Amy Winehouse death: family to hold private funeral

Amy Winehouse predicted she would die at the age of 27.

The 'Rehab' singer - who passed away at her home in Camden, north London, on Saturday (23.07.11) - believed she would become one of a number of music stars in the '27 Club', which includes Jimi Hendrix, Doors singer Jim Morrison, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain and Janis Joplin, and pass away at that young age.

She also had an "obsessive" personality when it came to drugs, alcohol and food.

Her friend Alex Foden, who once lived with the musician, said: "Unfortunately, Amy had a very obsessive personality. She did everything to extremes, especially when it came to food and drugs. She loved food.

"But she'd either have binges - eating loads before running up to the toilet and getting rid of it all again - or she'd go up to four or five days without eating, surviving on alcohol, drugs and sweets.

"Amy always told me she thought she would die young and that she knew she'd become part of the '27 Club'."

Alex claims her problem with drugs became so prevalent she would sometimes get through £1,000 worth of cocaine in one night, because she would be paying for all her friends to get high as well.

Mitch Winehouse had desperately tried to get his daughter into the same rehab clinic which helped Russell Brand shortly before her death, it has emerged.

Chip Somers, the head of a rehabilitation centre, said he had been in regular contact with Mitch Winehouse before the 27-year-old singer was found dead in her north London home on Saturday afternoon.

Mr Somers, who founded Focus 12, said: "Her father came here for the day to find out what we were like and he really liked what he saw."

Mr Winehouse urged his sick daughter to go back into rehab.

But Chip said: "She turned down that offer. She had turned down many other offers of help."

Mr Winehouse fought relentlessly in a bid to help Amy beat her tragic addiction.

Chip, who has worked with TV star Davina McCall and comedian Brand, said the tragedy was being replayed in families up and down the country.

"It shows you cannot protect yourself from the consequences of extreme drug use.

"Anybody, if they abuse drugs or alcohol, then no amount of money will protect you from that.

"Unfortunately, money often protects you from the consequences of drug use. It can help buy people out of trouble," he said.

"People at her financial end of the spectrum often take much longer to realise they have a problem.

"Addiction affects people irrespective of wealth, power or position.

"The death of any addict is very sad.

"But this story is being re-enacted in three or four homes in the UK today and again tomorrow and the next day.

"This is happening all over the country."

In a tribute to Winehouse, Russell Brand said that without the help of Mr Somers and Focus 12 he may also have been killed by addiction.

The actor and comedian wrote on his website: "I was 27 years old when, through the friendship and help of Chip Somers of the treatment centre Focus 12, I found recovery.

"Through Focus I was introduced to support fellowships for alcoholics and drug addicts which are very easy to find and open to anybody with a desire to stop drinking and without which I would not be alive."

The singer's death has sparked a clamour for her albums.

Music store HMV in Ipswich reported a staggering 800 per cent rise in sales of her two albums since the singer was found dead.

Norway Minister Praises Police Response to Gunman

Long process of identifying Breivik's victims begins

Trond Berntsen, 51 An off-duty police officer who had volunteered as a security guard on Utoya. He pushed his young son to safety before he confronted Breivik and was gunned down. Stepbrother of the Crown Princess.

• Tore Eikeland, 21 A youth politician who was named by Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg at a memorial service on Sunday. He spoke at the Norwegian Labour Party conferences in 2009 and 2011 and was chairman of a regional youth party. The Prime Minister said his death was "incomprehensible".

• Hanne Kristine Fridtun, 20 A youth leader who made a haunting call from Utoya as the rampage continued. “I can’t speak loudly, I have to whisper,” she told a reporter from Norway's NRK. “Twenty of us have hidden down by the reeds. We’ve heard shooting. We don’t know what’s happening.”

• Johannes Buo, 14 Thought to be the youngest victim of the Utoya massacre. A friend wrote in a Facebook tribute: “It is unreal what has happened. You are an incredibly strong person ... We all hope desperately to get you home safe and sound.”

• Sondre Dale, 17 Director of Hauguland Labour Youth and a member of its nominating committee. Mr Dale is missing and feared dead.

• Monica Bosei, 45 Head of the Norway Maritime Museum, who volunteered at the camp as a kitchen helper. Became suspicious of Breivik's claim that he was a policeman when he refused to answer any questions about the bombing in Oslo.

• Guro Vartdal Håvoll A passionate conservationist who cited Nelson Mandela as one of her heroes. Lobbied politicians on youth issues like young people's bus passes.

