Superstar Mariah Carey is being sued by her former manager Jerry Blair, who claims the singer owes him money.Blair was employed as the president of Carey’s Monar C Entertainment firm, but his contract was terminated in 2007 after the release of her record-breaking comeback album The Emancipation of Mimi.

A source tells the New York Daily News, “Jerry stood by Mariah through her breakdown (in 2001). He believed in her when other people lost faith.

“(After the success of Mimi) she wanted to distance herself from anybody who saw her in those dark times.”

Blair claims Carey owes him a percentage of her record and tour profits.

The source adds, “She hasn’t paid him in two years. He had to call in lawyers.”

Blair is now working with Carey’s ex-husband, music mogul Tommy Mottola at his Casablanca Records label.

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Mariah Carey lived up to her diva tag when she joined Black Eyed Peas star will.i.am in the studio recently – she wore a ball gown. But the hip-hop super producer insists that Carey wasn’t trying the make a statement – she just couldn’t be bothered to change.

The My Humps hitmaker explains, “Mariah was cool. She came into the studio wearing a big ball gown. “She was like, ‘I’m so sorry! I know everybody thinks I’m a diva, but I’m wearing this because I’ve just come from a party and I didn’t want to go home and change.’ She’s a real diva in her own right, but she is real cool.”
The producer admits he can handle the occasional diva, but insists the big stars he agrees to work with leave their bodyguards at home. He adds, “I remind them not to take themselves so seriously: ‘When you come into the studio, leave the bodyguards in the f**king lobby. Why bring them into the studio? Is the mike going to choke you? Relax.’ ”

Source: ContactMusic, MCArchives.

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Nelson also recently recorded a song called “What a Difference a Day Makes” to benefit radio personality Don Imus’ Cattle Ranch For Kids With Cancer and co-wrote “Right to Dream” for the film “Tennessee” with Mariah Carey. “She’s a sweetheart,” Nelson says, “and she can really, really sing. It was no more left field than working with Julio Iglesias.”

Read the full article here: Billboard

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The Irish boyband Westlife are currently in South Africa on a promotional tour for their new album, Face to Face. An hour ago, I phoned in to talkshow “3 Talk” on SABC 3 and got the honor of talking to Westlife. I tried really hard to squeeze Mariah into the question (even though the telephone staff hinted to me not to focus the question only on Mariah but I did it anyway). Me: “I just want to let them [WestLife] know that they have amazing voices. I’ve been a really big fan from 2000, especially the “My Love” song. My question is with the song that they’ve sung with Mariah Carey, “Against All Odds,” what have they picked up and learned from her? I know she’s a huge mega star and they did say she’s basically the biggest star they collaborated with. And what other advice do they have for upcoming singers?”

Noleen, host: “Alright Evasen, thank you very much, what have you learned from Mariah Carey?”

Shane: “How professional she is.”

Mark: “Yeah, she’s very professional, I think you know she’s kind of blasted with so many rumors of her being quite stroppy and bitchy or whatever, you know all we can speak of is our personal experience with her that she was very nice, very professional, very hard-working. She worked till 6 o’ clock in the morning with us in the studio, you know, she sat there with us and made up harmony, she’s a real artist if you know what I mean, she’s not just somebody that people make her voice sound amazing by computer and stuff. She’s really involved.”

Noleen: “Yes she is, I mean her voice is incredible.”

Shane: “Incredible, yeah incredible.”

Mark: “And we learned that no matter how big you get, it’s an important quality to remain friendly and down to earth in your nature ’cause she is.”

Kian and Nicky basically agreed. Listen to an audio here…

source: http://www.mariahjournal.com/news.shtml

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Mariah Carey is currently jet setting around the world, having just wrapped up “The Emancipation Of Mimi” tour, promoting her new role as the face of Pinko in London, and filming the independent movie “Tennessee” in New Mexico. This superstar sure knows how to multi-task!

In between jaunts, Mariah found the time to catch up with MTV News International and was enthusiastic to talk about collaborating with rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony on their highly anticipated comeback album “Strength & Loyalty”.

Mariah Carey revealed that she will feature on their single “Lil L.O.V.E”, and explained, “it’s a favourite song of mine, I love working with them, and Bow Wow is also on that record, and it’s a nice song and I think it really kind of gives you the back in the day Bone vibe, but also a very new take on who they are as artists.”

