his crashed IndyCar being towed to the paddock for the fourth time in the first six races this season.
Not this time.
The 23-year-old Australian held off a late charge from Indianapolis 500 champion Scott Dixon, avoided the late-race accident - barely - and gave team owner Roger Penske his 300th racing victory.
Four laps from the end of the ABC Supply A.J. Foyt 225, the track ahead of Briscoe was enveloped in smoke and all he could do was hit the brakes hard and hope.
"A million things went through my mind when I saw all that smoke," Briscoe said. "With a couple of laps to go, I knew how to keep Dixon behind me. I think I'd have been in tears if I didn't get through."
Just ahead of the leader, pole-winner Marco Andretti and Ed Carpenter collided, sending both into the wall. Vitor Meira, the Indy 500 runner-up who crashed in qualifying on Saturday, then drove over Andretti's car, flew through the air and slammed into the concrete barrier.
Asked how close he came to hitting Meira, Briscoe replied, "I think it was less than a foot."
Somehow, though, his No. 6 Team Penske Dallara came through the melee unscathed and Briscoe was able to drive slowly to the checkered flag under caution, claiming his first IndyCar victory.
It was a major step for Briscoe just a week after an embarrassing pit lane accident in which he took out fan favorite Danica Patrick at Indy.
"The car was just magic today," Briscoe said. "We just came through the field."
And that wasn't easy, with a 26-car field, the biggest open-wheel lineup at the suburban Milwaukee track since 27 started the 1998 CART race. Sunday's race was often a high-speed traffic jam with lots of close calls.
Briscoe, who lost his ride after a season with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2005, got another chance with Penske's team this year but crashed in three of the first five races, falling to 19th in the points before Sunday's win boosted him up to eighth, 100 points behind leader Dixon.
Briscoe dedicated the win to former Penske driver Rick Mears, a four-time Indy winner who is now a consultant for the team. Mears was honored before the race on the 30th anniversary of his first win, which came on the same track.
"I can't tell you how special it is to win my first IndyCar race on the 30th anniversary of Rick's first win," Briscoe said.
"I wouldn't have won it without his advice here."
Penske said he was proud of his new driver, the 15th different winner for the team in IndyCar racing.
"I think, today, he really got the monkey off his back," the owner said. "We knew how good he was. From the standpoint of his confidence, this is exactly what he needed to break the ice."
It appeared for most of the 225-lap race that Dixon would run away to another victory, but Briscoe, who started 11th, caught the leader and passed him on lap 177. All the drivers up front made green-flag stops before the finish, but Briscoe came out of the fuel stops back out front on lap 207 and stayed there despite heavy pressure from Dixon.
Dixon, who led 147 laps to Briscoe's 36, was also happy to get through the accident without damage.
"Briscoe, you've got to give him credit," the New Zealander said. "He drove the wheels off that thing. He could really take advantage of the high line when I tried a couple of times and nearly ended up in the fence. It was the most fun I've had in a long time, to be honest."
All the top cars made it through the late crash without damage.
Two-time defending race winner Tony Kanaan finished third, followed by Dan Wheldon and Briscoe's teammate Helio Castroneves.
Asked if he could have caught Briscoe in the last few laps if the caution had not come out, Dixon shrugged.
"I think it was just going to come down to how you hit traffic," he said. "With three laps more, who knows what was going to happen."
Patrick was never in contention, finishing a lap down in ninth.
"I had some understeer issues all day," said Patrick, who earlier this season became the first woman to win an IndyCar race.
"This is where we as a team need to find out what the problem is and find a solution. On a good note, we finished the race, which we have not been able to do in the last two races."
Safina holds on to knock out Sharapova
Dinara Safina saved a match point before emerging as a 6-7 7-6 6-2 winner of an all-Russian catfight with world number one Maria Sharapova in the fourth round of the French Open on Monday.
The 13th seed, who had already beaten Sharapova in the last 16 at Roland Garros in 2006, will play her third grand slam quarter-final against compatriot and seventh seed Elena Dementieva.
The two arguably delivered the finest match of the women's tournament so far, with Safina, younger sister of former men's world number one Marat Safin, eventually coming out on top after two hours and 52 minutes.
Sharapova made the best start, taking the first break with a crosscourt backhand winner as Safina failed to convert her chances.
