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British singer SEAL was inspired to record a SAM COOKE song by BARACK OBAMA’s election as the next president of the United States.
The Kiss From A Rose hitmaker says his new single, a cover of soul legend Cooke’s A Change Is Gonna Come, was influenced by the mood of optimism gripping America during the historic election.
He tells Billboard, "The initial inspiration came from what I perceived to be a collective consciousness of people, not only in America but around the world, saying, ‘Look, the whole place is in turmoil, the economy’s in the toilet, people are reckless, frustrated and irresponsible’. And I think the collective got together realising there’s something that needed to change."

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Jazz pioneer ROSETTA REITZ has died at age 84.
Reitz passed away on 1 November (08) following cardiopulmonary problems.
Best known for resurrecting the feminist movement in the music scene, she created her record label, Rosetta Records in 1979.
With $10,000 (£6,700) she had borrowed from friends, Reitz scouted lost music and supervised the remastering of damaged recordings including works by Bessie Smith, Ida Cox and Ma Rainey.
In addition to completing 17 albums through the label, she also produced concerts by longtime female blues singers for the Newport Jazz Festival, Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl.
Reitz is survived by three daughters - Rebecca, of Manhattan, Robin Reitz of Tucson, and Rainbow Reitz of Manhattan - and one granddaughter.

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Rapper KANYE WEST has demanded a law to protect celebrities from paparazzi intrusion - comparing his recent brush with photographers to the life of late British royal DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES.
The Gold Digger hitmaker was detained by police in the early hours of Friday (14Nov08) morning after an alleged scuffle with a photographer outside the Tup Tup club in Newcastle, England.
After being released without charge, West has now called for the act of taking photographs without permission to be outlawed.
He writes on his official blog, "If you listen to my music, how could I deliver so many positive uplifting messages and be the monster that the media paints? Paparazzi give real photographers a bad name.
"Let us not forget that the paps killed Princess Diana. When will there (be) a law be passed that simply enforces that someone has to ask to take a photograph of you? That would seem like common courtesy. Right now the paps are above the law and the people they shoot are below it." Diana, Princess of Wales died in a car crash in Paris, France in 1997, following a chase with photographers.

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HUGH JACKMAN and NICOLE KIDMAN outlined their "boundaries" before filming love scenes for their new movie AUSTRALIA - to ensure they didn’t get carried away with the romantic storyline.
Jackman teams up for a few steamy scenes with Kidman in the forthcoming epic, and insists their chemistry was so electric, the actors banned their real-life partners - actress Deborra-Lee Furness and singer Keith Urban - from the film’s set.
The star tells People.com, "My wife is an actor. They both get it. But I don’t think they want to be on the set watching the monitor! "(Love scenes with Kidman) couldn’t have been better or easier. We spoke of setting boundaries." But the hunky star is confident the scenes will look tasteful on the big screen - because he believes director Baz Luhrmann is a true cinematic artist.
Jackman adds: "(Luhrmann) treats love scenes like choreography. The camera is like a dancer. If you watch any of his movies, visually, the love scenes are like poetry."

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Actor-turned-author DENIS LEARY fell in love with THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW after he tuned in to prepare a scathing routine about the TV host.
Leary dedicated himself to watching the popular programme because he wanted to gather material to savage Oprah in his controversial book Why We Suck: A Feel-Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid.
But he soon got addicted to the show - and now wants to make a version for men, starring himself and fellow comedian Jon Stewart.
Leary tells USA Today newspaper, "The Oprah thing completely turned around on me. As soon as I started doing the research, I got sucked into the vortex of Oprah. I started watching episodes and reading the magazine (Oprah’s magazine O). There’s no male Oprah." Asked about filming a men’s version of the show, he adds: "Guys would listen.
It could be me and Jon Stewart. You do the joke news, you do the scores because Stewart’s a complete sports junkie."

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British singer LILY ALLEN calls on her actor father KEITH to cheer her up when she’s feeling down in the dumps.
Keith Allen admits his daughter hardly ever gets in touch with him - unless she is feeling depressed.
He says, "When she’s not, she certainly doesn’t need to speak to me. That’s the way it is." Allen also insists his outspoken daughter is happy to learn from her mistakes.
He adds, "She’s very singular and would rather learn by failure than by being steered through by some PR person. She has to learn that sometimes it’s better to be quiet."

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SNOOP DOGG’s family has fled the rapper’s home in terror as wildfires continue to rage through California.
The Drop It Like It’s Hot hitmaker’s family and staff were among 26,000 people evacuated from their homes on Sunday (17Nov08) due to the uncontrollable blaze that has already destroyed more than 150 houses in the state.
The star was not at the multi-million dollar house in The Country Estates, an exclusive hillside community in Diamond Bar, at the time of the evacuations.
After breaking out on Saturday (16Nov08) the fire has scorched more than 16 square miles, spread across four counties.

