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Despite his grave assurances that he would NOT be singing at the start of the evening, President Obama couldn’t help but be swept along at a star-studded tribute event for the music of Ray Charles at the White House.

Paying tribute to the late singer, who died in 2004, the President led the crowd in a sing-a-long during filming the final episode of the current series of ‘In Performance at The White House’ on Wednesday (February 25th), and the last such event of his presidency.

The Ray Charles tribute evening was the last of Obama's 'In Performance at The White House' series

Continue reading: President Obama Pays Tribute To Ray Charles In Last 'In Performance' Of His Presidency

Usher, No Doubt and Fall Out Boy are among the star names announced to perform at the annual Earth Day Rally in Washington D.C. later this month.

The free concert is held this coming Saturday (April 18th) in the American capital on the National Mall. Hosted by Black Eyed Peas star Will.i.am and Soledad O’Brien, it is also due to feature speeches from the United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim.

Usher is one of the star names who will be performing at the Earth Day Rally in Washington this weekend

Continue reading: Performers Unveiled For 2015 Earth Day Rally In Washington D.C.

Usher may have been involved in a fight whilst attending a party on New Year's Eve. Reports suggest Usher may have been defending his girlfriend and he sustained an injury to his eye in doing so.

A source claimed Usher was involved in fight on New Year's Eve.

Read More: Usher Reveals Strategy To Deal With Justin Bieber: "I'll Punch Him In The Chest When I Need To".

Continue reading: Usher Posts Instagram Pic Of Red Eye, Jokes About Fighting Amidst Rumours Of NYE Fight To Defend Girlfriend

Usher is working hard and he wants us to know as much. The R&B star hasn’t put out a new album since 2012, but he is currently gearing up for a tour and prepping a new record – release date delayed and as-of-yet unknown.

Usher isn't really a best-seller anymore, but he's still at the top of his game.

While his sales have been dropping for the past two albums - 2012's Looking 4 Myself, has sold 504,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan — 800,000 fewer than the one before it, 2010's Raymond vs. Raymond – and his brand of R&B isn’t exactly on trend at the moment, Usher has plenty of other income streams to put food on the table. And gold rims on his Segway, of course. He’s set to play Sugar Ray Leonard opposite Robert De Niro in the forthcoming Hands of Stone and has coached two seasons on NBC's The Voice, winning the second time around. He has a profitable perfume line and owns a small piece of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. And that’s only the latest in a long list of achievements in his two-decade career.

Continue reading: Usher Is Working On A New Album And Tour, But Justin Bieber Is Still A Big Issue

Earlier last week, Usher treated fans with the location and dates of eight shows that will be part of his upcoming The Ur Experience tour, and now the R&B star has revealed the complete list of cities around North America he will be visiting this coming fall.

Usher has revealed the full list of dates for his upcoming 'The UR Experience' tour

Usher's first headlining tour in three years will kick things off across the border in Montreal, Quebec, on Nov. 1st, and the first U.S show will be held at Detroit's The Palace of Auburn Hills three days later. The 35 year-old singer is scheduled to wrap things up in Tampa, FL. on Dec. 14th.

Continue reading: Usher Announces Upcoming 'The UR Experience' North American Tour Dates

Josh Kaufman has become The Voice’s sixth winner, beating Jake Worthington and Christina Grimmie to the top spot. Worthington came second and Grimmie third.

Adam Levine has promised Christina Grimmie a record deal.

The 38-year-old was overwhelmed after it was announced he had won and gushed to presenter Carson Daly "I can't even talk. I'm overwhelmed, I'm surprised, I'm happy, I'm relieved,” adding "This has been so much more of an experience than I ever could have imagined. I'm just really grateful.”

Continue reading: 'The Voice US': Two Finalists Receive Record Deals

R&B singer Usher almost lost his son, Usher V, in a swimming pool accident where the youngster got his arm trapped in a drain whilst trying to retrieve a toy. The boy, 5, was staying at his father's house but the performer wasn't home at the time. Instead, supervision of the child was left to Usher's Aunt Rena in a situation that Usher's ex-wife Tameka Raymond terms as "negligent."

Usher Pictured With His Two Sons, Usher V & Naviyd.

When the boy's arm became stuck, Rena jumped into the water and tried to save him. She couldn't dislodge his arm from the drain and neither could a maid who was nearby. Eventually, two contract workers in the house dove into the water and saved the day. The men are credited with releasing Usher V from the drain and performing CPR on the unconscious boy until they were sure he was breathing. Usher was notified and rushed home where he then rode with his shaken son to hospital in an ambulance.