“I have always loved blending my voice with theirs, and a lot of times people are like, I will make up a part, and people will think they made up the part, but I am so influenced by their style, that it kind of merges together.”

She went on to add, “It’s funny because so many rap artists today are influenced by Bone and they may not even realize it”.

(MTV International – Mariah Connection)

source: http://www.mcarchives.com/news/spec.asp?id=6280

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Mariah Carey always wears high heels – even when swimming.The singer, known for her diva demands, says she can’t wear flat shoes but can do anything in heels.

She told Britain’s The Times newspaper: “I guess I’m a heel girl. I can run in them. I could swim in them if necessary.

“I can’t wear flat shoes – they give me blisters. My babysitter used to laugh at me because when I was 12 I would always tiptoe. I couldn’t walk flat.”

Mariah, 37, also revealed she hopes scientists will have invented a cream to cure old age by the time she needs plastic surgery.

She added: “I hope when I get to the stage when I might need to contemplate cosmetic surgery there will be a cream.

“We’re still not sure what’s in Botox. I’m lucky – because of my ethnicity, I think that I’ll be able to live with the lines. But I think ageing at all is just horrible.”

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Just before Christmas I flew out of Heathrow to NYC’s JFK airport to begin my yearly adventure with my Xmas cousin Mariah Carey. Once settled in MC’s Manhattan apartment, 15 of us (including MC’s bestest mates Maryann, Rachel, Trey Lorenz, and brothers Shawn and Mikey), took off in a convoy of black Maybachs to the sound of carols as we made our way to a private airfield where a Christmas-themed jet awaited us.

We toasted the start of our adventure with DP champagne as we headed to Aspen, Colorado. On our decent into Aspen the snow fell wildly and we could see reindeer and wild horses running about beneath us – it looked so cool. Our first night was spent exploring Mimi’s lodge in the mountains where we were staying: A marvellous six-bedroom house.

Many 4am-moments saw us swigging the Pinot in MC’s jacuzzi with the night sky twinkling above us as Evil G, MC’s brother Shawn, played the best hip-hop sets on his iPod. MC encouraged us all to slip into our bikinis – with the boys in their trunks – and jump in and out of the house hottub and snow.

Our housekeeper Maggie woke us daily with the aroma of breakfast cooking and boy could she rustle up a fingerlickin’ brekky. On our second night in Aspen MC had a surprise planned. She had 50 kids from a special care home driven from Denver to Aspen where she arrived with Santa on a sleigh pulled by nine real reindeer. The kids had the time of their lives as MC and Santa gave them gifts of cameras and CD players.

The following night our really cute 18-year-old driver Cody told me that Method Man and Redman were performing that very night. Yes. Really. This really rich, white, city had a hip-hop scene. It had to be seen to be believed so I told MC and we excitedly went to Bellyup, where the troublesome duo were in the flesh. The club show was ultra fun but not a touch on a real gully London street vibe.

Twenty of us spent Xmas day opening gifts, screaming, eating and lazing about in our Xmas T-shirts. Amongst my gifts were a Gucci candle, Juicy couture socks and bracelet, a Ralph Lauren cashmere scarf, a sexy little black dress, a shower scrubber with ’nuff accessories, a sequin clutch handbag, Elton John fireside aroma rocks, lots of silly board games, and some very pip jewellry.

I gave MC some cute undies (just the type she likes), a solid silver yo-yo (engraved with “MC you make my world go round, JD”) which she showed off doing tricks with, a very sexy slinky dress by London designer Kesh who made it extra low at the front and back with a big bow at the booty and a diamond hanging slinkily down MC’s back (which she paraded in), a blinging gold and grey Rolling Stones lips T-shirt from Topshop and the one she really loved – a black hoodie graffiti tagged by London-based graff artist Batlow who blazed the piece up with pink and violet diamonte. Heavy. (I can’t talk about her other gifts as they’re a little naughty.)

On our last night we attended a party for Aspen Peak magazine, where MC was the guest of honour. She wore the Rolling Stones lips T-shirt and looked ultra fly with her limited edition not-in-the-stores-yet Louis Vuitton boots. Once MC had worked the red carpet the party could really begin as she held court in the DJ booth with DJ Suss who was flown out from NYC specially. Suss threw down crazy beats but as you can imagine the Aspen crowd weren’t familiar with all the ones we were going crazy to. (In fact they requested stuff like Harry Connick Junior. Sheesh.)

