Related: Donna Summer Said 9/11 Gave Her Cancer

According to TMZ, the church is expecting approximately 1,000 invitation-only guests to fill the building to capacity. Sources say loved ones from all over the country are flying in to see the Queen of Disco be laid to rest, but there is no word if any of her famous friends will be attending.

The family is reportedly adamant about keeping the service from being a media spectacle.

Related: Donna Summer’s Most Stylish Moments

“The overwhelming outreach from the media, fans and friends alike has been most truly appreciated,” publicist Brian Edwards told ESSENCE.com. “Thank you for your continuing to respect the family’s privacy during their time of loss.”

Summer, 63, died May 17 of lung cancer in Naples, Fla. Edwards said the singer did not smoke.

Courtesy of Loop 21

Loop 21 caught up with singer/rapper/songwriter, Kalenna, formerly of Diddy Dirty Money, to discuss her transition from songwriter to group member, to rising solo star, the image issues she’s faced as a black woman in the music industry, all while being a wife and mother.

On top of that, Kalenna is also the ambassador of The Lupus Foundation, which celebrates awareness of the disease the entire month of May. Having worked with a spectrum of artist ranging from Christina Aguilera and the Pussycat Dolls, to Ciara, Aretha Franklin, Charlotte Church and more since 2004, Kalenna’s built quite a resume. Now, she’s decided to try out a solo career and prove that she’s not just a back up.

Loop 21: Tell us about your project Chamber of Diaries. What message were you trying to convey with that?

Kalenna: Chamber of Diaries was an extension of who I was as a member of Dirty Money. I felt that I created the sound for the group and I wanted the world to know that I wasn’t just this mystery girl. My resume spoke for itself and I wanted the world to know where the swag came from. Diddy is Diddy. Dawn was the girl from Danity Kane and he needed someone to come in with the swag. So when I put Chamber of Diaries together I didn’t mean for it to be a mixtape, I was working on the album. And people were like this is dope and I should put it out.

This week: Updated with D’Angelo, Downtown Julie Brown and more of your favorite celebrities!

]]> http://uptownmagazine.com/2012/05/you-loved-them-then-where-are-they-now/feed/ 7 http://uptownmagazine.com/2012/05/vibes-2012-sexy-issue-cover-girls-just-wanna-have-fun/ http://uptownmagazine.com/2012/05/vibes-2012-sexy-issue-cover-girls-just-wanna-have-fun/#comments Tue, 22 May 2012 16:37:05 +0000 UPTOWN http://uptownmagazine.com/?p=50962 “Well-behaved women seldom make history.” Newly famous reality stars are living proof of this remixed Marilyn Monroe quote.  Four of… >>Read More

“Well-behaved women seldom make history.”

Newly famous reality stars are living proof of this remixed Marilyn Monroe quote.  Four of them, Evelyn Lozada (VH1′s Basketball Wives), Kandi Burruss (Bravo’s Real Housewives of Atlanta), Tamar Braxton (WE tv’s Braxton Family Values) and Chrissy Lampkin (VH1’s Love & Hip-Hop) made the cover of VIBE’s 2012 Sexy Issue.  For the cover story, VIBE gives the floor to these mavens of mayem to find out what’s really behind these women being handsomely paid to seldom behave.

On the role the networks play in the outrageous behavior seen on-screen:

VIBE: So you’re saying the producers orchestrated the violence?

Chrissy: Absolutely. They would go as far as telling the new girl, “Chrissy thinks she’s Queen Bee around here so we need you to step up because nobody here has a strong enough personality. We need you to shut it down.” They were feeding people this negative energy from the door. I have no reason to lie.

On the petition to get Evelyn’s spin off pulled:

VIBE: Star Jones started a petition, lashing out against women and violence on reality TV. What’s your reaction?

Evelyn: [Bursts into laughter] I think she’s going to have to get a whole lot of names. Actually, I like the petition and I like the controversy because I’ve learned controversy is good. But I think she’s irrelevant. And she’s using our coattails to get relevant again. Nobody gives a fuck about her.

On being embarrassed about violent outbursts and other misbehaving:

VIBE: Evelyn, you’ve practically raised a scholar. Yet, you’re on television screaming that you’d have no problem catching a court case. Do you ever look back at episodes with embarrassment?

Tamar: [Interjects] No. It’s television entertainment and at the end of the day that’s what matters. The networks want what makes the papers. But we’re blessed to be in a situation to show people a part of our life, to see us going through different changes, how we can be a better person. People can learn from our mistakes. I’m sure Evelyn didn’t get on TV and want to throw a bottle at somebody. But hey, that’s life. So maybe the next time somebody gets you out of your character you’ll know not to throw a bottle.

Evelyn: As crazy as it sounds, sometimes I’m glad I have the show because it’s sort of like a mirror. Most people don’t get to see the crazy things that they’ve done. So I’ll see it and go… [Grimaces].

Continue reading at VIBE.

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This year, the men’s mag allowed its readers to decide their “definitive list of the world’s most beautiful women.”

Pippa Middleton, Stephen Colbert (??), Lea Michele, Olivia Wilde and more round out the “hottie” list but it was Israeli model Bar Refaeli who took the top spot.

Who held it down for the Brown sistas? Find out after the jump!

After a week of anticipation, the line-up for Jay-Z’s music festival in Philadelphia has finally been announced.

