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  • Chloe Marshall Sweet 16 headed to Miss England 2008
    Chloe Marshall of the UK has just won the Miss Surrey 2008 beauty pageant. She is now advancing towards the Miss England contest, which is opened to females ages 17-24. If Chloe Marshall can win the Miss England 2008 pageant, she will advance to the Miss

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Robert Plant And Alison Krauss Win Grammy Album Of The Year

Raising Sand, from Led Zeppelin vet and bluegrass superstar, wins five Grammys on Sunday night.
By James Montgomery with MTV News staff


Alison Krauss and Robert Plant accept the award for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards on Sunday
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

"I'm bewildered," Robert Plant said onstage as he accepted the Grammy Album of the Year award with Alison Krauss on Sunday night. "In the old days we would have called this selling out, but it's a good way to spend a Sunday."

He was probably one of the few who were surprised, because Raising Sand, which won five trophies at Sunday night's show, is in many ways the perfect Grammy album. It features two respected veterans, a critically lauded producer, some sandpaper-and-velvet vocals and a baker's dozen of time-tested standards.

You're probably familiar with Robert Plant from his Led Zeppelin days, and you might be aware of producer T-Bone Burnett's work on the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack (it won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2002). And if you don't know who Alison Krauss is, she possesses a haunting set of pipes and is one of the meanest fiddle players in the world. Oh, and she's won 21 Grammys, more than any other female artist and the seventh-most in history.

Really, she's the key to Sand's success, and not just because of her voice (or her fiddle playing). She and Plant first met in 2004, at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute to legendary bluesman Leadbelly, and the former Zeppelin man was amazed by her knowledge of American Roots music — so much so that they began kicking around the idea of recording an album together. Three years later, Sand was released.

And while Plant possesses the more famous voice, the album's finest moments radiate from Krauss. Whether she's getting bluesy on Little Milton's "Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson" or entwining with Plant's husky voice on songs like "Please Read the Letter" and Roly Salley's winsome "Killing the Blues," she more than carries her end of the bargain.

And perhaps that's also due to producer Burnett, who handpicked the 13 songs the duo cover on Sand. His arrangements are sparse — giving the two voices ample room to breathe — yet dense, warm and crackling at the same time. It's a testament to his work that he's often given just as much billing as Plant and Krauss on the project ... and it's certainly justified.

To date, Sand has sold more than 1 million copies, heaped tons of acclaim and actually earned a Grammy last year — "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" took home the award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.

One expert was surprised not by the album's success, but by the fact that it's actually quite a good album.

"At first, the album seemed like a vanity project. ... Two names, clearly a one-off record, didn't have to be any good, you know?" New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica said. "Led Zeppelin fans would buy it because of Robert Plant, Alison Krauss would get a check. But it actually turned out to be a really thoughtful, really good record. So when you combine all that with the fact that the Grammys love to lionize one of their own, I could really see it taking home some awards."

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1604582/plantkrauss-win-album-year-grammy.jhtml

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Beyonce's 'Best Thing I Never Had' Video Premieres

Clip for 4 single features B in a gorgeous ornate wedding dress.
By Kara Warner


Beyoncé in her "Best Thing I Never Had" music video
Photo: Columbia

Anyone who's heard the two first singles off Beyoncé's new album, 4, knows they are about as different as night and day. The same can be said for the songs' music videos: Where "Run the World (Girls)" is fierce, upbeat and explosive, "Best Thing I Never Had" is also strong, but more subdued and slow.

The clip opens with Beyoncé in an elegant dressing room or boudoir. She is scantily, but very tastefully, clad in a fancy, lacy corset/lingerie combo, complete with garters. As she begins the song — co-written by Babyface and all about telling a former lover she was the best he'd ever have and that she no longer has any feelings for him — B plays to the camera, directing her words at the former lover via the camera's lens.

From there, she moves from playing with a tiara, a veil and lots of tulle on a bed to various stages of getting dressed. Between her half-dressed and fully dressed stages, there is a quick cut to old video footage of who viewers are to believe is a young Beyoncé and her former high school flame at their prom. B and her date are dancing, she is spun away briefly, and her date cozies up to another girl on the dance floor.

Now that we know what ended that romance, we follow a confident Beyoncé in her final preparations before she walks down the aisle on her wedding day. There are shots of Bey singing at sunset atop a grassy hill in a beautiful princess gown, followed by the walk down the aisle and the exchange of vows.

This is followed by one final shot of the former lover at the prom deep in thought, with what looks to be his prom king crown sitting askew on his head. Perhaps he is re-thinking his philandering ways?

The last few scenes of "Best Thing I Never Had" are full of more shots of Beyoncé's gorgeous dress, which will likely land on a few style blogs soon, given its embroidered and jeweled details, not to mention the silk bows and ruching on the sides. We see the newlyweds celebrating at a happy and well-attended reception: groom removing bride's garter with his teeth, dancing with their younger family members.

The final shot features Beyoncé looking into the camera, with a look of total satisfaction and happiness. She then walks off confidently, probably to re-join her wedding party and new husband, and then the screen fades to black.

Share your review of the "Best Thing I Never Had" video in the comments below!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666967/beyonce-best-thing-i-never-had-video.jhtml

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Usher Gets Sick, Walks Offstage Mid-Show In Berlin

Singer cancels kick off date of European leg of his OMG Tour due to illness.
By Gil Kaufman


Usher (file)
Photo: Michael Caulfield/ WireImage

Usher was forced to delay the kick off of his European OMG Tour on Wednesday night in Berlin because of illness. In a statement released to fans, the singer apologized for the last-minute scratch, saying he felt he was suffering from a "sinus complication." Although the gig was rescheduled for Thursday night at the O2 World arena in Berlin, his German fans apparently weren't appeased by his effort.

"I am truly sorry to all my fans in Berlin who were inconvenienced by tonight's postponement of the show," the singer said in a statement about Wednesday's aborted concert. "I was ill and felt that I would not have been able to give them the show that they properly deserve. ... I am looking forward to performing tomorrow and giving Berliners a great show."

According to the statement, the singer received treatment from doctors for a sinus issue that affected his balance, but a visibly still-ailing Usher was unable to finish the Thursday make-up show, reportedly abandoning the stage after just five songs.

On Friday (January 14), a follow-up statement from his spokesperson confirmed that he was too ill to play Thursday night's Berlin date and has been forced to reschedule the next three dates on the tour as well. The Rotterdam show originally scheduled for this week has been moved to March 1 and a show in Antwerp, also slated for this week, has been bumped to March 7.

The statement also updated the singer's condition: "Usher is suffering from upper respiratory illness, which is currently preventing him from performing a proper show. After consultation with doctors, he has been advised to reschedule the upcoming dates in order to get the rest he needs to ensure a complete recovery."

Footage posted on YouTube that was purportedly taken at the make-up performance in Berlin shows Usher standing silently at the microphone seemingly unable to sing, with fans booing him at first and then chanting, "Usher, Usher," as he approaches the microphone and apologizes to them for his struggles. "I appreciate your support," he told the fans wearily.

"I have been very excited about my European Tour and I deeply regret having to reschedule the shows," the singer said in the new statement. "I am truly sorry for any inconvenience I have caused my fans. My fans are the best in the world and I am looking forward to getting better so that I can give them the show they deserve."

Usher wrapped up the North American leg of his tour in December and his overseas dates are slated to last through the spring.

What do you think of the fans' reaction to Usher's walking offstage mid-show? Tell us in the comments.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1655991/usher-gets-sick-walks-offstage-midshow-berlin.jhtml

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