Continue reading: Usher's Son On The Mend After Pool Accident, But Mother Won't Get Full Custody

As the drawn-out court battle between Usher and his ex-wife Tameka Raymond draws to an end, it was the R&B singer who emerged on top as the ruling judge denied his ex-wife primary custody of their two sons. In a show of true character, Usher approached his wife following the decision and held her in his arms as she tried to comprehend the court's ruling.

Usher will keep primary custody of his children

As reported by TMZ, Tameka had relied heavily on the near-drowning of her son on Monday (5 August) as one of the main pieces of evidence used against her ex-husband. Her lawyer claimed in court that the incident was just one example of Usher being a distant father, who relies on unqualified nannies (his aunt Rena was at fault on Monday). Usher's lawyer was quick to counter this claim, stating that Usher is a wonderful father and since the children have been in his care they have thrived. He also argued that the pool incident was a one off, one that could have happened to anyone.

Continue reading: Usher Shares Warm Embrace With Ex-Wife Following Court's Decision To Deny Her Primary Custody Of Children

$1 Million A Day? Bruce Willis is officially out of The Expendables 3, having been replaced by Harrison Ford. The thing is, there appears to have been an almighty dispute over money, leaving Sylvester Stallone at odds with his former friend. Is Bruce worth $1 million a day? Check out our defense here!

Kramer vs Cancer: Dustin Hoffman has well and truly given cancer the slip after being "surgically cured" from the disease. The legendary Hollywood star is recovering at home with his family, though was given the all-clear recently. Check out the full story here. 

Continue reading: A Week In News: Willis Quits Expendables 3, Hoffman Beats Cancer And Beyonce Chops Hair Off

Usher's ex-wife, Tameka Raymond nee Foster, has filed emergency legal documents which requests primary custody of their two children be transferred to her. Currently, Usher has primary custody of the children and Raymond has limited rights.

Usher at the Empire State Building, New York in July 2013.

Raymond claims their two children are, when in their father's care, placed in a dangerous environment. This primarily concerns Usher's decision to leave the children in the care of other people, specifically members of his family. Raymond claims those who are in loco parentis are not up to the task of caring for children. 

Continue reading: Tameka Raymond, Usher's Ex-Wife, Files For Emergency Custody Hearing Following Son's Alleged Drowning Incident

Hiphop artist Usher faces his son being taken away from him after his ex-wife claims that his home in Atlanta is a dangerous environment to bring up children in.

Tameka Raymond has filed legal documents in Fulton County, Georgia, after their 5 year-old son Usher Raymond V, got him arm stuck in Usher's swimming pool drain on Monday (5th Aug) reports TMZ.

Continue reading: Usher Faces Custody Battle After Nearly-Drowned Son Is Hospitalised

Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars and Katy Perry are among the names confirmed for the iHeartRadio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas in September. The two-day festival, set to be held on September 20 and 21, will also feature performances from Elton John, Keith Urban and a special pairing of Queen (with Brian May) and the former American Idol star Adam Lambert.

The main festival line-up was announced on Monday morning (July 15, 2013) in a press conference hosted by Ryan Seacrest. A final schedule will be announced closer to the festival, though Timberlake, Perry, Elton and Bruno Mars are likely to be the marquee names. The likes of Muse, Tiesto, Chris Brown, Fun, Phoenix, Maroon 5, Tim Mcgraw, Ke&ha, Thirty Seconds to Mars and Benny Benassi are other high profile names to have been confirmed. 

Last year's festivals played host to No Doubt, Pink, Usher and Swedish House Mafia though it will be remembered for Billie Joe Armstrong's meltdown during Green Day's set. After smashing the band's instruments in protest of his set being cut short, Armstrong left the stage and was admitted to rehab the next day, cancelling his band's tour dates and promotional appearances. 

Continue reading: IHeartRadio Festival To Welcome Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars And Err, Queen

Jennifer Lopez has apologized for serenading the controversial Turkmenistan leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov at his 56th birthday celebration. A concert put together on behalf of China National Petroleum Corp for entertainment executives working in Turkmenistan, according to a statement from Lopez's representative obtained by E! Online.