• Jamil Rafal Yasin, 20 An Iraqi-born delegate from the port of Egersund. Appeared on the Norwegian version of X Factor. Missing and feared dead.

• Gunnar Linaker, 23 Described by his family as a "big bear", he was a passionate football supporter. Spoke to his father on the phone as the attack began saying: "Dad, dad there is a shooting, I have to go."

• Emil Okkenhaug, 15 On his first political summer camp. Missing following Friday's shootings.

• Syvert Knudsen, 17 A young chef who has not answered his phone since the attack. His stepfather said: "There isn't much hope, but it's important for us that he is found."

• Tarald Mjelde, 18 Described by friends as "the little big boy with an enthusiasm that infected everyone around him". Missing.

• Snore Haller, 30 A painter who was invited to the camp as a guest of one of the political committees. Described as "kind, generous and quiet.

• Ismail Haji Ahmed, 20 A dancer who had appeared on Norway's Got Talent under the stage name of Isma Brown.

• Simon Saebo, 19 School president who earned the nickname John F Kennedy for his charisma. Missing and feared dead

Developments came a day after a judge, Kim Heger, reported back on remarks by Mr. Breivik at a closed-door custody hearing — his first court appearance since Friday’s massacre. The police said later they were not ruling out the possibility that Mr. Breivik’s claim of accomplices, which he described as “two more cells” in an organization he called Knights Templar, was accurate. But they also noted that he had previously told them he had acted alone.

Some security analysts, like Tore Bjorgo, a professor at the Norwegian Police University College and an expert on right-wing extremism, were also skeptical, questioning whether the Knights Templar organization that Mr. Breivik claimed in his manifesto to have helped form in 2002 really existed or was simply an effort to claim a more elaborate history and role.

Mr. Breivik became much more extreme in the last two or three years, Mr. Bjorgo said. “That’s why I have some real doubt about this Templar claim in 2002,” he said. “It doesn’t correspond to his history. I’m not convinced it’s a real organization. It could be a fantasy or a threat, or it could be to try to show that he is part of a larger network.”

Mr. Breivik’s brief appearance at an Oslo courthouse on a cold misty day came as Norwegians were still grappling with the enormity of the attacks on Friday that amounted to one of the worst mass killings in postwar Europe. By Monday evening, at least 100,000 mourners had converged on Oslo to honor the victims and repudiate the suspect’s ideology of hatred toward Muslims and advocates of multiculturalism, who he said were ruining Norway and threatening Western European civilization.

The judge ordered Mr. Breivik held in jail for eight weeks, half of it in isolation, with no access to the outside except through his lawyer. The judge refused to open the hearing to the public, arguing that evidence could be ruined. Mr. Breivik, who had asked for an open hearing to explain his actions and his views about Muslims and to wear some sort of uniform, was denied on both counts. He was photographed in a car leaving the hearing wearing a red sweater embossed with a Lacoste alligator emblem.

Up to 1,500 people filled the narrow streets around the courthouse, especially in the back, near the entrance to the underground garage where they believed Mr. Breivik would be brought in.

The crowd was mostly quiet and pensive, as if in mourning, but some people expressed anger, too, shouting at a car they thought might be carrying Mr. Breivik. Naim Alizadeh, 20, hit the vehicle as his friend, Alexander Roine, 24, screamed repeatedly: “You traitor! Get out of the car! Long live Norway!”

“I’m here to show that everyone hates him, and that he’s not a hero,” said Mr. Alizadeh, a McDonald’s employee who moved to Norway from Afghanistan at age 13. He said he had two friends on the island — one dead, one wounded.

“People want to see face-to-face the guy who did this,” said Bernt Almbakk, 31, a lawyer. “It’s very personal. This is a small country.” Rather than anger, Mr. Almbakk said, “it’s the sorrow and the feelings — it’s been a very hard weekend with a lot of tears.”

Harald Stanghelle, the political editor of the newspaper Aftenposten, said that “coming here is a way to participate.” Norway, he said, “is a country of grief and sorrow, trying to overcome a great shock. There’s a hope to participate and be together.”

At one point, there was clapping in the crowd. From the front of the courthouse came a newlywed couple. “It was a glimpse of normal life in this film of horror,” Mr. Stanghelle said.

Amy Winehouse's two albums have seen a rise in sales

Amy Winehouse's distraught boyfriend Reg Traviss has spoken about his agony in the fallout following her untimely death at the weekend.