The list, called Phase 1 of the ‘Budweiser Made in America’ Fest will feature: Jay-Z, Pearl Jam, Skrillex, Miike Snow, Afrojack, Calvin Harris, Odd Future, D’Angelo, Maybach Music (feat. Rick Ross, Wale, Meek Mill), Passion Pit, Santigold, Dirty Projectors, X, Janelle Monae, Prince Royce, Rita Ora, Savoy (DJ set), The Knocks.

Some artists, including Pearl Jam, made it known that they would be a part of the Labor Day Weekend extravaganza: We are pleased to announce that Pearl Jam is headlining Made in America Music Festival curated by Jay-Z. Made in America takes place Labor Day Weekend (Saturday, September 1st – Sunday, September 2nd) at Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia‘s Fairmount Park,” as stated on the band’s official website.

Tickets will go on sale Wednesday, May 23, through Ticketmaster.com and Livenation.com. A limited amount of 2-day passes priced at $99 will be made available. Advance tickets will go on sale Tuesday, May 23, through the Budweiser Facebook Fan Page.

Courtesy of VIBE.com

After drawing in over 2.8 million viewers during its 2011 debut, VH1’s romantic comedy series, Single Ladies is set to return to the network on May 28. Executive produced by Queen Latifah’s Flavor Unit Entertainment, season two stars Charity Shea (as April), LisaRaye McCoy (as Keisha), and former All My Children star Denise Vasi (Raquel) as they navigate through the dating scene in Atlanta.

During a recent interview with the Huffington Post, LisaRaye opened on filming season two, in addition to missing her friend Stacey Dash, and what provoked her to call out Duane Martin in JET magazine.

Congratulations on the upcoming season premiere of Single Ladies. What can fans expect from season 2 and your character, Keisha?

This year we have a new addition to the cast, Denise Vasi, Stacey Dash is no longer with us. I don’t like to use the word replace, but we added a new character to our cast, she comes from the soap opera world. Her character is different because she comes in to the premiere episode with a bang, gets the wind knocked out of her and clings to her friends. And I feel that’s what the gist of the whole series is about, it’s about friendship.  She comes in and becomes one of us and then it just embarks on how we are we dating in this day and age.

Keisha is a little bit more vulnerable and open this year.  I think when you have a character so strong and opinionated as Keisha you have to find faults and some weaknesses in her. You have to find those wrongdoings in her that will make you root for her. Her and Malcolm get together but then her Malcolm also fall apart too. But her ex also comes back and adds some different spice into her life, which causes problems with Malcolm.  She will also have a fling with a nice gentleman. Also we have some great costars this year, we have La La, Chilli, Eve, Queen Latifah, Paula Patton. We got Lil’ Romeo, T.I., Tony Rock, William Levy. So we really have some people that we’re cranking out this season. And I’m really excited to see the numbers that we do, which lets us know how much the fans like it.

And with success, of course, comes critics. What are your thoughts on media outlets who dubbed season one, “embarrassing.”

 F**k’em! Let them write a show and come up with what they want to see. Until then, the people who love it, tune in.

Continue at BlackVoices…

Courtesy of Vibe Vixen

For a while there, nobody wanted to know how does it feel when it came to D’Angelo. The singer had a hard fall from his “Untitled” days when we swooned over his chiseled body in the 2000 music video from his second album Voodoo. One mugshot, cocaine possession and a prostitute solicitation later, the ladies were thinking it didn’t look like it feels so good anymore, but in the June issue of GQ, D’Angelo is back to the brown sugar we once loved.

Photographer Gregory Harris did D’Angelo justice in a black-and-white shoot featuring the soul singer with his classic straight-back braids and a nice suit and tie. Though we can’t see the Virginia native’s abs from here, it looks like there might be a six- or eight-pack underneath that white button-down shirt from the way it’s fitting his frame.

Continue reading at Vibe Vixen

Courtesy of Vibe

So by now, you’re probably well aware of Will Smith’s infamous “attack” on that Ukrainian reporter. Well after a little bit of digging, we’ve discovered that his name is Vitalii Sediuk, and that this isn’t the first time he’s gotten on the wrong side of Hollywood’s elite.

The proclaimed “prankster” is a anchor for Ukrainian morning show “Breakfast with 1+1.” He’s famous for his lighthearted approach in news, almost in a Borat-esque manner. It seems that Will Smith isn’t the first major celebrity he’s pissed off either.

Last year, he gave pop icon Madonna a bouquet of hydrangeas during the premiere of her directorial effort W.E. at the 2011 Venice Film Fetsival. Sounds nice, right? Well supposedly it’s common knowledge that Madonna hates hydrangeas (in her words, “loathes” them), and he purposely presented her with the flowers to get a rise out of her.

Continue reading at Vibe

Courtesy of Elev8

MTV is casting for a new project. They  want young people who are about to lose their virginity to come and film the before and the results! Really???

Here is the advertisement:

DO YOU WANT TO TAKE THINGS TO THE NEXT LEVEL? LIKE, ARE YOU READY TO HAND OVER YOUR V CARD? OR DO YOU HAVE A FRIEND WHO IS READY TO LOSE IT?   Young adulthood is a time for exploration. New relationships, fresh experiences and sexual firsts…

Now MTV is looking to frankly capture that journey in a new series called My First…We’re looking for adults who are ready to go all the way. Let MTV come along on your journey… as you try to lose your virginity! (Note: We will be filming whether or not you accomplish this goal… but NOT the act itself. Duh.) If you are 18 years or older and are willing to candidly allow MTV to accompany you on the journey toward “losing it,” please send us an email.

Continue reading at Elev8

[Teen girl image via Shutterstock]