Jennifer Lopez Made A Huge Error Of Judgement

The issue here, of course, is that Mr Berdymukhamedov has an atrocious human rights record and has ruled the country with an iron fist for years - living in luxury while the vast majority of Turkemenistan's inhabitants have nothing. According to a statement by the Human Rights Foundation, he is ranked as one of the nine "worst of the worst" dictators on the planet, while Transparcency International ranks the country as a bottom-seven country in their Corruption Perception Index. Reporters Without Borders label Berdymukhamedov as a "predator of press freedom" and ranks Turkmenistan as the world's third-worst place for journalist, sitting uncomfortably between Syria, North Korea and Eritrea. The leader's 97% landslide in the recent election was apparently so fraudulent that the OSCE declined to even send observers to look over it.

Continue reading: Jennifer Lopez Serenades Tyrant - But She Ain't The First

The Voice finally has its winner, but that’s not all that happened during the tense season finale. The last show featured performances by stars like Pitbull, Bruno Mars and Christina Aguilera, who will return to the judging panel next season, as well as a surprise performance by Cher – a rare event these days. But, of course, it wasn’t the main event. What everyone wants to know is who won. So, if you want to find out as well, keep reading ahead. Just in case that wasn’t clear enough, massive spoiler warning ahead. The big winner was, somewhat unsurprisingly, a member of team Blake Shelton. It was Danielle Bradbury, who beat out all other contestants for the top spot. Team Usher, represented by Michelle Chamuel came in second in the running, while the Swon Brothers, Zack and Colton, again mentored by Shelton, took third.

Bradbery, who is only 16, couldn’t contain her excitement after the show, commenting backstage:“I’m so thankful. I’m sorry, I’m speechless.”

Shelton, who coached two of the big-winning acts, had plenty of reasons to celebrate last night, as not only did his team represent (that’s what kids say these days, right?) but he also got to celebrate his 37th birthday on air. And he even got serenaded with Happy Birthday by the audience before the show went live, People reports. That bit wasn’t broadcast, presumably because the burden of copyright still hangs over the Happy Birthday song.

Continue reading: Inspired Winners And Inspirational Mentors In "The Voice" Season Finale (Spoilers)

The Voice has nearly finished with it's successful fourth season, with the final three now battling it out for the coveted crown being given out by NBC, but decided on by the American public. Monday (June 17) night's show featured more than just performances from the contestants as the season looks to make it's cinematic end, but regardless of the treats on offer the real attention was of course of the final three.

Show judge Usher has already dubbed Michelle Chamuel 'the winner' of this season of the hit singing competition, but Usher's word does not guarantee success and for Chamuel, the race is still on for the prize. Fellow judge Blake Shelton is one person who doesn't rate Chamuel and he is still backing Zach and Colton Swon to take the crown and after their triumphant rendition of 'Danny's Song' before the judge made the duo into a three-piece for a version of Brad Paisley's 'Celebrity.' Even if you don't like country it was hard not to admit that the shaw was something special.

Blake's other entry into the final three, Danielle Bradbery, proved her worth to the panel too, with Adam Levine and Shakira both singling her out as the most impressive performer of the night. "I think Danielle's the winner of this thing," Levine told her after the rendition of Maybe it was Pam Tillis' 'Memphis.' They weren't the only ones who thought highly of Bradbery's performances either and by the end of the night her coach Shelton told the hopeful, "I'm one of the millions of people out there that you have wrapped around your finger. I just thank God that you came to The Voice to debut yourself."

Continue reading: As The Voice Enters It's Final Stage, Is There A Clear Winner In Sight?

It’s semifinals week on The Voice, oh goodie! Anticipation was abundant before last night’s show – who would leave, which judges’ teams would get to compete in the finale, is it going to be all-women or all-country? Once again, the iTunes chart provided some clue as to the rankings. The show kicked off with a performance by Fall Out Boy (who still exist as a band, apparently.) They performed their My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark and were joined by Michelle Chamuel, whose role in the whole performance seemed to be mostly nominal, since her voice was barely audible throughout.

Then, after an emotionally charged performance by season 3 finalist Nicholas David, at last it came time to announce the lucky members if the inner circle for this season – starting, predictably, with Michelle herself. This means that both team Usher and team Country will be represented at the final.

The second act to continue to finals was Blake's Danielle Bradbery, followed, at the very last minute by The Swon Brothers. This of course means that Team Shakira’s Sasha Allen and Team Adam’s Amber Carrington were sent home this week. So the results matched the iTunes charts pretty well and the finale is shaping up to be a tense one. Did the semifinal fit your predictions?