Clean cut Reg, a film director, was pictured in the wake of Amy's death standing by her shrine with a haunted expression on his face.

Three days after the 27-year-old singer's body was discovered in her bed Reg has spoken for the first time about Amy, his 'dear love'.

Speaking to The Sun newspaper, the 35-year-old explained how his world came crashing down after the shock news of his girlfriend's death.

He said: 'The last three days have been hell. We have suffered a terrible untimely loss and want peace now.

'I can't describe what I am going through and I want to thank so much all of the people who have paid their respects and who are mourning the loss of Amy, such a beautiful, brilliant person and my dear love. I have lost my darling who I loved very much.'

The polar opposite of her ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil, who is currently in jail serving 32 months for burglary and possession of an imitation firearm.

Blake, 29, was blamed for introducing Amy to hard drugs embarking on a tempestuous and destructive relationship with the singer.

Meanwhile Reg's relationship with Amy couldn't have been any different.

While Blake and Amy were often pictured looking dishevelled and 'out of it' on their nights out around London, Reg and his love were rarely pictured out together.

Instead, they stayed out of the limelight and, when they were pictured together, it was under far more civilised circumstances.

Reg always dressed in his trademark sharp suits and skinny ties, hair slicked back - a far cry from the unkempt Fielder-Civil.

And ex-husband Blake has been told he will not be able to attend the funeral today.

Gennaro Castaldo from HMV talks about the increased demand for Amy Winehouse's albums Frank and Back to Black following the news of her death over the weekend.

A post-mortem examination took place on Monday. No cause of death has yet been given. Results of further toxicology tests could take up to four weeks.

According to a spokesman, the singer's funeral will be held on Tuesday afternoon for family and close friends only.

She was identified by her family here at St Pancras this morning. A section 20 post mortem has been carried out today and samples have been taken for histology and toxicology to determine the cause of death.

'The scene has been examined by police who have deemed it non-suspicious.'

Reg joined Amy's parents at her shrine in north London, where Mitch thanked mourners and reporters at the scene.

He said: 'I know a lot of you, we've been together for five, six years, I know you've got a job to do. I'm glad you're all here anyway.'

'And you people in the street, I can't tell you what this means to us - it really is making this a lot easier for us.

'Amy was about one thing and that was love, her whole life was devoted to her family and her friends and to you guys as well. We're devastated and I'm speechless but thanks for coming.

Norway mulls new massacre charge

The names of the dead were revealed as an estimated 150,000 people gathered to mourn them and the eight others who died in the Oslo bombing.

It is hoped that identification of all the 76 victims will be completed by Thursday.

One of the first Utoya victims to be named was 51-year-old Trond Berntsen, the stepbrother of Crown Princess Mette-Marit.

He was an off-duty police officer and reports suggest he saved his 10-year-old son before approaching gunman Anders Breivik, but became one of his first victims.

While the youngest victim is believed to be 14-year-old Johannes Buo, an AUP activist from southern Norway who has not been seen since the shooting.

Details of others, including Gunnar Linaker, 23, who was described by his family as a "big bear" and young politician Tore Eikeland, 21, have now been reported.

Linaker's father was talking to his son on the phone when the gunman launched his attack and said: "The last thing I heard was: 'Dad, dad there is a shooting, I have to go."

While Eikeland was the leader of the Labour youth movement in the county of Hordaland in western Norway.

The mayor of his home town described him as "very talented and one of the most solid youths I have ever met.

Judge Kim Heger ruled that the hearing should be held behind closed doors on the grounds Mr Breivik might have used it to send signals to accomplices.

Mr Hatlo said Mr Breivik claimed he had worked in a cell, or group, and that there were two other cells working with him.

Although police sources say other groups are unlikely, Mr Hatlo said he "cannot completely, and I stress completely, rule out that others were involved in what happened".

Mr Breivik was remanded in custody for eight weeks, the first four in full isolation.

He said his operation had not been aimed at killing as many people as possible but that he wanted to create the greatest loss possible to Norway's governing Labour Party, which he accused of failing the country on immigration.

The bomb in Oslo targeted buildings connected to the Labour Party government, and the youth camp on Utoeya island was also run by the party.

In addition to those killed, at least 96 people were injured in the attacks.

UK GDP growth: Pound rallies on hopes for recovery

It could have been worse. That was the City's reaction to news that the UK economy grew by just 0.2% in the second quarter of 2011.

Given that activity has now pretty much flatlined for the past nine months, that may seem a curious response, but there were reasons for the government to be modestly cheered by the announcement from the Office for National Statistics.