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SIR PAUL McCARTNEY wants to perform a gig in China - despite previously declaring he would boycott the country over its animal rights record.
The vegetarian rocker announced in 2005 he would never hold a concert in the Asian country after watching footage of dogs and cats being killed for their fur in Guangzhou.
But now the former Beatle has named China as the one nation he dreams of visiting.
When asked in a radio interview where he would like to perform next, the star replied: "I’ve never played in China, I’m kind of interested to see what that’s like. There’s lots of places I’ve never played, but I think China would be the answer." McCartney played a peace concert in Tel Aviv, Israel in September (08) - four decades after the Fab Four were banned by the government over fears they would corrupt the nation’s youth.

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Hollywood actor LEONARDO DiCAPRIO was too young to handle international fame after he starred in hit movie TITANIC - insisting he nearly went off the rails.
The 34-year-old became a heartthrob all over the world at the age of 23 after landing the lead role in the 1997 film alongside Kate Winslet.
But DiCaprio admits he was not mature enough to cope with turning into a major Hollywood star overnight - and the years following the movie’s release saw him become a completely different person.
He says, "Titanic began a period of rebellion for me. As soon as people give you enough compliments and you suddenly have more power than you’ve ever had in your entire life, it’s not that you become an arrogant p***k, or you become rude to people, but you get a false sense of your own importance. You’re treading in dangerous territory when you begin thinking you’ve altered the course of history. It was like a runaway train. I didn’t understand what was happening to me."

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Hollywood actor LEONARDO DiCAPRIO is cutting down the time he spends talking about environmental issues - because he doesn’t want to sound "patronising".
The Titanic star has long been campaigning to raise awareness of planet-saving schemes, but admits he doesn’t want people to get irritated by his non-stop ‘green’ talk.
He says, "Yes, I have solar panels and all that sort of stuff. However, the more I learn about the subject matter, I also realise that people find it patronising. They feel like they’re being told what to do when somebody like me talks about the fact I have solar panels." And DiCaprio insists that while most people want to do their best to help the environment, he understands that many can’t afford it.
He adds, "Not everybody can get solar panels and not everyone can drive a hybrid car. It’s not about blame or telling people how to live, it’s just about saying, ‘Let’s all be aware of these issues’."

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Former ER star JULIANNA MARGULIES turned down an invitation to reprise her role for the final series of the medical drama - because she doesn’t think her character’s storyline can be improved.
The star shot to fame as nurse Carol Hathaway when the U.S. series premiered in 1994, but left the hit show after six seasons to pursue other projects.
Her onscreen character was written out of the show when she settled down with George Clooney’s character, Dr Doug Ross.
And although other ER alums, including Noah Wyle, Eriq La Salle and Anthony Edwards have agreed to appear in the show’s final 15th season, Margulies has declined the opportunity.
She says, "I feel like I left Carol Hathaway in the best scenario possible. I can’t imagine making it any better than that."

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Comedian KATT WILLIAMS has been sent for tests at a mental hospital by his worried family - after reportedly trying to check into a motel wearing just a bathrobe.
The star was forced to seek help by concerned family members after the incident at the Mount Vernon Inn in Sumter, South Carolina on Friday (14Nov08) - which came just a week after he was arrested in New York on weapons charges.
According to AllHipHop.com police officers responded to a call that Williams was behaving suspiciously at the hotel when he arrived clad in a bathrobe and with a towel wrapped around his head.
After determining no crime had taken place, cops contacted the star’s family - who are said to have arrived with deputies under orders to escort Williams to the nearest mental health facility.

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Rocker TRAVIS BARKER is relieved he can still play the drums as furiously as ever - less than two months after a plane crash nearly took his life and left him badly burned.
The former Blink-182 star was left with second and third degree burns from his feet to his waist and on both hands following a September (08) plane crash in South Carolina, which left four others dead.
But the drummer has returned to the studio just weeks later - and is elated he hasn’t lost his sense of rhythm.
Speaking on MTV’s Total Request Live final broadcast on Sunday (16Nov08), Barker announced: "I’m already playing my drums again, and I’m already back in the studio.
"It was like riding a bike. It was really exciting to know I still have my chops. It still felt good. I still can make it around the kit. Everything felt right, so I’m thankful to be able to play."