Continue reading: The Voice: Who Went Home And Who Made It To The Final?

Adam Levine made a half-apology to Americans yesterday for muttering "I hate this country" during the closing credits of The Voice. We say half-apology because the Maroon 5 took to Twitter to post dictionary definitions of the words "humourless," "lighthearted," "joke" and "misunderstand." Hmm.

In fairness to Levine, his remarks really were pretty throw-away and he was obviously upset that two of his three acts had been eliminated from the NBC singing contest - one of them, Judith Hill, had been the favorite for weeks. The pop singer also released a statement through NBC which classifies that he really doesn't hate America. "I obviously love my country very much and my comments last night were made purely out of frustration," Levine said. "Being a part of The Voice, I am passionately invested in my team and want to see my artists succeed."

Levine added that the elimination of two of his acts was "confusing and downright emotion," and that his remarks were based on "personal dissatisfaction with the results," adding, "I am very connected to my artists and know they have long careers ahead, regardless of their outcome on the show."

Continue reading: Adam Levine Tweets Americans The Definition Of 'Humorless'

It was another shock result on NBC's The Voice this week, with two of the clear frontrunners getting eliminated despite strong performances. Unfortunately for Adam Levine, it was both his acts Judith Hill and Sarah Simmons who got the boot, despite being tipped to reach the final, reports E! Online.

Hill, a former backing singer for Michael Jackson, was considered the one to beat since her opening audition, while Simmons had wowed the American public with her soulful tone and consistent performances. The shocking results leaves Team Adam with just one act, Amber Carrington, while Team Blake retains Danielle Bradbery, Holly Tucker and The Swon Bothers. Shakira has just one act left, Sasha Allen, while Usher has one too, Michelle Chamuel. It's looking increasingly like that Blake Shelton will field at least one singer for the grand finale, probably Holly. The Voice audience have really taken to the country singers on the latest season.

Adam Levine may have hurt his one remaining act's chances after a microphone caught him grumbling, "I hate this country!" upon learning that American hadn't voted for Judith or Sarah. The Maroon 5 man was probably joking, though there's some pretty touchy television viewers out there.

Continue reading: The Voice: Why On Earth Didn't You Vote For Judith Hill Or Sarah Simmons?

Last night saw another reaping on The Voice as two surprising contestants left the show. First came the highly unexpected booting of Usher’s 19-year-old protégé Veto. The singer had been singled out as a favorite to advance to finals early on. Veto also had the motivation to stay in the race, saying early on that he wanted to inspire kids with showbiz ambitions: 'Surviving would mean the world to me,' he said. 'It allows me more time to be an inspiration to the younger people who look up to me.' Alas, Veto didn’t survive (on the show at least, otherwise he seems peachy) and now all those disappointed kids will have to find someone else to look up to.

The second performer to get voted off, in a not-so-surprising twist, was Team Shakira’s Garrett Gardner. It may have been Shakira’s rather odd choice to have the rocker sing a toned down rendition of The Backstreet Boys’ I Want It That Way that put the final nail in Gardner’s coffin, but it just doesn’t seem like he was meant to win The Voice. This was his second time on the talent competition and the singer was bursting with confidence. “It doesn't prove anything if you don't try again,” he said. “I didn't make it the first time and look where I am now.”

Obviously it was too early to make such bold statements though, and Gardner soon found himself on the wrong end of the voting charts. "You guys have been incredible," Carson told them as the results were read out. 

Continue reading: Contestant Numbers On The Voice Keep Dwindling As Two More Get The Boot

On Saturday (January 19, 2013), 5,000 American kids were treated to a pop spectacle at the Kids Inauguration, at the Walter E Washington Convention Center but will it have any impact on those kids’ future political tendencies? Asides from Usher asserting “the youth matters!” during his aerobically-challenging, dance-heavy performance, the message of the evening seemed to be none more challenging than ‘let’s have fun and celebrate!’

The 5,000 strong crowd, Washington Post reports, was made up primarily of military families, public school kids from DC and a ton of “media folk.” As well as, of course, Sasha and Malia Obama, representing their mom and dad, the First Lady, Michelle Obama and of course President Barack Obama, celebrating the official start to his second term in office yesterday (January 21, 2013). But the evening was low on politics and heavy on pop, with Katy Perry putting in a star turn, in a sparkling, star-spangled onesie and sharing some of her greatest hits for the gathered throng, singing ‘Teenage Dream’ and ‘Firework’ “with gusto.”