Firstly, some analysts had been expecting an even weaker number for gross domestic product, with some pencilling in a fall in output of 0.2%.

Secondly, David Cameron and George Osborne had done a good job in massaging expectations so that the financial markets were braced for Tuesday's data.

Finally, the ONS believes that a whole range of one-off factors – including the extra bank holiday for the royal wedding and the disruption to industry's supply chains caused by the Japanese tsunami – depressed activity by around 0.5% in the three months to June.

Some of this lost output will, on past experience, be recouped in the third quarter, although probably not all of it.

All that said, there is no real cause for celebration. The UK economy is smaller today than it was in 2006 and is crawling out of the deep pit into which it plunged in 2008 at a snail's pace. There was a 6.4% drop in output over six quarters during 2008 and 2009, and since then gross domestic product has increased by 2.5%. You would have to go back to the 1930s to find an economic recovery so slow and so feeble.

Since the recession ended in the third quarter 2009, growth has averaged 1.5pc annualised – roughly half the normal post-recession recovery rate over the past 200 years,” said George Buckley, Deutsche Bank’s UK economist. “Only Italy and Japan are weaker relative to peak than the UK, where slow growth has been driven by soft consumer spending.”

Ed Balls, the shadow Chancellor, reiterated his call for a temporary VAT cut to stimulate growth, saying: “The economy has effectively flatlined for nine months and this is very bad news for jobs, living standards, business investment and for getting the deficit down. What is even more worrying still is George Osborne’s breathtakingly complacent response to today’s figures. This is a Chancellor who is in total denial.”

The weak quarterly growth number makes it almost certain that the Office for Budget Responsibility will have to downgrade its forecasts for the full year from 1.7pc at its next update this autumn.

The ONS attempted to quantify the one-of effects, but stressed its estimates were “broad brush and illustrative”. The quarter’s “special events” may have had a net downward effect of 0.5pc, it said, with a 0.4pc negative effect on the services sector and a 0.1pc negative effect on the production sector.

ONS chief economist Joe Grice added: “The underlying growth rate was somewhat higher than 0.2pc.” He stressed that there would be a natural “arithmetic” bounce-back in the third quarter as growth normalised, even if none of the lost output is regained.

Manufacturing was hit by the Japanese tsunami as motor vehicle production was hit by disruption to the supply chain. As much as £300m was spent on Olympic tickets – or 0.1pc of GDP – but the activity will not be scored in the accounts until the Olympics start. And April’s unusually warm weather reduced electricity and gas use. In total, the effects contributed to a 1.4pc fall in industrial production.

On the other hand, the extra bank holiday and the weather appeared to contribute to an increase in leisure pursuits – with hotel and restaurants enjoying a boost.

Encouragingly, Britain’s powerhouse services sector, which accounts for three quarters of UK output, continued to deliver – growing 0.5pc despite the one-off effects. The sector was driven by strong business services and finance.

Alan Clarke, Scotia Capital’s chief UK economist, who was predicting 0.3pc contraction in the quarter, said: “We’ve seen a stellar bounce back in services and that’s what rescued us... The figures are a relief rather than a triumph.

Kat Von D

Katherine Drachenberg, born March 8, 1982, known professionally as Kat Von D and who has given her name as Katherine von Drachenberg in two German interviews is an American tattoo artist and television personality. She is best known for her work as a tattoo artist on the TLC reality television show LA Ink, which premiered August 7, 2007 in the United States and November 11, 2007 in the UK.

Early life

Kat Von D was born in Nuevo Leon, Mexico,. Her parents are Argentinean-Mexican. Her father, René Drachenberg, is of German descent and her mother, Sylvia Galeano, is of Italian and Spanish descent. Von D has a sister named Karoline and a brother named Michael. She moved with her family to the Los Angeles area at age 4 and grew up in Colton, California. Von D was classically trained in piano beginning at age 6. She particularly appreciates Ludwig van Beethoven.

She credits the prominent Black culture of New York City as being a major influence drawing tattoos in her art and style.  She began listening to the Ramones, Misfits and other punk rock bands at the age of 12. She got her first tattoo at 14 and quit school at 16 to become a tattoo artist.