Then Seal and his missus supermodel Heidi Klum joined us and we all hung out, danced and chatted for a bit – they were so sweet. At midnight we sped off to the Caribou Club before being whisked straight to Rifle (private) airfield at 2am for our flight back to NYC. MC has given me a lifetime of memories and adventures that I won’t believe took place when I look back at 80 years of age. My holiday adventure didn’t end there, eight hours later we jumped on another jet en route to South Africa for Oprah Winfrey’s New Year’s Eve party. Readers, can you bear to miss your “Juice” next week?

(The Voice)

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The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls officially opened its doors to the first 152 girls to start their high school careers with the hope of emerging as the future women leaders of South Africa.

It is the first school of its kind in South Africa, with the focus on structuring its curriculum towards shaping the young promising girls into power-houses in their future careers and endeavours.

The Academy boasts a 28-building campus that has every imaginable amenity to ensure that every educational need of the girls is taken care of. It includes state-of-the-art classroom, computer and science laboratories as well as a theatre, a boarding house and a hair salon, among many others.

The boarding house is home away from home for the girls. Ms Winfrey personally saw to all the details of what the hostel would be like to make it special for the girls. This home environment is especially important as the girls will go home every 3 months.

The Academy will be under the leadership of Ms Joan Countryman, who is the Interim Head of the Academy for the next year or so. Ms Countryman has extensive experience and expertise in the education field, having also served on several university boards within the United States. She undertakes to oversee the hiring of staff, developing policies, building programs and procedures, amongst other things.

The official opening saw the girls rubbing shoulders with local and international dignitaries and celebrities who came to witness and share Oprah’s 6-year dream come to fruition.

Former state president Nelson Mandela was the guest of honour, with Gauteng Education MEC Angie Motshekga and the country’s education minister Naledi Pandor giving heart-felt speeches at the ceremony.

Motshekga expressed how honoured Gauteng was to be the host of this great school and congratulated Oprah for the success of building a school that is set to equip and support the girl child.

Addressing the criticism that came in light of the announcement of this project Naledi Pandor said:” …this is a wonderful gift to South Africa and to the children of our country. We are indeed proud to be part of the chosen few who benefit in this way from the philanthropy for which Oprah has become extremely famous.”

Andrew Young, American civil rights activist and the former mayor of Atlanta was also present, saying that when one looks at any part of the world where women are in leadership, things flourish and he sees that the school will turn out future leaders of South Africa.

Wangari Maathai from Kenya, first female African Nobel Peace price winner of 2004 said of the Academy: “I am sure it will transform the lives of the girls who walk through these gates, so we are really privileged to be here as part of history of opening this new chapter in investing in the education of women and especially in leadership.

Kenny “Babyface” Edmond, who was among the many celebrity faces at the opening, jokingly said that he would think about being the music teacher at the school. Also making an appearance was Tina Turner, Tyler Perry, Kimberly Elise, Chris Tucker, Mariah Carey and many other celebrities.

The school so far has 16 teachers in its employ, all of whom are South African. The number will grow as each year 75 more students are enrolled in the Grade 7 class. There will eventually be 450 students from Grade 7 to Grade 12 in the school.

The curriculum will include English, Zulu and South Sotho languages, as well as arts and culture, life orientation and leadership, maths, natural sciences and technology, social, economic and management sciences.

With classes set to start on the 15th of January, the girls are going through orientation to help them fit in to the life of the school and to ready them for the academic demands ahead of them.

After high school, Oprah has also promised to personally see that the girls have the opportunity to attend any university in the world that they might want to attend.

Oprah’s involvement in the everyday running of the school will continue to be very close, and she is in the process of building her own house on the premises to ensure close contact with the girls and school.

Most of the teachers will also be residents of the school, living in the senior dormitories. The girls will also have two house mothers living with them in each dormitory.

The Academy’s COO, John Samuel, addressed the criticism that only black girls were admitted into the school, saying that other races were admitted to the school, and that the demographic of the school was representative of that of the country.

The Academy does not have a mission statement as yet, as Oprah wants the girls to participate in its development.

The Academy is however, not the only school project Oprah Winfrey has for South Africa. Later in the month, a school for both boys and girls is set to open its doors in Kwazulu-Natal. As many as 1000 children will have the opportunity to part the student body of the school.

Sunday Times Online

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