The cast of Glee were also on hand with the lightweight entertainment, performing ‘Valerie’ (made famous by Amy Winehouse) and ‘Beautiful’ by Christina Aguilera. Meanwhile, the California boy band Mindless Behaviour might not have the kind of name that you think would get the White House seal of approval but their highly physical performance got the thumbs up from the Obamas, nonetheless. 

Continue reading: Kids Inaugural - Light On Politics, Heavy On Pop Thanks To Katy Perry, Usher And Glee

It may be a star-studded line-up performing at the Barack Obama inauguration today at the White House in Washington DC – featuring Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson and James Taylor - but the event as a whole will be a pared-down affair, in keeping with the expectations that the President wants the public to have about his next four years in charge.

As has been widely reported, Beyonce will be singing the US national anthem ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’, with Kelly Clarkson and James Taylor singing patriotic songs ‘My Country, Tis Of Thee’ and ‘America The Beautiful’ respectively. The ceremony will focus on Obama laying out his vision for the next four years, with the country gripped in financial turmoil. However, if things are going to be relatively austere there, then elsewhere the Kids Inaugural Concert held in honor of the President’s new term saw the likes of Katy Perry and Usher celebrate the new era in style. Hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama at the Washington Convention Center, the event was for her daughters, and saw Nick Cannon emcee the evening, with the Glee cast also among those performing in the evening.

Elsewhere things weren’t so celebratory; a staff writer wrote on his Twitter that rapper Lupe Fiasco – playing the StartUp RockOn concert in Washington as part of the celebrations – launched into a 30 minute tirade against Obama, eventually being led from the stage by security.

Continue reading: Austere Barack Obama Inauguration Ready For Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson And James Taylor

The man who is alleged to have been the mastermind behind Manti Te’o’s imaginary girlfriend reportedly auditioned to be on The Voice. According to US Weekly, Ronaiah Tuiasosopo spun an elaborate and tragic story, about his cousins dying, which producers now suspect may have been a lie, in light of his apparent involvement in the ‘dead girlfriend’ story.

Ronaiah Tuiasosopo allegedly told the show’s producers that he had started a Christian band, together with his cousins, but that they died in a “massive car crash” on the way to a youth conference in Nevada. According to Ronaiah, a truck crashed into their vehicle and sent the family members sprawling across the freeway. Miraculously, he claims, they were all fine, despite doctors fearing that one of them could be brain-dead. According to the inside, Ronaiah Tuiasosopo had taken the same background check and psych evaluation that all contestants go through and nothing out f the ordinary had cropped up. In light of the Manti Te’o death hoax, though, people are starting to think that he could have been making this up as well.

Luckily for the producers, his journey on the show ended there. He tried to impress the judges – Shakira, Adam Levine, Usher and Blake Shelton with his version of Matisyahu’s ‘One Day’ but they were unimpressed. “No one turned their chair around,” the insider confirmed.

Following her victory in The Voice, Cassadee Pope probably doesn't need any encouragement to believe in herself, but if she does, then Blake Shelton is her go to guy. The team leader and star mentor has issued a glowing reference for the 23-year-old, People reports. 

"That's what makes an artist," Shelton praised her after the results were announced Tuesday night. "We are never satisfied. But I hope she's really happy that she won. I would love to do the pop/rock thing, but I know that I gained some amazing country fans and I know how hard it is to get into that world," the Florida native said. "I'd love to add a country music element to it a bit. I used to cover country music when I was a kid and it's stylistically part of my voice somehow. 

As a 'Voice' winner, Pope earns a record contract with Universal Republic in her victory, as well as a multitude of fans to springboard her career from. "She's got a lot of options," Shelton added. "She's adored by rock fans, pop fans, country fans. She connects with a lyric the way few people can. The door is wide open." Season 4 of The Voice premieres March 25, 2013, with Usher and Shakira joining Shelton and Adam Levine as team leaders.

Just in case you were in any doubt over just how successful, talented, adored and, indeed, rich Adele was, the news broke today that the British singer has now sold 10 million copies of her second album, 21. Cue lots of pictures of her clutching her Brits statuettes and an armful of Grammy gongs...