Safina finally broke on her seventh break point, which came in the eighth game, and both players held serve until the tiebreak.
The world number 14 opened up a 6-4 lead but Sharapova saved the set points by forcing her opponent into two mishit backhands and claimed the two points she needed to bag the first set after 68 minutes.
MISSING TITLE
Safina threw her racket to the ground in a show of temper reminiscent of her brother, possibly earning her the future nickname of 'Marata'.
The opening games of the second set went with serve but Sharapova broke for 4-2 with a sharp backhand winner down the line.
She held serve to go 5-2 up and it looked like Safina would bow out.
The 22-year-old from Moscow had a match point against her at 5-3 and saved it with a bold backhand winner down the line and went on to break back before forcing another tiebreak.
The Australian Open champion got off to the best start and was two points from the match, only for Safina to win five points in a row to win it 7-5, the last one when Sharapova's backhand clipped the net and bounced wide.
Although she threw away a 40-0 lead on her serve to fall behind after the first game of the decider, Safina broke back to love with both players holding serve until the sixth game, when Sharapova conceded another break by netting a forehand.
An exhausted Sharapova found herself unable to run for the ball and bowed out when she sent a forehand wide on the second match point.
The French Open remains, for at least another year, the only grand slam title missing from Sharapova's collection.
The 13th seed, who had already beaten Sharapova in the last 16 at Roland Garros in 2006, will play her third grand slam quarter-final against compatriot and seventh seed Elena Dementieva.
The two arguably delivered the finest match of the women's tournament so far, with Safina, younger sister of former men's world number one Marat Safin, eventually coming out on top after two hours and 52 minutes.
Sharapova made the best start, taking the first break with a crosscourt backhand winner as Safina failed to convert her chances.
Safina finally broke on her seventh break point, which came in the eighth game, and both players held serve until the tiebreak.
The world number 14 opened up a 6-4 lead but Sharapova saved the set points by forcing her opponent into two mishit backhands and claimed the two points she needed to bag the first set after 68 minutes.
MISSING TITLE
Safina threw her racket to the ground in a show of temper reminiscent of her brother, possibly earning her the future nickname of 'Marata'.
The opening games of the second set went with serve but Sharapova broke for 4-2 with a sharp backhand winner down the line.
She held serve to go 5-2 up and it looked like Safina would bow out.
The 22-year-old from Moscow had a match point against her at 5-3 and saved it with a bold backhand winner down the line and went on to break back before forcing another tiebreak.
The Australian Open champion got off to the best start and was two points from the match, only for Safina to win five points in a row to win it 7-5, the last one when Sharapova's backhand clipped the net and bounced wide.
Although she threw away a 40-0 lead on her serve to fall behind after the first game of the decider, Safina broke back to love with both players holding serve until the sixth game, when Sharapova conceded another break by netting a forehand.
An exhausted Sharapova found herself unable to run for the ball and bowed out when she sent a forehand wide on the second match point.
The French Open remains, for at least another year, the only grand slam title missing from Sharapova's collection.
Rock Legend Bo Diddley Dies At 79
Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
Rock legend Bo Diddley died this morning (June 2) of heart failure in Archer, Fla., according to his spokesperson. He was 79. Diddley suffered a stroke last spring and had a heart attack last August, from which he never fully recovered.Since then, he was undergoing rehabilitation near his Florida home. A private wake will be held Friday (June 6), with a funeral service open to the public the following afternoon at 2 p.m. at Showers of Blessing Harvest Center in Gainesville, Fla. That evening, a Diddley memorial, featuring members of his touring band, will be held at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Multi-Purpose Center.Diddley's interment will be held Sunday and will be private.Born Ellas Otha Bates McDaniel on Dec. 30, 1928, in McComb, Miss., Diddley holds the distinction of being the only musician in history to have a specific musical beat, or rhythmic pattern, named after him. The "Bo Diddley beat" blends equal parts rock'n'roll rhythm and gospel shout in its "bomp, ba-bomp-bomp, bomp-bomp" pattern, which became an enduring staple of popular music. His songs, a tasteful blend of blues and R&B elements, were among the earliest true rock'n'roll recordings.Diddley was an early advocate of fuzzy, distorted guitar sounds. They perfectly complimented his frenetic songs, which played on a homemade square guitar while decked out in dark sunglasses and a black hat. Similarly, his rhythmic, boastful vocal style predated rap by several decades.