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Fallen rap mogul MARION ‘SUGE’ KNIGHT has been officially charged with two felonies and one misdemeanour stemming from his arrest for the alleged assault of his girlfriend MELISSA ISAAC.
The former Death Row Records CEO was accused of attacking his partner of three years and brandishing a knife following a heated argument in the couple’s car in a parking lot on the Las Vegas strip on 27 August (08).
Knight was arrested that evening for felony assault, misdemeanour domestic violence, and possession of the drugs ecstasy and hydrocodone.
And on Monday (17Nov08) Clark County Justice Court slapped Knight with two felony charges of possession of a controlled substance and one misdemeanour count of battery, according to a report on gossip website TMZ.com.
Las Vegas district attorney David Roger tells AllHipHop.com, "It took a while for the lab to analyse the substances, which caused a delay in filing the charges. Considering Mr Knight’s notoriety, these are serious charges." An assault charge on Knight remains in doubt, however, as alleged victim Isaac, who was due to testify against the 43-year-old, has disappeared since the incident.

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Fallen pop superstar MICHAEL JACKSON is facing another financial woe - he is reportedly facing a lawsuit from a super-rich Arab sheik for backing out of a planned record deal.
The Bad hitmaker allegedly signed an exclusive deal with Prince Abdulla Al-Khalif to pen an autobiography, release two albums and help produce a musical of his life.
Al-Khalif alleges he gave the singer a $120,000 (£75,000) Rolls-Royce and paid for Jackson to maintain control of his Neverland Ranch in 2005 following his acquittal on child-molesting charges, according to Britain’s The Sun newspaper.
The case is reportedly set to be heard at London’s High Court.
Jackson’s beloved Neverland Rance was sold earlier this month (Nov08) in a joint venture with the pop star rename the property and revamp its image.

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HELEN MIRREN has come under fire again for her views on rape - after suggesting female jurors in a sexual assault case were deliberately selected by barristers because "women go against women".
The Queen star spoke about the difficulties facing female rape victims when they got their case to court in an interview with Britain’s Sunday Times magazine - saying she thought women jurors were chosen purposefully by defence lawyers because other women would think the victim "was asking for it".
In the interview, she says, "Whether in a deep-seated animalistic way, going back billions of years, or from a sense of tribal jealousy or just antagonism, I don’t know.
"But other women on a rape case would say she was asking for it. The only reason I can think of is that they’re sexually jealous." The comments mirror similar statements Mirren made in September’s (08) British GQ magazine, when she came under attack for suggesting women who have been date raped should not take their attackers to court as it would be difficult to press charges against someone they had planned on being sexually active with.
She also admitted in the candid interview that she herself had been the victim of date rapes on several occasions, as well as taking cocaine, in her youth.
Mirren answered the backlash against her first comments on rape by urging people to read the full interview before believing the media’s "sensational" take on her views.
But the Oscar-winner has now been slammed by U.K. solicitor general Vera Baird - an advisor to the British monarchy and government on the law - who brands Mirren’s comments "ignorant".
Baird tells Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper, "This is just such an ignorant thing to say - to suggest that the defence or prosecution have any involvement in the selection of a jury.
"It’s just absurd. First of all, it’s completely factually incorrect. It shows an absolute lack of knowledge about the way the criminal justice system works. I do not know what she is talking about, women hating women.
"This is a vast generalisation based on nothing, but unfortunately it is likely to have a deterrent effect."

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Legendary actor SIR MICHAEL CAINE was presented with a prize for Outstanding Contribution to Showbusiness at the Variety Club’s 56th Annual Showbusiness Awards in London on Sunday (16Nov08).
The Oscar-winner attended the event, which celebrates the U.K. entertainment industry, at Grosvenor House in London’s Mayfair to collect the honour.
Scottish actor James McAvoy collected the Variety Club’s award for film for his string of acclaimed performances in Atonement, The Last King of Scotland and action film Wanted.
Other big winners at the bash included revered actor Kenneth Branagh, who won the Stage Performance gong for his turn in Anton Chekhov’s play Ivanov.
Hollywood heavyweight Al Pacino was awarded the International Award at the ceremony.
The long-running awards help raise funds for ill and disadvantaged children and youngsters in the U.K.

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Beloved British TV star REG VARNEY has died aged 92.
Varney, best known for his role as cheeky bus driver Stan Butler in classic comedy On The Buses, passed away of natural causes at a retirement home in Devon, England.
According to his daughter, Jeanne Marley, the actor died peacefully.
Born in east London in 1916, Varney served in World War II as an engineer and began his career as a performer, entertaining the troops.
His first U.K. TV performance was in the BBC show The Rag Trade, before landing his most famous role in the On The Buses in 1969. The show ran until 1973.
After the show, the actor appeared reprised his role in a stage adaptation of the hit series in a theatre tour of Australia, before performing his own cabaret show The Other Reg Varney in the U.K., Australia and Canada.
His wife, Lilian Emma Varney, died in 2002. He is survived by a daughter.

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