We will always love you
Whitney Houston was found dead in her hotel room at the Beverly Hilton on Feb. 11. The 48-year-old multi-award winning singer, songwriter and actress, whose vocals left an unforgettable impression on the music world, had a history of personal struggles, including addiction. Her influence on the music world was echoed throughout social media within moments of her publicist releasing the news to the Associated Press. The 54th Grammy Awards, which took place on Feb. 12, featured Jennifer Hudson singing “I Will Always Love You,” a Dolly Parton song made famous by Houston in the movie The Bodyguard. The cause of death is still unknown, but police do not suspect criminal intent.
That’s Ms. Blue Ivy Carter to you
In a time-honoured tradition beloved by new parents everywhere, Jay-Z and Beyoncé are now going through the motions to have their newborn’s name trademarked. According to Rolling Stone magazine, the couple plan on using Blue Ivy Carter’s name as a brand for a line of baby accoutrements, including everything from diaper bags to baby cosmetics. Before you go thinking this move by the power couple is ridiculous, two people had already tried to trademark some variation on the child’s name within days of the birth. The claims were both denied when the Trademark Office recognized the name as belonging to the newborn. The trademark is currently pending, but will most likely be authorized, as U.S. parents are allowed to trademark the names of their children.
Not-so-delicious Cake
Ex-Cake drummer Peter McNeal, who played with the band from 2001 to 2004, is currently facing child molestation charges. In a preliminary hearing last Friday, a Los Angeles court charged McNeal with a single felony count for oral copulation/sexual penetration of a child under the age of 10. Mike Doughty, a singer-songwriter and former bandmate, was shocked at the allegation, and asked that people refrain form judgment before hearing all the facts. “Someone accused of child molestation usually gets labelled as a monster permanently, regardless of what a jury decides,” Doughty said. “I beg everybody to remember that, even if he’s innocent, and acquitted, this could ruin so much of his life.” This is not the first time McNeal has run into trouble with the law; he was charged with the attempted molestation of a young girl back in 2009, though the status of that case seems to be “unclear” according to a Fox News report.
