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MICHAEL JACKSON’s sister LA TOYA has paid a heartfelt final tribute to her late brother in the programme for today’s (07Jul09) memorial service in Los Angeles.
In among the letters and notes recalling the King of Pop’s life and career, La Toya remembered a conversation she had with the pop star after he won his first Grammy Award in 1980.
She writes, "He said, ‘I want to be the the biggest and greatest entertainer of all time.’" The grieving sister then states, "You began to write that dream all throughout your bedroom; on walls, on the mirrors, in your books and everywhere else you could find space.
"You started working harder creating sounds and songs the world had never heard before. You started dancing until you literally collapsed. When most artists were trying to learn how to sing… you were singing and moonwalking." La Toya concludes her moving note by adding, "God has called you to come home, collect your wings and fulfil your demands in heaven, and continue your magic amongst the angels.
"I love you deeply… Keep the magic going." The tribute pamphlet also featured a small note honouring Jackson’s mother Katherine.
Mariah Carey, John Mayer, Stevie Wonder and Jennifer Hudson are slated to perform at the Staples Center memorial.
In a post on his Twitter.com blog, Mayer writes, "I’m honored to have been asked to play at MJ’s memorial service."

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

AMERICAN IDOL judge PAULA ABDUL has continued to hit back at rumours her TV bosses have ousted her from the hit U.S. singing competition - insisting she’s been invited to remain on the show indefinitely.
The singer-turner-TV personality has yet to renew her contract since it expired last season, fuelling reports network executives want new judge Kara DioGuardi to replace her alongside judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson.
However Abdul insists executives are keen to keep her on the series as long as they can.
She says, "I’ve been invited to stay the duration of the show, however long it lasts."

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ANGELINA JOLIE has reportedly signed with top fashion house Emporio Armani to become the face of their new perfume.
The Hollywood beauty is said to be fronting the advertising campaign for the as-yet-unknown fragrance and insiders claim she is proving to be a hands-on spokesmodel.
A source tells U.S. news show The Insider, "For this fragrance push, they needed a true A-lister, and Angelina is the biggest, most dynamic female star in the world.
"She’s giving a lot of input on that stuff (ad campaign) already, picking the photographers and directors. The campaign is going to be bold." And rumours have already begun spreading about Jolie possibly teaming up with Armani’s other famous spokesmodel, soccer star David Beckham, for a steamy shoot.
Another insider tells website iol.ie, "When you have David Beckham and Angelina Jolie signed up to your fashion house, it’s a no-brainer to link them up.
"They appeal to a diverse audience and a collaboration would create so much publicity it would push Armani head and shoulders above their rivals. There are a few contract issues to be addressed but marketing experts are being tasked with coming up with clever ideas for a print campaign." Beckham can currently be seen modelling Armani underwear in sizzling new ads with his wife Victoria Beckham, who fronts the designer’s lingerie line.

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

MICHAEL JACKSON staged one of his most amazing ‘appearances’ as his remains took centre stage at his memorial service in Los Angeles minutes ago.
As The Andrae Crouch Choir started singing gospel tune We Are Going To See The King, the King of Pop’s coffin, covered with red roses, was carried through the Staples Center, where 18,000 people had gathered to pay tribute to the late star.
Pallbearers included members of Jackson’s family and friends of the Thriller star, who died last month (25Jun09).
The choir performed before a simple church setting at the sports arena, with a sunset image of stained glass windows hanging behind the singers.
Following a moment’s silence, Pastor Lucius Smith took to the stage to begin the live tributes to the King of Pop. He recalled that the late star had been performing at Staples Center in the days leading up to his death.
He stated, "As long as we remember him, he will be there forever to comfort us. In his very beautiful and human heart, Michael Jackson wanted nothing more than to give love to the world… and perhaps be loved back in return." After the pastor’s solemn words, Mariah Carey hit the stage to begin the celebrity performance tributes with her rendition of Jackson 5 hit I’ll Be There, as images of Jackson appeared on a big screen behind her.
She was joined onstage by Trey Lorenz, who recorded a 1992 duet of the song, which became Carey’s first worldwide number one.
Carey finished her tribute by stating, "We miss you."

