Bobby (Blue) Bland, Soul and Blues Balladeer, Dies at 83

Bobby (Blue) Bland, the debonair balladeer whose sophisticated, emotionally fraught performances helped modernize the blues, died on Sunday at his home in Germantown, Tenn., a suburb of Memphis. He was 83. 

His death was confirmed by his son, Rodd, who played drums in his band.   Though he possessed gifts on a par with his most accomplished peers, Mr. Bland never achieved the popular acclaim enjoyed by contemporaries like Ray Charles and B. B. King. But he was nevertheless a mainstay on the rhythm-and-blues charts and club circuit for decades. 

In addition to his son, Rodd, Mr. Bland’s survivors include his wife, Willie Mae; a daughter, Patrice Moses; and four grandchildren. Rodd Bland said his father had recently learned that the blues singer and harmonica player James Cotton was his half-brother. 

Monica Lewinsky Auction: Bill Clinton Letter, Black Negligee Up for Bidding

Monica Lewinsky's floor-length black negligee is just one of 32 items that are being auctioned off by Nate D. Sanders Auctions this week, the Santa Monica, Calif.-based auction house announced on Monday, June 24. 

Other noteworthy memorabilia include several hand-written notes and greeting cards from the former White House intern, a letter typed on White House stationary and signed by Bill Clinton, and "three sealed and slightly crushed boxes of presidential M&Ms."

The items are part of a collection that was submitted by Lewinsky's former lover Andy Bleiler to special prosecutor Kenneth Starr during his investigation into the Clinton-Lewinsky affair in the late 90s.

George Lucas, Mellody Hobson Married: Filmmaker, Business Woman Wed In California

Star Wars creator George Lucas and his new wife Mellody Hobson have shared a romantic picture of their wedding day.

The 69-year-old director and producer tied the knot with the 44-year-old on Saturday at the Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, California, in front of 200 guests including Oprah Winfrey, Robert De Niro, Glenn Close, Harrison Ford, Calista Flockhart, Quincy Jones and his daughter Rashida.

The bride wore a white dress by Peter Soronen and carried brightly coloured roses as her 'something blue.

 

 

Lucas and Hobson became engaged back in January and have been dating since meeting at a business conference back in 2006.

Hobson heads the investment management firm Ariel Investments and is also chairman of the board at Dream Works Animation SKG Inc. It is her first marriage.

The Star Wars supremo was previously married to film editor Marcia Lucas from 1969 until their divorce in 1983.  He has three adopted children.

The couple discussed their relationship during a joint interview with Oprah Winfrey last year.

'I think it works because we are extraordinarily open-minded people and we're open to what the universe brings us,' Hobson told the talk show host. 'I think we didn't have preconceived ideas about what a partnership should be and so we allowed ourselves to discover something that was unexpected.'

Lucas will have plenty of time to spend with his new wife. He sold his Lucasfilm production company to Disney last October for $4.05 billion - most of which he donated to educational philanthropy. 

Michael Jackson Death Anniversary: The King Of Pop 4 Years After His Untimely Death

It's been four years since Michael Jackson died, on June 25, 2009, from cardiac arrest caused by a lethal combination of prescription drugs. His death, later ruled a homicide, shocked fans and musicians across the world.

Jackson rose to fame in 1964 as the youngest member of his family's Motown group, the "Jackson 5," and continued to dominate the music industry with best-selling hits such as "Thriller," "Billie Jean" and "Beat It."

Jackson is survived by his three children, Prince Michael Jackson II, Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. and Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson.