Adele makes Billboard history, named 2011 top artist

British singer Adele performs ''Someone Like You'' at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles August 28, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Mario Anzuoni

By Piya Sinha-Roy

LOS ANGELES | Fri Dec 9, 2011 7:13pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - British singer Adele made Billboard history on Friday when she became the first female singer to be named top artist, have the top album, "21," and score the top single, "Rolling in the Deep," all in one year.

The 23-year-old chanteuse was followed in the top artist group by No. 2 Rihanna, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga in that order, while Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne and Bruno Mars rounded out the top ten.

"I think one of the things that sets me apart from other artists who have had the same kind of success is that my life isn't speculated about" by the media, Adele said in an interview with Billboard.

Tye Comer, editor of Billboard.com, attributed Adele's success to her being a "breath of fresh air" in a market saturated with pop artists cut from a "certain cloth," like Rihanna, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga.

"Her success is really inspiring because it shows that there is still room in the music industry for an artist to make it with true, raw talent," Comer told Reuters.

"It's not necessarily always about the outrageous outfits or flashy videos, but an amazing voice coupled with the right song still has the ability to turn the ears of millions of people and keep them interested," he said.

Adele's smash hit album "21," which was described by Billboard's Julianne Escobedo Shepherd as a "break-up requiem," was written in the aftermath of the singer's failed relationship, and it features underlying themes of love, heartache and moving forward.

"I'm incredibly private but I'm also incredibly honest, and I think that creates a kind of 'meet in the middle' respectable ground," said the singer.

The singer's rousing soul and blues-fused single "Rolling in the Deep," which was named the No. 1 song, beat pop and dance tracks like LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem," Katy Perry's "Firework" and "E.T." featuring Kanye West, as well as Pitbull's "Give Me Everything."

Adele, who earned six Grammy nominations last week, was also named top female, while rapper Lil Wayne was awarded top male and Wiz Khalifa was the best new artist.

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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James Cameron slapped with lawsuit over "Avatar" plot

By Tim Kenneally

Fri Dec 9, 2011 2:24pm EST

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Avatar" director James Cameron has been hit with a lawsuit by a writer who claims that the plot for the hit sci-fi movie was lifted from his own project.

In the suit, which was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court Thursday, Eric Ryder claims that he entered into an agreement with Cameron's production company, Lightstorm Entertainment, to develop a movie based on his story "KRZ 2068."

According to the suit, the project was envisioned as "an environmentally themed 3-D epic about a corporation's colonization and plundering of a distant moon's lush and wondrous natural setting."

After working on the project for nearly two years, Ryder alleges, Lightstorm put the kibosh on it, explaining that "no one would be interested in an environmentally themed science fiction feature film."

Shortly after, the suit says, Lightstorm began work on "Avatar," which Ryder says, "liberally and substantially uses material that fell within the LEI-Ryder agreement."

According to the suit, Ryder's story involved a protagonist who's sent to the moon of a distant planet by an Earth-based mining corporation; moreover, the details of the project called for 3-D effects to "infuse the story."

And since, according to the suit, Ryder's agreement with Lightstorm stipulated that material from the project wouldn't be used without Ryder "sharing in the commercial receipts and the writer or producer credits," he wants to get paid from the mega-successful "Avatar."

Ryder claims that he was told that Cameron alone wrote "Avatar," and that he had prepared a "scriptment" for the project before Ryder and Lightstorm entered the agreement. Ryder says that's untrue -- and says that his story was circulated to the bigwigs at Lightstorm, including Cameron.

Claiming breach of implied contract, fraud and deceit, negligent misrepresentation and other infractions, Ryder is seeking unspecified contract damages, tort damages, punitive damages and that he be awarded the profits "that defendants obtained from their wrongful acts."

Given the billions of dollars that "Avatar" pulled in worldwide, that could be pretty substantial.

Cameron's attorney and Lightstorm did not immediately respond to TheWrap's request for comment.

(Pamela Chelin contributed to this report)

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"Daily Show" alum Mo Rocca to "CBS This Morning"

By Kimberly Potts

Fri Dec 9, 2011 4:29pm EST

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "The Daily Show" and "Tonight Show" alum Mo Rocca has moved up the CBS News chain, getting a promotion from contributor to correspondent on "CBS Sunday Morning."

Rocca, who won an Emmy as a writer for the 2010 Tony Awards broadcast, has been a "Sunday Morning" contributor since 2006, and will continue to report for the series, as well as other CBS News projects.

"His title is correspondent, but we see Mo, as we see all our 'Sunday Morning' contributors, as a 'columnist,' bringing his own unique -- and it is unique -- perspective to everything he does," "Sunday Morning" executive producer Rand Morrison said.

In addition to his CBS News gig, Rocca is also a panelist on NPR's weekly quiz show "Wait, Wait … Don't Tell Me!" and the host of the Cooking Channel's "Food(ography)." He spent four seasons each as a correspondent on "The Daily Show" and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

On Sunday's installment of "Sunday Morning," Rocca unspools a feature on warm-up comedians, including visits to the sets of "The Late Show with David Letterman," "Hot in Cleveland" and "The Martha Stewart Show."