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BRUCE WILLIS is to rebuild his Idaho ski lodge, which was destroyed by fire earlier this year (09).
The Soldier Mountain Ski Resort lodge was burned to the ground after an accidental blaze broke out at the end of March (09).
As well as rebuilding the lodge, the actor also hopes to create a private airfield.

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LEONARDO DiCAPRIO’s thriller THE LOW DWELLER is finally ready to begin production after landing director RUPERT SANDERS to take charge of the project.
The movie has been in limbo for months as film studio bosses searched for the ideal filmmaker to breathe life into the story.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Sanders, known for his work on film promos for TV, has been handed the task and will begin casting in the coming weeks.
DiCaprio, who is not listed to star in The Low Dweller, will serve as executive producer alongside Ridley Scott.

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PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS guitarist DRAKE LEVIN has lost his battle with cancer at the age of 62.
The Good Thing rocker died on Saturday (04Jul09) at his home in San Francisco, California.
Levin was a member of the Raiders for four years during the band’s 1960s heyday.
His efforts on 1965 hit Just Like Me helped shape the Raiders sound - the track features on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s list of 500 Songs That Shaped Rock `n’ Roll.

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SMOKEY ROBINSON began proceedings at the King of Pop’s memorial service at the Staples Center in Los Angeles by reading out a letter from DIANA ROSS.
The soul man, dressed in a grey three-piece suit and black tie, held the official note from Ross, who refused to attend Tuesday’s (07Jul09) tribute, and read it to the 18,000 fans, celebrities and family members present.
Robinson read, "I am trying to find closure. I want you to know that even though I am not there at the Staples Center, I am there in my heart. I have decided to pause and be silent. This feels right for me.
"Michael was a personal love of mine, a treasured part of my world, part of the fabric of my life in a way I can’t seem to find words to express.
"Michael wanted me to be there for his children and I will be there if they ever need me. I hope today brings closure for all those who loved him." Robinson went on to read a written tribute from Nelson Mandela.
Ross was named as an alternative guardian for Jackson’s three children in his 2002 will if his first choice, his mother Katherine Jackson, was unable to care for his kids.

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Bollywood actor SAIF ALI KHAN is taking on a new role behind the camera - he’s making his debut as a movie producer.
The star is taking creative control over upcoming drama Love Aaj Kal (Love Today and Tomorrow), the first project produced by his company Illuminati Films, which was set up in 2008.
And Khan is revelling in his new career direction. He says: "I have worked in the industry for the last 18 years. Now I want to do something different and therefore I am producing films.
"I want to be creatively satisfied as an actor, therefore I am putting in my money in projects that I believe in."

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MICHAEL JACKSON’s body will be escorted to his public Los Angeles memorial on Tuesday (07Jul09) by the police department’s SWAT team, according to reports.
The Thriller superstar’s close family and friends attended a private service at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills on Monday night (06Jul09), followed by another gathering early on Tuesday morning.
Previous reports suggested Jackson would be laid to rest before the special Staples Center ceremony for the public, but TMZ.com now claims the pop superstar’s closed casket will be taking centre stage at the event.
According to the website, the body will be given a special police escort from Forest Lawn to the Staples Center, with LAPD chiefs organising a "heavy motorcade" to ensure Jackson’s coffin is transported safely to the venue.
Fans began gathering outside the concert arena hours before the 10am (local time) start, and police have arranged for a helicopter to be on stand-by should there be trouble transporting the casket on the ground.
U.S. TV’s The Today Show further reports Jackson’s brothers, including Tito and Jermaine Jackson, will act as pallbearers after the star-studded event, when the late icon will be taken back to Forest Lawn and laid to rest.
Jackson’s grave will be close to that of his grandmother, who was buried at the cemetery in 1990, and stars like Liberace, Bette Davis and Andy Gibb.

