French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy took to the web to publicise her charity work, launching a website that allows viewers into her world at the grand Elysee Palace.

Bruni, who has a separate musical career, was a successful model and pop star before marrying Nicolas Sarkozy.

The website, www.carlabrunisarkozy.org, was inundated with visitiors and had to shut down. It focuses on Bruni’s role as ambassador for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and her work with the underprivileged in France.

Bruni has another website for her musical endeavours, which recently included strumming a guitar and performing Bob Dylan peace-minded classics.

Sarkozy, meanwhile, proved himself to be no slouch, announcing he would track his movements at the climate change conference in Copenhagen via Twitter.

Russell Crowe is going to his Australian retreat to work on a new album.

Crowe, who recently returned from the Sherwood Forest of Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood, will travel to Nana Glen, New South Wales.

The actor will lay eight tracks before heading to the US to start filming The Next Three Days, a remake of a French thriller.

Crowe said music remained a “constant” in his life despite having little time for live performing due to film engagements.
Source: Splash News

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With 8 Oscars under its belt, it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that the producers of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ plan to turn the hit movie into a musical. However, producers say that the profits earned by the musical will be used to help the kids living in Mumbai’s slums, like the ones portrayed in the movie. That’s an excellent idea! On a side note, ‘Slumdog’ suits told the British media that professionally managed trusts are being established for two of the real life slum kids who starred in the movie. The Indian government has also reportedly awarded the families of two of the kids with homes. Kudos to that!

Rock star Jon Bon Jovi has been sued not personally but as a co-owner of the Philadelphia Soul. Bon Jovi is not only the name of a rock singer but is also the name of a popular rock band. The group has been on the spotlight for years even with the entry of new and younger bands that they are considered one of the most successful acts on the music industry. It seems that the front man of the group, Bon Jovi, is in the headlines once again not for a gig but for being used in court.

The suit filed by Philadelphia Soul former sales manager Joseph Krause alleged that Bon Jovi and the other team owners failed to pay $125,000 worth of wages and commissions. Krause said the owners decided to stop the operations and granted two weeks’ severance for the staff. However he said he was never paid his previous season’s commission for the team’s victory in the Arena Bowl worth $83,359. He said he is also claiming his 2009 season commission worth $41,456 even though the 2009 season has been completely cancelled due to the economic downturn.

Talented actress Meryl Streep has jumped from the lighthearted musical “Mama Mia!” to the more serious moral drama “Doubt”.   Her fans might feel strange seeing a sudden change from her wanton and devil-may-care attitude in Mama Mia to an authoritative and moral-conscious nun in her new movie.

Meryl Streep, who plays Sister Aloysius Beauvier in Doubt, said she had fun doing the movie and admitted that wearing the “habit” (the traditional nun garb) can be a habit! Streep co-stars with Amy Adams and the latter also got to wear the habit in the movie.  What is good about the habit, Adams said, is that she did not have to suck in.

The Oscar-winning actress’ new movie had a special red carpet screening in Beverly Hills. The story focuses on a lot of moral and immoral things including the abuse of a black student by a priest.  Setting aside any Oscars aspiration, director John Patrick Shanley said they did the movie because it meant something to them.

Doubt focuses on the stringent rules of a Bronx Catholic school and the struggle of its principal (Sister Aloysius) to keep it closely guarded.

We all know that Tupac and Elvis are dead but their music lives on. While the aforementioned artists had their careers within the last century, another iconic musician from way back lives on with his music today. Researchers have uncovered a brand new piece of music handwritten by Mozart. It was uncovered in some little dark room where it had been forgotten in a library in France. The sheet of music is incomplete and it seems to be only a blueprint for the melody without any instrumentation or harmonies. Even so, the head of research at the International Mozarteum Foundation in Austria says that it’s new music. Experts predict that if it was to be sold at auction, it could easily sell for over $100,000.

Honky-tonk singer Charlie Walker died in Tennessee last week. Walker was a member of the Grand Ole Opry and also enjoyed a successful career as a radio DJ. He was diagnosed with colon cancer shortly before he passed away. The musician was 81 years old. He is survived by his wife and 10 children. Ten! Talk about being prolific. His legacy will definitely live on in them. Rest in peace Charlie Walker. My condolences also go out to his wife and the rest of his family. The music industry and the rest of the world will miss you and your music.