She’s reached this incredible milestone less than two years since the album was released and 21 now has the honour of being the UK’s fifth biggest-selling album of all time, meaning that the album is now officially more popular than Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, Brothers In Arms by Dire Straits as well as the Michael Jackson albums Bad and Thriller. That’s no mean feat for the singer, who’s now 24 and has just recently given birth to her first child. This news means that Adele is the third artist to have clocked up sales of 10 million from one album this year. Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory (2000) and Usher’s Confessions (2004) have also crossed that milestone though obviously Adele’s ascent was a far swifter one and all the more impressive for that.

Adding to this impressive list of accolades, 21 is also the most downloaded album in history. Since she gathered up that armful of Grammy awards at the start of the year, it has seemed that Adele’s second album shows no signs of abating, its associated success stories just keep on rolling in. Congratulations once more, Adele!

Boy Better Know arrive at the Red Bull Culture Clash in London ... but did they win?

There was an urban music clash for the ages going on down in London last night (November 7) as four troupes of some of the biggest names in UK dub-step, grime, garage and bass music appeared on four seperate stages set up within the confines of Wembley Arena, in a battle to determine who would cause the loudest reaction from the crowd and thus walk of champions of the night. Decibel meters measured the crowd's response to each stage, and each group pulled out all the stops to make sure they got the big W. So who were the teams? 

Continue reading: Pictures: Rita Ora Wardrobe Malfunctions And Huge Surprise Guests At Red Bull Culture Clash

Did you get that? Whitney Houston’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina is engaged to her adopted brother Nick Gordon, Fox News reports.

Gordon, 23, was invited by Houston to live with her and Bobbi when he was 12 because his birth mother could not care for him. And considering the late singer never legally adopted him, it’s not that weird. It is a little bit weird though. “No one knew from a godson you would turn into a boyfriend,” Bobbi’s uncle, Gary Houston, says to Gordon in the “On Our Own” clip, posted on Lifetime’s website. “Everybody else doesn’t have to be in my business,” says Gordon. “The family has made me out to be a bad person.” The Houstons: On Our Own premiers October 24th, and follows Houston’s extended family in the wake of the singer’s death last February. “I’m in love with him,” says Bobbi in a clip. “They wanna see us fail,” she says to the camera. “I got one thing to say — you won’t.”

Stars including Halle Berry, Britney Spears, Jennifer Hudson and Usher all paid tribute to the late "unforgettable" singer at the We Will Always Love You: A Grammy Salute to Whitney Houston, Sky reports. "She inspired a generation of little girls and women to believe in their own dream and to know that they had within themselves the greatest gift of all,” said Halle Berry. "I was one of those little girls who then became a woman who never ever, ever, stopped loving Whitney Houston."

Last night, a host of stars paid tribute to the late Whitney Houston in a final send-off from the organisers of the annual Grammy Awards. The glittering event, named We Will Always Love You: A Grammy Salute to Whitney Houston was led by Hollywood actress Halle Berry and musical tributes came from Jennifer Hudson and Usher amongst others. The music world was shaken by Whitney Houston’s death earlier this year, in a Beverley Hills hotel, on the eve of the Grammys.

Introducing the event, tearfully, Halle Berry said to the audience – who included Whitney’s daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown and former record label boss Clive Davis – “She inspired a generation of little girls and women to believe in their own dream and to know that they had within themselves the greatest gift of all. I was one of those little girls who then became a woman who never ever, ever, stopped loving Whitney Houston.”

The R&B star Usher performed ‘I Believe In You And Me,’ whilst the gospel singers Cece Winans and Yolanda Adams performed ‘Count On Me,’ reducing Whitney’s family members to tears. The X Factor judge Britney Spears shared the experience of how her version of ‘I Have Nothing’ secured her a record deal. Celine Dion was scheduled to perform ‘The Greatest Love Of All’ but was unable to attend, so taped her performance, which was then aired during the event last night. A one-hour version of the show will be aired on CNS on November 16, 2012.

Performing alongside the larger than life, beard-faced, tattoo-drenched Rick Ross, Omarion made waves with his performance at the BET Hip Hop Awards.

Male R&B is enjoying a renaissance, with the mercurial talents of Frank Ocean and the re-emergence of Usher of late, and Omarion’s performance has well and truly proved that he’s another one to be taken seriously. Bounding on stage, dressed solely in white, he accompanied Maybach Music boss, Rick Ross, who had just spat out a topless rendition of Hold Me Back. The pair sang Ice Cold together to a rapturous response from the audience, who were all mouthing proudly along to the frenetic show. Omarion, aka Maybach O, is working on his MMG debut. It has been a busy 24 hours for Ross as last night (October, 9) he dropped his most recent mixtape The Black Bar Mitzvah, followed by the official video for Diced Pineapples.