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BEYONCE has trumped her chart rivals BRITNEY SPEARS, MILEY CYRUS and the JONAS BROTHERS to be named the Best-Paid Celebrity Under 30 in a new Forbes magazine poll.
The R&B superstar, who is married to rap icon Jay-Z, raked in an estimated $87 million (£58 million) in the year between 1 June 2008 and 1 June 2009 to top the survey.
The 27 year old’s fortune came from a variety of projects as a singer, actress, fashion designer and brand ambassador for the likes of cosmetic company L’Oreal and computer game giant Nintendo.
She was placed far ahead of Finnish Formula 1 driver Kimi Raikkonen, 29, and 24-year-old NBA hotshot LeBron James, who complete the top three.
Other stars to feature in the countdown include Toxic hitmaker Spears, 27, who earned $35 million (£23.3 million) in the last 12 months, while teenage Disney sensations Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers tie in seventh place with Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe and the world’s highest-paid supermodel Gisele Bundchen with $25 million (£16.7 million).
The top five Best-Paid Celebrities Under 30 are as follows:
1. Beyonce - $87 million (£58 million)
2. Kimi Raikkonen - $45 million (£30 million)
3. LeBron James - $40 million (£26.7 million)
4. Britney Spears - $35 million (£23.3 million)
5. Roger Federer - $33 million (£22 million)
.

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LINDSAY LOHAN has been targetted in a new lawsuit accusing the actress of stealing the formula for her new tanning spray.
The 23-year-old Mean Girls star launched her tanning potion Sevin Nyne in April (09) - touting it as the secret to her glowing complexion.
The actress claims she has spent three years developing the product with Lorit Simon, a Las Vegas entrepreneur who tans Hollywood A-listers.
St. Petersburg, Florida-based chemist Jennifer Sunday claims she showed Simon her tanning mist samples in January (09) and she alleges the pair stole the formula.
According to federal court documents filed in Tampa, Florida, Sunday is suing the pair pair for breach of contract, theft of trade secrets, civil conspiracy, intentional interference with contractual relations and deceptive and unfair trade practices.
Cohen’s attorney tells the St. Petersburg Times, "The next thing we know, Lorit Simon and Lindsay Lohan are partnering and Ms. Lohan is taking credit for developing this formula, which she indeed had no role in…
"We are certainly looking for the profits that are being generated right now from that product. If Ms. Lohan and Ms. Simon and their companies and their shareholders are profiting from the theft of my client’s formula and are profiting from that product, my client is entitled to those proceeds." A publicist for Lohan could not be reached as WENN went to press.

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ANNA KOURNIKOVA is playing coy about her rumoured engagement to singer ENRIQUE IGLESIAS - after the tennis star was photographed wearing a diamond ring on her wedding finger at a recent match.
Rumours the couple is planning to exchange vows have swelled since the 28-year-old blonde beauty was snapped wearing a sparkler on her left hand while boating with her beau along the coast of Miami, Florida earlier this year (Jan09).
But Kournikova refused to confirm or deny whether Iglesias had asked her to be his wife after she was again spotted with the ring at Monday night’s (06Jul09) World Team Tennis match in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.
Remaining coy with reporters, she said: "I thought you were the good press." The couple, together for seven years, has shared a home in Miami for the last 14 months.

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MICHAEL JACKSON will be remembered at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio on Tuesday night (07Jul09) with a candlelight vigil.
The tribute will take place just hours after the legendary Thriller hitmaker’s life and career is celebrated in a special memorial service in Los Angeles’ Staples Center, with stars including Mariah Carey, Jennifer Hudson and Usher due to perform.
Fans unable to attend the L.A. ceremony will be given the opportunity to pay their respects to Jackson at the Ohio museum, where Hall of Fame president and CEO Terry Stewart will also unveil a special wall dedicated to the pop superstar.
Jackson was a double inductee in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - he was first feted in 1997 as part of the Jackson 5, and received recognition for his solo achievements in 2001.

