plus 4, Top 10 music moments of the decade - Arizona Daily Star

Top 10 music moments of the decade - Arizona Daily Star
Oops! Britney Spears Brunette: I Did It Again (Photos, Video) - Post Chronicle
Dave Matthews Band tops decade's concert tours - Times Union
Celebrities do the dumbest things, 2009 edition - Longview Daily News
Summing up an 'entertaining' decade - Herald Tribune

Top 10 music moments of the decade - Arizona Daily Star

Posted: 30 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST

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Oops! Britney Spears Brunette: I Did It Again (Photos, Video) - Post Chronicle

Posted: 30 Dec 2009 09:20 PM PST

Britney Spears has gone brunette again, leaving the blond locks behind but thankfully not on the floor, as when she went bald not all that long ago.

Spears, 28, was spotted with her newly dyed locks in West Hollywood earlier this week, reports usmagazine.com.

Spears has slowly been making changes in the past two years, especially since she met her new love, agent Jason Trawick, 37.

Spears has learned to relax and focus on her own interests since her much-publicised breakdown in 2007.

BANG reports the singer says: "I'm learning to take better care of myself and not get stressed or down about things for nothing. I'm taking my time these days and not letting myself get under any pressure other than to just feel happy about myself and to work on my music.

"I want to show people I am a strong woman. I have a lot of great things ahead of me that I want to accomplish.

"I feel positive and much happier, things are looking good again. I'm learning to relax and not place so much pressure on myself."

The 'Womanizer' star says working on her recent album 'Circus' was key to helping her move forward with her life.

She added: "I've been through a lot and I'm really excited by my album. I'm very proud of it. I really enjoyed the process of putting the album together and it's been kind of therapeutic for me. Music is such a huge part of me.

Spears seems unconcerned about her dad continuing to run her affairs and finances as a conservatorship, and instead spent the holiday weekend in NYC with Trawick, shopping and going to the spa.

Below is a photo montage of the newly brunette Spears. (c) BANG (c) tPC

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Dave Matthews Band tops decade's concert tours - Times Union

Posted: 30 Dec 2009 10:03 PM PST

The Top 50 Concert Tours of Decade ranks artists by total box office gross and includes the total tickets sold for shows in North America. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.

1. Dave Matthews Band; $529.1 million; 11.6 million.

2. Celine Dion; $522.2; 4.

3. Kenny Chesney; $455.6; 8.6.

4. Bruce Springsteen; $444.3; 5.7.

5. The Rolling Stones; $426.9; 3.2.

6. U2; $391; 4.4.

7. Madonna; $325.3; 2.1.

8. Eagles; $313.4; 2.8.

9. Elton John; $286.4; 2.5.

10. Jimmy Buffett; $285.8; 4.5.

11. Toby Keith; $273.8; 6.4.

12. Cher; $263.5; 3.5.

13. Elton John/Billy Joel; $261.6; 2.3.

14. Bon Jovi; $241.4; 3.2.

15. Metallica; $225.5; 3.6.

16. Rascal Flatts; $222.4; 4.5.

17. Paul McCartney; $221.4; 1.4.

18. NSYNC; 196.4; 3.8.

19. Britney Spears; $195.7; 3.5.

20. Trans-Siberian Orchestra; $194.9; 4.7.

21. Aerosmith; $193.2; 3.2.

22. Tim McGraw/Faith Hill; $189.9; 2.7.

23. George Strait; $184.7; 3.1

24. The Police; $181.2; 1.7.

25. Neil Diamond; $179.4; 2.7.

26. Barry Manilow; $173.9; 1.7.

27. Bob Dylan; $161.1; 3.4.

28. "American Idols Live"; $156.8; 3.

29. "Ozzfest"; $154.9; 3.4.

30. Rod Stewart; $153.9; 2.1.

31. "Vans Warped Tour"; $152.9; 5.1.

32. Van Halen; $147.8; 1.6.

33. Fleetwood Mac; $146.2; 1.7.

34. Brooks & Dunn; $144.4; 3.8.

35. AC/DC; $144.3; 2.1.

36. Coldplay; $142.9; 2.6.

37. Eric Clapton; $139.3; 1.9.

38. Luis Miguel; $137; 2.1.

39. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers; $136; 3.