Personal life

Von D was married to fellow tattoo artist Oliver Peck, but they were separated and preparing for divorce by August 2007. She dated Nikki Sixx from 2008 to Jan 2010. She later began dating motorcycle customizer, West Coast Choppers CEO and reality-show star Jesse James. On August 19, 2010, Von D confirmed media reports that she and James were dating, tweeting "I think it's pretty obvious that we're dating. Von D and James announced their engagement on January 20, 2011. Kat announced their split via Twitter on July 26th, 2011. 

Von D has tattooed herself with the emblems of the bands Misfits, HIM, Turbonegro, ZZ Top, Guns N' Roses, AC/DC, Slayer, Mike Got Spiked and "Slutallica", a modified Metallica logo. She appeared in the music video of Alkaline Trio's "Help Me", as well as HIM's Killing Loneliness. Other musical artists that Von D lists among her favorites include The Mars Volta and Selena.

Career

Von D was asked to work at Miami Ink when Darren Brass broke his elbow, preventing him from tattooing. She appeared in the first four seasons of the same-name reality TV show taped there. She had a falling out with Ami James which led to her being asked to leave the shop. Kat has said she has not spoken with members of Miami Ink since her departure.

She later acquired her own series, LA Ink, following her work at her tattoo shop, High Voltage Tattoo, in Hollywood, California. On the show, she gained the Guinness World Record of most tattoos given by a single person in 24 hours, with a total of 400. This was broken shortly after by her ex-husband Oliver Peck with 415, then Robbie "Coon" Koch with 577, then Derek Kastning with 726.

Her first book High Voltage Tattoo, compiling her artworks and tattoos, with a foreword by Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx, was released in January 2009 and reached #6 on The New York Times Best Seller list. The book traces Von D's career as an artist, from early childhood influences to recent work, along with examples of inspirations, information about the show and her shop, sketches, and personal tattoos. Von D described the book as "not an autobiography, you know, 'cause I'm too young to do that. But this is just kind of like a picture-driven outline of my career as an artist. So, you see everything from my drawings when I was six to tattoos that have never before been seen. Her second book, The Tattoo Chronicles, an illustrated diary following a year in her life, was released October 26, 2010, and reached #3 on The New York Times "Hardcover Advice & Misc." best-seller list.

In 2008, Von D created and launched a make-up line for Sephora. She has released new collections every year and has expanded her line to include fragrances. She is the creator of the MusInk Tattoo Convention and Music Festival, which began in 2008.

On September 2, 2010, Von D opened the art gallery and boutique Wonderland Gallery in the space next door to High Voltage Tattoo.

In other media

Von D was referred to in the Eagles of Death Metal song "High Voltage", which was named after her shop and is featured on their third album, Heart On. In an interview, Eagles of Death Metal's Jesse Hughes said, "I wrote that for Kat Von D, because that girl's bad ass.

Television

As well as cameos and various chat show appearances, TV, film, and video game appearances include:

Miami Ink, 2005–2006

LA Ink, 2007–present

MADtv, April 5, 2008

The Bleeding as Vanya

Tony Hawk: Ride (video game) unlockable skater, November 17, 2009

Jesse James

Jesse James, born September 14, 1989 is an American actor.James was born in Palm Springs, California, the son of Jaime, a laboratory technician, and Shane James, an actor. He began his acting career at a young age in the 1997 film As Good as It Gets, a role for which he won the Hollywood Reporter Young Star award. His acting career continued, with several other high profile films, including his role in the 2001 Johnny Depp film Blow, as the child version of Depp's character, and Pearl Harbor, in which he played the young Ben Affleck's character. Possessing an impressive resume as a child actor, he has continued to act as a teen/adult, achieving underground critical acclaim for his performance in the 2004 film The Butterfly Effect as the young Tommy Miller. He also acted in The Amityville Horror alongside Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George. Lately, he has appeared as a guest star in several TV shows, such as Life and In Plain Sight, and has become involved in the independent film community with projects such as Exodus Fall and Hickory Nation.

May 27, 2008, Jesse starred in short film Manifest Destiny along with co-star and producer Sean Faris.