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MICHAEL JACKSON’s memorial service will be beamed into movie theatres in 20 U.S. states.
Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. bosses will broadcast the event live to an estimated 17,000 people in theatres equipped with digital projection systems and satellite dishes. In total, 37 cities will air the footage of the memorial ceremony on the big screen.
The company will be using the same feed sent out from Staples Center in Los Angeles to TV networks and displaying it in high definition on big screens.
One cinema which will not be showing the footage is the Mann Chinese Six Theatre in Los Angeles. The planned showing there has been cancelled due to security concerns.
The cinema is yards away from the site of Jackson’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The memorial ceremony will also be broadcast live on big screens in New York’s Times Square and at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, where Jackson performed in his early years as part of the Jackson 5.

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WILL SMITH and JADA PINKETT SMITH’s daughter WILLOW is building an acting career to rival her famous parents’ - she’s set make her TV debut later this month (Jul09).
Eight-year-old Willow - who has already appeared in her father’s 2007 action film I Am Legend and voiced a character alongside her mother in hit animated film Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa - is set to guest star in a one-hour episode of Nickelodeon’s True Jackson, VP.
The child star will play a younger version of actress KeKe Palmer’s title character True Jackson, an executive of a popular fashion house.
And her action star dad Will insists the role was perfect for his little girl: "I get my style ideas from True Jackson, VP. If I had my own fashion company, I would call it Willow’s Reign." Willow will make her TV debut when the episode airs on 25 July (09).

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Alternative rocker ALANIS MORISSETTE had an unlikely companion while touring Indonesia - a pet monkey she ‘borrowed’ from a local in exchange for tickets to her show.
The animal-lover was in the capital Jakarta when a young man offered to trade his pet for VIP access to an upcoming show in the city.
Charmed by the hairy primate, Morissette admits she couldn’t resist the opportunity to take on a travelling buddy.
She recalls, "A young gentleman had a monkey in his hands with a diaper and I was fawning all over it because I love animals. And he said, ‘If you want this animal, I’ll give this animal to you but you have to give me tickets backstage.’ He came everywhere with me."

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THE GAME reignited his bitter feud with rap rival JAY-Z during his concert in France on Sunday (05Jul09), just 24 hours after insisting he would not respond to the hip-hop mogul’s apparent insult in a new freestyle.
Jay-Z stirred controversy among hip-hop circles last week (02Jul09) when he debuted a new rhyme reportedly from his upcoming album, The Blueprint 3, at his gig in Las Vegas - appearing to reference The Game, Jim Jones and his former business associate Damon Dash.
He rapped, "I ain’t talking about gossip/ I ain’t talking about Game/ I ain’t talking about Jimmy/ I ain’t talking about Dame…" The Dreams star took to his Twitter.com account on Saturday (04Jul09) to ask fans’ opinions about whether Jay-Z was taking aim at him or not.
Devotees thought the rhyme was harmless and The Game declared, "Aight (sic) so, after about 10,000 responses… The results read that he ain’t (sic) dissin’ (insulting) me. And as bad as I want to respond to his old a**, he can slide." But by Sunday, The Game had changed his mind - and blasted Jay-Z when he took to the stage in Bordeaux.
He told the crowd, "We ain’t (sic) come to play no games today. We in Bordeaux, France… F**k Jay-Z, if you don’t like that, you can find an exit somewhere." He then encouraged fans to engage in a foul-mouthed chant against the Big Pimpin’ hitmaker, calling on them to repeat after him as he shouted, "F**k Jay-Z, old a** n**ger", before playing Jay-Z’s new single D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune), and ridiculing the track.
The Game and Jay-Z have shared a tumultuous relationship over the years - the former G-Unit member slammed the hip-hop superstar after interpreting another of his freestyle raps as a slur against him, while he has also claimed he has a lot of respect for Jay-Z.

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