40. Nickelback; $135.8; 3.3.

41. Dixie Chicks; $134.9; 2.6.

42. Tim McGraw; $133.7; 2.7.

43. Backstreet Boys; $132.4; 2.6.

44. Brad Paisley; $129.7; 3.3.

45. Tina Turner; $127.9; 1.7.

46. Bette Midler; $126; 1.1.

47. Billy Joel; $123.4; 1.4.

48. Barbra Streisand; $119.5; 0.4.

49. Phish; $116.7; 2.6.

50. James Taylor; $116.3; 2.6.

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Celebrities do the dumbest things, 2009 edition - Longview Daily News

Posted: 30 Dec 2009 10:03 PM PST

Open the windows and turn on the fans - it's time once again for us to present the Alewife Awards to those cultural/entertainment figures who left the year's biggest stench.

• From the folks who ridiculed David Paterson's blindness

Proving that the lower you are, the harder "Saturday Night Live" will kick you, Abby Elliott mercilessly impersonated Brittany Murphy as a space-cadet boob in early December after the actress was fired from a movie amid reports of erratic behavior. That Murphy died a few weeks later only underscored the show's penchant for pointless meanness.

• Kick the Kanye

Perhaps we should thank Kanye West for introducing such an amusing phrase into our lexicon: "Ima let you finish. ..."

But his MTV Video Music Awards mic-grabbing antics not only raised his ego-maniacal jerkiness level to a new peak but also rallied the world around Taylor Swift to the point that she's more overexposed than Britney Spears' midriff.

• Celebrities make the best dads, Part 1

Celebrity confessionals reached a new level of ickiness as Mackenzie Phillips made endless talk show appearances to hype her memoir, "High on Arrival," and its revelation that she carried on a drug-fueled sexual relationship with her father, singer John Phillips. (Mick Jagger makes a gross cameo as well.)

• Celebrities make the best dads, Part 2

Ryan O'Neal revealed that at Farrah Fawcett's funeral, he flirted with "a beautiful blond woman" who felt compelled to tell him, "Daddy, it's me - Tatum!"

• To make good, they offered discounts on "High on Arrival"

Kindle owners must have thought Big Brother was monitoring their reading habits when Amazon remotely deleted their electronic copies of George Orwell's "1984"and "Animal Farm." Amazon claimed that the copies were from an unauthorized supplier, but readers kicked up an online firestorm nonetheless.

• As if her cackling laugh weren't punishment enough

Former "Project Runway" finalist Kenley Collins was arrested for assaulting her now-ex-fiance by throwing their cat in his face while he was sleeping. Collins told the New York Post that it was "a miscommunication"; she eventually pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct.

• Next up: A photo book with Vanilla Ice

After enduring much criticism for her suggestive 2008 Vanity Fair spread, 16-year-old Miley Cyrus returned to her roots at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards- and performed "Party in the USA" while donning a skimpy outfit and doing squat-thrusts with a makeshift stripper pole.

• Next up: A duet with Miley Cyrus

We don't care whom Adam Lambert kisses, but please spare us any more prefabricated controversies such as Lambert's "in the moment" smooch with a male keyboardist at the American Music Awards.

• Now Roland Burris is trying to get on "Deal or No Deal"

Rod and Patti Blagojevich started 2009 as the first couple of Illinois. By year's end Patti had prayed with Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt (after Pratt called the Blagojeviches "the Heidi and Spencer of politics") on "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!" and Rod was set to compete on Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice" while awaiting trial on corruption charges.

• Um, why would that particular phrase come to mind?

Chris Brown pleaded guilty to assaulting then-girlfriend Rihanna before the Grammy Awards but still spent much of the year acting like the wounded party, at one point calling Oprah Winfrey's show about domestic violence "a slap in my face."

• He's bad. He's bad. You know it.

Michael Jackson's death was tragedy enough, but just in case you needed a little more bad aftertaste, there was the singer's allegedly abusive father, Joe Jackson, using the occasion to hit red carpets and give interviews to promote his new record label - that is, when he wasn't seeking big bucks from his late son's estate or talking up Michael's kids as potential performers.

• They could dedicate "Crash" to his career

A book proposal by a former aide claimed that former presidential candidate John Edwards not only planned to marry his mistress after his wife died of cancer (which, mind you, she has yet to do), but he also promised that the wedding would take place on a New York rooftop with the Dave Matthews Band performing.

• Two Jays who can't perform in prime time

If you're looking for the TV prime-time equivalent of the Chicago Bears, look no further than "The Jay Leno Show." It entered the fall with great expectations and promises of dominance, but within a few months it was getting clobbered by rivals (in Leno's case "CSI: Miami" reruns) and imperiling the big bosses' job security.

• Please go away and don't come back in 2010

Candy and Tori Spelling

Jon and Kate Gosselin

Carrie Prejean

Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt

Ashley Alexandra Dupre

Those reality-TV-aspiring Balloon Boy parents (sorry, you'll get no name check here)

Those reality-TV-aspiring White House party crashers (ditto)

• Rejected titles: "Dullsville," "Oh So Sleepy," "Lethargy Inc."