All this talk of performances, brawls and trouble backstage, and one might be forgiven for forgetting that the BET Hip Hop Awards are exactly that: an awards show. And in that vein, it’s pertinent to mention Kanye West, who cleaned up. He grabbed Producer of the Year, the Made You Look Award (Best Hip Hop Style) and the Perfect Combo Award for "Mercy," along with his G.O.O.D. Music crew. The multiplatinum hit maker took home another three awards for his work with Jay Z as part of the Throne, bringing his total to six.

Nicki Minaj and Rihanna are expected to clean up at the 2012 American Music Awards, with four nominations apiece, reports Reuters.

Rihanna is top of the table for the main category, as she wards off competition from Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Maroon 5 and Canadian rapper Drake for artist of the year. She’s also in line for female soul/R&B artist and best album, and will lock horns with Minaj for the female pop/rock artist category. Minaj could be recognized for her album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, in both the pop/rock and rap/hip hop categories this year, and she’s nominated for favorite rap artist, too. Minaj has been attracting extra attention recently; her very public feud with Mariah Carey on American Idol culminated in a strange gun threat, but most seem sure the ‘diva-off’ is being played up by Fox to boost the talent show’s viewership.

Elsewhere in the awards, teenage singer Bieber landed three nominations this year, tying with British boy band One Direction, Maroon 5, Drake and R&B star Usher. Adele and Taylor Swift – who dominated the awards last year - received one nomination apiece. Swift will fight for female country artist against Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert, while Adele was nominated in the favorite adult contemporary artist category alongside Kelly Clarkson and Train. The AMA’s - which will be celebrating its 40th anniversary this year - are determined by fans through online voting, which starts on Tuesday. The ceremony and performance show will be broadcast live from Los Angeles on November 18.

Usher, Celine Dion and Jennifer Hudson have all signed up to star in a TV tribute to the late singing icon Whitney Houston. The life and career of the late pop star is to be celebrated in an upcoming one-hour special titled We Will Always Love You: A Grammy Salute To Whitney Houston.

The show is to be filmed at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on October 11th and is likely to draw a huge swell of support from the music world given the profile that Houston once had. The show will also feature artists sharing their memories of Houston, as well as clips of some of her most memorable performances and never-before-seen footage.

The special is set to air in the US on November 16th, just days after a new greatest hits album is released. That release will be titled I Will Always Love You - the Best of Whitney Houston and will feature two previously unreleased tracks, including Never Give Up, produced by Jermaine Dupri, and an updated version of previous song I Look To You which features R. Kelly. The star infamously drowned in her bathtub at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles in February of this year during Grammys weekend.

Swedish House Mafia have unveiled the dates for their farewell tour, Billboard have reported today (September 24, 2012). The three-piece announced earlier this year that they would be calling it a day but have decided to give fans one last chance to rejoice in the live experience and have called their worldwide adventure Swedish House Mafia: One Last Tour. The 26-date tour kicks off on November 16, 2012 in Dubai and continues on to India, Europe, South Africa and North America. The world tour will end on March 9, 2013 in Los Angeles.

Before they embark on their farewell tour, the band will release a compilation album on October 22, entitled Until Now. The first single from the album, Don’t You Worry, Child,’ was debuted last week. A deluxe version of the album will be available, which will feature remixes of Coldplay and Usher. In an announcement on their website, the band sent a message to their fans, saying “Today we want to share with you that the tour we are about to go on will be our last," the message read. "We want to thank every single one of you who came on this journey. We came, we raved, we loved.” Many have been bemused by the band’s decision to quit at such a high point in their career. Their headline set at Coachella 2012 is considered one of the best sets that they have played since they formed in 2008.

The band will be hoping that the concerts pass without trouble. Nine people were allegedly stabbed at their Phoenix Park concert in Dublin in July and three people were stabbed at a show in Milton Keynes later that month.

The Voice is already securing it’s mentoring line-up for the forthcoming spring season in 2013, bringing in Columbian superstar Shakira in a straight swap for Christina Aguilera.