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Sky's the limit for Elizabeth Taylor gem sales

1 of 3. A photograph of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton kissing upon their first wedding day in 1964 is seen behind the dress she wore and jewels on display as part of the upcoming auction of the late actress' jewelry, clothing, art and memorabilia at Christie's Auction house in New York City, December 1, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Mike Segar

By Chris Michaud

NEW YORK | Mon Dec 12, 2011 2:32pm EST

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wealthy jewelry collectors, movie fans and the just plain curious are training their eyes on this week's auctions of Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor's collection of jewelry, haute couture and memorabilia.

And if the monumental exhibition at Christie's, which was more elaborately staged than many a museum show, is any indication, interest will be sky high. The 10-day sale preview sold out, with 25,000 tickets fetching $30 apiece.

The auctions, which begin on Tuesday night with Taylor's world-renowned jewels, "have generated unprecedented presale interest with registrants from all corners of the globe," said Marc Porter, president and chairman of Christie's Americas.

"We're delighted with the worldwide interest in the live auction," Porter said. "And participation in the online-only auctions in each category -- jewelry, fashion and memorabilia -- continues to increase."

The vast collection of the Hollywood actress, who died in March at age 79, includes some 1,000 lower-priced pieces in a special online auction running December 3-17.

Even the sale's various catalogs, with some signed special editions priced over $2,000, have virtually sold out.

A world tour of highlights from Taylor's collection drew crowds in Hong Kong, Moscow, Los Angeles and London.

Porter, who worked closely with Taylor for over a decade as she made plans for her collection after she was gone, said the star "provided us with the vision of the sale that she wanted, and gave us a specific instruction about her collections that we've taken very seriously: "Give them a really good home!"

Taylor, one of Hollywood's last great stars, was beloved for her earthiness even as she lived a glamorous life far removed from that of most fans.

GIFTS FROM RICHARD BURTON

As her couture, fine art, decorative objects and accessories hit the auction block in a week of sales expected to raise well over $50 million, it is the Tuesday and Wednesday sales of her jewelry that are most anticipated.

Some 269 diamonds, pearls, rubies, rings, necklaces and even a tiara will be sold, with several of the most valuable, storied pieces tied to Taylor's lengthy, complicated romance with actor Richard Burton, whom she married and divorced twice.

Christie's, with no argument, has billed the assemblage as the greatest private collection of jewelry ever auctioned, trumping even those of Doris Duke or the Duchess of Windsor.

Leading the Tuesday gala evening sale of 89 top lots is Taylor's iconic, 33.19-carat white diamond ring, a 1968 gift from Burton who purchased it at auction for $300,000.

The trustees of Taylor's estate have renamed it The Elizabeth Taylor Diamond, and it is estimated to fetch $2.5 million to $3.5 million. But prices for items from other historic estates such as those of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Marilyn Monroe and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor soared many, sometimes hundreds, of times past pre-sale estimates.

Taylor's fame, as well as her eye for quality, are expected to drive interest and prices.

"It is her depth of knowledge about fine jewelry that truly impresses," said Christie's' international jewelry director Francois Curiel said. "It was clear that she possessed an expert's eye for craftsmanship, rarity, quality and history. She collected the best pieces from the best periods."

Among the most historic pieces is a 203-grain (equivalent to 55 carat) pear-shaped 14th-century pearl once owned by England's Mary Tudor and later by Spanish queens Margarita and Isabel.

Burton bought it in 1969 at auction for $37,000, and Taylor commissioned Cartier to design a new ruby-and-diamond necklace mount. It is estimated to sell for $2 million to $3 million.

At the other end of the spectrum, bidders will have a chance at Taylor's two, diamond-set wedding bands from her marriages to Burton, estimated at only $6,000 to $8,000.

From Mike Todd, another of Taylor's seven husbands, there is an antique diamond tiara which the star wore to the 1957 Academy Awards at which Todd's "Around the World in 80 Days" won best picture. It is estimated at $60,000 to $80,000.

Some 70 of Taylor's most iconic looks will be auctioned on Wednesday night, followed by hundreds of other fashion items and accessories later in the week.

Highlights include a Versace beaded evening jacket arrayed with portraits of the actress in some of her famous movie roles, which is estimated to sell for up to $20,000.

The sunflower yellow dress by Hollywood designer Irene Sharaff that Taylor wore to her 1964 wedding to Burton has an estimated sale price of $40,000 to $60,000.

(Editing by Jill Serjeant)

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Contents of Jackson's final home reach auction

1 of 2. An armoire from the Carrolwood Drive rented home of pop star Michael Jackson is shown with a note written on the glass in this publicity photo released to Reuters December 11, 2011. Inscribed on the glass is ''Train, perfection March April Full out May'' -- presumably a reference to rehearsals for London's ''This Is It'' concerts set to start that July. Contents of the mansion where Jackson's lifeless body was found by convicted killer Dr. Conrad Murray go under the auction hammer next week, closing one chapter on a tragic saga that started in 2009 and ended last month with his former physician behind bars.