In his heyday in the '50s, Diddley recorded such seminal rock songs as "I'm a Man," "Who Do You Love?," "Mona," and "Road Runner," all of which have since become essential learning material for rock and blues bands, and have been covered by countless leading artists.Buddy Holly borrowed Diddley's beat for his hit song "Not Fade Away," and the Rolling Stones' version of that song, with its unmistakable nod to Diddley, became the band's first major British hit single.In 1983, he had a memorable cameo as a pawn shop clerk in the comedy "Trading Places," and in 1989, he was introduced to a new generation of fans when he appeared with sports star Bo Jackson in a humorous TV ad campaign for Nike athletic shoes.Although Diddley toured regularly into his late 70s, his recorded output for the past 30-plus years has been sparse, save for a late '80s live album with Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood.
Rock legend Bo Diddley died this morning (June 2) of heart failure in Archer, Fla., according to his spokesperson. He was 79. Diddley suffered a stroke last spring and had a heart attack last August, from which he never fully recovered.Since then, he was undergoing rehabilitation near his Florida home. A private wake will be held Friday (June 6), with a funeral service open to the public the following afternoon at 2 p.m. at Showers of Blessing Harvest Center in Gainesville, Fla. That evening, a Diddley memorial, featuring members of his touring band, will be held at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Multi-Purpose Center.Diddley's interment will be held Sunday and will be private.Born Ellas Otha Bates McDaniel on Dec. 30, 1928, in McComb, Miss., Diddley holds the distinction of being the only musician in history to have a specific musical beat, or rhythmic pattern, named after him. The "Bo Diddley beat" blends equal parts rock'n'roll rhythm and gospel shout in its "bomp, ba-bomp-bomp, bomp-bomp" pattern, which became an enduring staple of popular music. His songs, a tasteful blend of blues and R&B elements, were among the earliest true rock'n'roll recordings.Diddley was an early advocate of fuzzy, distorted guitar sounds. They perfectly complimented his frenetic songs, which played on a homemade square guitar while decked out in dark sunglasses and a black hat. Similarly, his rhythmic, boastful vocal style predated rap by several decades.
In his heyday in the '50s, Diddley recorded such seminal rock songs as "I'm a Man," "Who Do You Love?," "Mona," and "Road Runner," all of which have since become essential learning material for rock and blues bands, and have been covered by countless leading artists.Buddy Holly borrowed Diddley's beat for his hit song "Not Fade Away," and the Rolling Stones' version of that song, with its unmistakable nod to Diddley, became the band's first major British hit single.In 1983, he had a memorable cameo as a pawn shop clerk in the comedy "Trading Places," and in 1989, he was introduced to a new generation of fans when he appeared with sports star Bo Jackson in a humorous TV ad campaign for Nike athletic shoes.Although Diddley toured regularly into his late 70s, his recorded output for the past 30-plus years has been sparse, save for a late '80s live album with Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood.
Tori Amos Splits With Epic, Goes Indie
Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
Tori Amos has ended her tenure with Epic Records and "has chosen the path of independence for her next work," according to her manager."As with many of her contemporaries, Tori is devising new and exciting ways of getting her music to the masses without the boundaries and limitations of the major music companies," manager John Witherspoon tells Billboard's Ask Billboard column.Amos' next album, due in spring 2009, will be "a project of new music and visuals which is being started in the summer," he says.Amos is also writing a musical for the British National Theater, "The Light Princess," and in July will unveil a graphic novel, "Comic Book Tattoo," based on her catalog.Amos recorded for Atlantic from 1992 to 2001 before signing with Epic. Her last album for that label was 2007's "American Doll Posse."
Tori Amos has ended her tenure with Epic Records and "has chosen the path of independence for her next work," according to her manager."As with many of her contemporaries, Tori is devising new and exciting ways of getting her music to the masses without the boundaries and limitations of the major music companies," manager John Witherspoon tells Billboard's Ask Billboard column.Amos' next album, due in spring 2009, will be "a project of new music and visuals which is being started in the summer," he says.Amos is also writing a musical for the British National Theater, "The Light Princess," and in July will unveil a graphic novel, "Comic Book Tattoo," based on her catalog.Amos recorded for Atlantic from 1992 to 2001 before signing with Epic. Her last album for that label was 2007's "American Doll Posse."
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