The show, which demolished The X-Factor USA in its season premiere, has also brought in Usher for Cee Lo Green, according to Entertainment Weekly. The new additions are part of NBC’s plan to develop an “on-going tent of talent” for the show, though Aguilera is likely to return after promoting her new album. Executive producer Mark Burnett said of the new line-up, “Having award-winning artists as coaches means they need to be able to tour…Whether in the red chair or on tour, our coaches have their chairs for life. This is exactly why, after three seasons, we needed to allow them to rotate out so they can get on the road amongst their fans. Meanwhile, we’re incredibly excited to have singular artists like Usher and Shakira joining the fold.” It’s probably a wise move by show bosses, who will be all too aware of the sinking ratings of The X Factor and American Idol, both of which have failed to come up with original concepts in recent years and relied too heavily on all-star judging names.

Country singer Blake Shelton and Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine will continue on the spring season of The Voice.

We're only one week into the third season NBC's The Voice, but the network is already announcing changes and they involve the departure of Christina Aguilera, as well as fellow original judge Cee-Lo Green. This season will be the last that's seen of the pair, as there is a new Aguilera album, Lotus to promote and tour, whilst Green is taking time off to work on new music and a scripted comedy about his life.

In their place? None other than Colombian singing sensation Shakira and general R'n'B superstar Usher. Not bad, as replacements go. "We are thrilled to welcome Usher and Shakira to The Voice, " Robert Greenblatt, the chairman of NBC Entertainment, said in a statement reported by The Clicker. "The addition of these popular iconic artists continues the tradition established by Christina, Cee Lo, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton. Doing two back-to-back cycles of this show requires a tremendous amount of time, and we are happy to accommodate the commitments made by Christina and Cee Lo."

Those disappointed at the news need not fear, though. Both have indicated that they will be returning to the show once they've finished with their other projects. "By pursuing my first passion of music during the break, I am also able to come back and offer even more to my team on 'The Voice' in the future," Aguilera said in a statement, whilst Green commented "Thank you, NBC, for supporting my decision to take this season four hiatus! I will return for season five and will be watching season four."

If you thought The Voice would rest on its laurels after last season’s huge success, then you thought very, very wrong. Not content with demolishing The X-Factor USA in its season premiere, show bosses have already begun tweaking the judging line-up for the forthcoming spring season.

Christina Aguilera – perhaps the most high profile of the four mentors – is being replaced by Colombian pop princess Shakira, while Cee-Lo Green will make way for R&B star Usher, according to Entertainment Weekly. The new additions are part of NBC’s plan to develop an “on-going tent of talent” for the show, though fans of Christina and Cee-Lo shouldn’t worry too much: they haven’t been sacked. The former is releasing a new album and will go on tour, while Green is developing new music and working on a scripted comedy series based on his life – both are likely to return for a later season. Having a rotational judging line-up is an interesting concept, and executive producer Mark Burnett firmly believes that it’s the way forward, saying, “Having award-winning artists as coaches means they need to be able to tour…Whether in the red chair or on tour, our coaches have their chairs for life. This is exactly why, after three seasons, we needed to allow them to rotate out so they can get on the road amongst their fans. Meanwhile, we’re incredibly excited to have singular artists like Usher and Shakira joining the fold.”

Country singer Blake Shelton and Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine will continue on the spring season of The Voice – though it’s unclear whether this is through lack of work, or just because they love spinning their mechanical chairs around.

Usher has defended himself against claims of being an "absentee father." The R&B singer has experienced a pretty tough year in 2012 so far; not only has he undergone a very public court battle with his ex, Tameka Foster but he also lost his step-son Kile Glover, in a tragic jet-ski accident in the summer. Talking to Oprah Winfrey during her talk show 'Oprah's Next Chapter,' Usher defended himself against some of the criticisms that have been levelled against him in recent months.

"This will be the only time that I've ever chosen to speak about it," Usher told Oprah, about the custody hearing, regarding his children Usher Raymond V and Naviyd Ely Raymond, on the show that aired yesterday (September 16, 2012). "I've been a man of integrity throughout the entire process," he told the chat show host. "Which I hope my boys will understand." He used the opportunity to dismiss claims that he has been an "absentee father" and told Oprah that he was "Absentee from the aspect of having to go and work, that probably would be her version or idea what absentee would be. But no, I'm not an absentee father at all."

Usher had also been publicly criticized for allegedly not attending Kile's funeral but insist that that was not the case. "It hurts me to hear people speculating that I wasn't at the funeral. I absolutely was at the funeral. I was at the burial as well," he explained, before revealing the damage that has been done to his relationship with Tameka: "We don't see eye-to-eye. The friend that I was to Tameka, I don't know that I could ever be again. She made us enemies in a way that I never understood."