Credit: Reuters/Julien's Auctions/Handout

By Jill Serjeant

BEVERLY HILLS | Mon Dec 12, 2011 3:25pm EST

BEVERLY HILLS (Reuters) - Contents of the mansion where Michael Jackson's lifeless body was found by convicted killer Dr. Conrad Murray go under the auction hammer next week, closing one chapter on a tragic saga that started in 2009 and ended last month with his former physician behind bars.

Some 500 lots of mostly paintings, furniture and ornaments are for sale from the Bel Air home Jackson rented while preparing for a series of comeback concerts in London. But only a handful of the items bear a poignant but personal connection to the singer, his three children and famous family.

"Even though these weren't items that belonged to him, they were items that surrounded him in the final months of his life. Anything associated with Michael Jackson is highly collectible," said auctioneer Darren Julien.

The ornate headboard on the bed where Jackson's body was found on June 25, 2009 was removed from the December 17 sale last month at the request of Jackson's family.

But the "Thriller" singer did leave his mark on an ornate mirror in the bedroom, scrawling a message in felt pen that reads "Train, perfection March April Full out May" -- presumably a reference to rehearsals for London's "This Is It" concerts set to start that July. The mirror is part of an armoire and carries an estimated sales price of $6-8,000.

"The pieces that are really going to sell for a lot are the items that can be identified as having an association with Michael Jackson, like the armoire in his private bedroom where he handwrote on the mirror," Julien said.

A pottery rooster holding a chalkboard from the kitchen bears a poignant reminder of Jackson's children Prince, Paris and Blanket. A note from the children in chalk reads "I (heart) Daddy SMILE it's for free". The item is priced at $400-600 but is expected to fetch much more.

THE TRIAL OF DR. CONRAD MURRAY

Some rooms at the mansion in the wealthy Los Angeles community where Jackson spent his final days played a role in Murray's trial that ended in November, including the bedroom -- littered with medical paraphernalia -- where Jackson was found not breathing and Murray tried to revive him.

Jackson was officially pronounced dead in a nearby hospital and ruled to have died of an overdose of the powerful surgical anesthetic propofol and sedatives.

Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, or gross negligence, and sentenced to four years behind bars after admitting he had given Jackson propofol at home to help the singer sleep.

At Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills on Sunday, where the company has re-created several of the mansion's rooms ahead of the sale, a handful of emotional fans left flowers, photos and messages on a plain white platform meant to symbolize the death bed, surrounded by other furniture.

Fighting back tears, some decorated a Christmas tree with heart-shaped ornaments bearing the message "peace," the letters "M" and "J," and festive baubles with photos and lyrics from Jackson's best known songs.

"Christmas was one of Michael Jackson's favorite holidays so this was a way for fans to come together and honor him and memorialize him," said Julien, whose auction house also oversaw the sale of Jackson's Neverland Ranch in central California.

(Editing by Chris Michaud and Bob Tourtellotte)

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Playboy advances Lohan issue due to leaked photos

1 of 2. Actress Lindsay Lohan is shown in a photo from the January/February 2012 issue of Playboy Magazine in this publicity photo released to Reuters December 12, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Playboy/Handout

LOS ANGELES | Mon Dec 12, 2011 3:29pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Playboy magazine is advancing the newsstand date for its upcoming issue with nude pictures of actress Lindsay Lohan in part due to photos that were leaked online in advance, Hugh Hefner said on Friday.

The Playboy founder tweeted that the issue will now go on sale late next week, which roughly coincides with the December 15 airdate for Lohan's planned interview on Ellen DeGeneres' TV talk show.

"Because of the interest & the internet leak, we're releasing the Lindsay Lohan issue early," Hefner posted on Twitter. He later added that "her issue goes on sale late next week," although he did not give a specific date.

A spokeswoman for the men's magazine did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking more information.

Lohan, who has seen her career spiral downward in recent years due to drunken driving, drug and theft convictions, recently posed for the pictures that will be featured in the magazine's January/February issue.

This week, a picture snapped of the cover featuring Lohan was leaked online, and on Friday, nude pictures of the actress also landed on the Web. Those pictures are very similar to Marilyn Monroe's iconic centerfold photograph used in 1953's first Playboy issue.

(Reporting and Writing by Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Zorianna Kit)

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Barry Manilow has hip repair surgery

Barry Manilow attends the Pre-Grammy Gala & Salute to Industry Icons with Clive Davis in Beverly Hills, California February 12, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Phil McCarten

LOS ANGELES | Mon Dec 12, 2011 6:26pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Copacabana" singer Barry Manilow underwent hip repair surgery on Monday, the day after completing a seven-year run of shows in Las Vegas, his representatives said.

The 68-year-old Manilow had the surgery at a Los Angeles hospital, said spokeswoman Annie Jeeves.

"That's what you get when you jump around to 'Copacabana' for 30 years!" Manilow said in a statement.

The surgery was to repair torn abductor muscles and remove fluid-filled sacs in his hips, his representatives said.

Manilow will be in recovery for six weeks, but will return to the stage for a series of three concerts at the Chicago Theater in early February.

Aside from "Copacabana," Manilow's hit tracks include "Mandy" and "I Write the Songs."

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis)

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