Sorry, but we can't think of one good reason to call a TV show "Bored to Death."

• Number nine, number nine, number nine ...

In 2009, movies came out called "District 9," "9" and "Nine."

• Gosh, what else happens?

The year's most blandly terrible movie title: "Love Happens."

• That's because they're talking too fast

"I know lots of people that take cocaine three nights a week and get up and go to work every day, no problem. But we never hear that side of the story." - singer Lily Allen

• Of course, the same might be said of death

"I think the more positive approach you have to smoking, the less harmful it is." - actress Sienna Miller

• A scary sign of how quickly these 'scandals' come and go

Admit it: Joaquin Phoenix's bizarre, bearded, mumbling appearance on "Late Show With David Letterman" seems like more than a year ago, doesn't it?

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Summing up an 'entertaining' decade - Herald Tribune

Posted: 30 Dec 2009 10:03 PM PST

2000

Rise and fall of Napster -- Major record labels took on the popular online music-swapping service, suing Napster (and some music fans) for violating copyright law -- forever changing how fans get music.

Runner-up -- Florida's disputed votes for the 2000 presidential election turned the Sunshine State into the butt of endless late-night jokes.

2001

Reality TV takes over -- Let's all take a moment the thank (or blame) the Class of 2001 -- "Survivor," "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," "Temptation Island," "The Mole" and "Chains of Love" -- for creating a true watershed moment in TV history with the explosion of reality TV.

Runner-up -- News takes over after 9/11. The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks showed the 24-hour news cycle's impact as entertainment coverage adopted similar characteristics in covering the famous and infamous.

2002

"American Idol" madness -- Who could resist watching thousands of hopefuls lining up to face Simon, Paula and the gang for a chance to become a star? And it all paid off in 2008 when Sarasota/Bradenton's own Syesha Mercado became one of the 12 finalists.

Runner-up -- The resurrection of celebrity power couples. "Bennifer" (that's Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, for those with amnesia) didn't start the "supercouple" trend, but their embrace of celebrity media ushered in an era of overexposure.

2003

Paris Hilton's 15 Minutes -- No one knew what a "celeb-utant" was until the heiress to the Hilton fortune began starring in reality TV shows and sex videos.

Runner-up -- The Britney/Madonna kiss. Is it us, or did everything go downhill for Brit after she locked lips with Madonna at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards?

2004

Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction -- It was the pierced nipple seen 'round the world, sparking a controversy that included a record FCC fine and a crackdown on indecency in TV broadcasting.

Runner-up -- "The Passion of the Christ" and "Fahrenheit 9/11." Mel Gibson's violent depiction of The Crucifixion, and Michael Moore's critique of the Bush Administration brought in lots of cash, acclaim and criticism.

2005

"Brokeback Mountain" -- "That Gay Cowboy Movie" was not only fodder for comedy skits, it received the most nominations at the 78th Academy Awards, winning three, including Best Director.

Runner-up -- Michael Jackson is found not guilty. The King of Pop was cleared of child sexual abuse charges but remained under the media microscope for months.

2006

Rise of MySpace and YouTube -- Can you remember a time without "status" and "mood" updates, or swapping YouTube links to viral videos clips of schoolyard fights or piano-playing felines?

Celebrity deaths -- The passings of the Godfather of Soul James Brown and the Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin shook the entertainment world.

2007

Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana -- The offspring of Mr. "Achy Breaky Heart" made an incredible impact on tweens and their parents' wallets with a popular Disney TV show, clothing line, CDs, toys, books and movies.

Runner-up -- "The Sopranos" ends. After six seasons of murder and therapy, the award-winning HBO series ended with a black screen and Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'." Anyone else feel gypped?

2008

The death of Heath Ledger -- A promising acting career -- solidified by award-winning roles in "Brokeback Mountain" and "The Dark Knight" -- ended when Ledger was found dead of an overdose from prescription drugs.

Britney Spears' downward spiral -- America's pop sweetheart had a lot on her plate in '08: a bad haircut, a wacky reality TV show, a custody battle and conservatorship. It's enough to get anyone committed.

2009

Michael Jackson dies -- The King of Pop's passing shocked the world in June and hasn't tapered off, with increased sales of his music, a motion picture, and unequaled fan devotion.

Runner-up -- Susan Boyle becomes an overnight sensation. The "Britain's Got Talent" runner-up took her powerful voice and plain looks to the top of the music industry, shattering sales records with her debut album.

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