Filmography

Film

As Good as It Gets (1997) - Spencer Connelly

Gods and Monsters (1998) - Michael Boone

The Gingerbread Man (1998) - Jeff

Puppies for Sale (1998) - Customer

Sorrow's Child (1998) - Matt

Message in a Bottle (1999) - Jason Osborne

A Dog of Flanders (1999) - Young Nello

Hanging Up (2000) - Jesse Marks

Bailey's Mistake (2001) (TV) - Dylan Donovan

Blow (2001) - Young George

Pearl Harbor (2001) - Young Rafe

Fear of the Dark (2002) - Ryan Billings

Slap Her... She's French (2002) - Randolph Grady

The Butterfly Effect (2004) - Tommy Miller at 13

The Amityville Horror (2005) - Billy Lutz

The Darkroom (2006) - J-Dawg

The Flyboys (2008) - Jason McIntyre

Jumper (2008)- young Mark Kobold

Bones (2010) - Derrick Scott

Exodus Fall (2010)- Kenneth Minor

The Last Ride - Silas

Hickory Nation

Television

Walker, Texas Ranger (1997) - Jebb Wilson - "Last of The Breed, Parts 1 and 2"

ER (1998) - Wilson Geary - "Good Luck, Ruth Johnson"

The X-Files (1999) - Poor boy - "The Unnatural"

The Wild Thornberrys (1999) - Gola - "Chimp Off the Old Block"

Angel (2000) - Ryan - "I've Got You Under My Skin"

Felicity (2000) - Stephen - "Party Lines"

Chicago Hope (2000) - Dustin Moss - "Hopes of You"

Family Law (2002) - Jake Shaw - "Celano v. Foster"

Monk (2004) - Jared Stottlemeyer - "Mr. Monk and the Captain's Wife"

Veronica Mars (2007) - J.D. Sansone - "Papa's Cabin"

In Plain Sight (2009) - Tripp Sullivan - "A Stand-Up Triple"

The Mentalist (2009) - Lucas Hodge - "Red Menace"

Katy Perry Goes ‘Smurf’ Sexy Chic at NY Premiere

"The Smurfs" movie his theaters Friday, and even though the little blue guys are fictional, we see some Hollywood equivalents.

Must be calm, kind, and infinitely patient even under the stress of keeping his legion of subjects out of Gargamel’s cauldron. Must be able to convince anyone to do the right thing, even if they are bigger and stronger than Smurfs, or bewitched by one of the area’s magicians.

The busty (and newly blonde) singer — who brought her vocal charms to the new Smurfs movie — blended her bombshell figure with glittery children’s character in her red carpet attire in New York City on Sunday night. Perry’s frame-fitting white dress was bedazzled to the heavens on the front with a picture of her gal, Smurfette.

Dark eye make-up and her new blonde locks topped off the look, which grabbed Katy a whole lot of attention at the premiere.

While Katy is off promoting her big screen voice-over debut, her husband Russell Brand is spending his weekend reflecting on the death of friend Amy Winehouse. Russell spoke about the first time he saw Amy perform live, saying: “She wasn’t just some hapless wannabe, yet another pissed up nit who was never gonna make it, nor was she even a ten-a-penny-chanteuse enjoying her fifteen minutes. She was genius.

Amy Winehouse: when grief goes public

Republican congressman has faced a furious backlash after he compared the U.S. debt ceiling crisis to the tragic demise of soul singer Amy Winehouse.

Just two days after the Back to Black singer was found dead at her home in Camden, North London, Missouri congressman Billy Long chose to express his views about the state of American politics through the crudest of metaphors.

Referring to suggestions that Miss Winehouse died because of drug and drink abuse, he wrote on Twitter: 'No one could reach #AmyWinehouse before it was too late. Can anyone reach Washington before it's too late? Both addicted - same fate???'

Winehouse, who has not yet been buried, had for years battled depression as well as addiction to drink and hard drugs before she passed away, aged just 27, on Saturday.

Today's tweet by Mr Long, which he posted using his @auctnr1 account, was seen by many critics as written in the poorest taste.

Twitter, a place for fleeting and superficial communication, does not seem an appropriate place to discuss someone’s death. And yet many did just that. They tweeted to their followers that they were crying, they tweeted that they were listening to her albums in tribute.

They tweeted song lyrics. And they tweeted that Winehouse was now part of the so-called 27 Club – the group of musicians including Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain who died at the same age – a piece of information flung out and re-tweeted into the ether as if it were the answer to a Trivial Pursuit question that wins you the pink slice of pie.

Not a single person can have viewed the singer’s death as anything other than tragic and deeply sad. It is an immutable fact that barely requires saying – and yet choose this option and among the barrage of people eager to catalogue their grief, silence begins to look something approaching heartlessness.

Sarah Brown, who once admitted that her worst habit was using Twitter while talking to people, tweeted her condolences to the Winehouse family. Mark Ronson, a long- time friend of the singer, said on the site that she was his “musical soulmate and like a sister to me”.

It is not the first time that celebrities have felt the need to share their innermost feelings with their followers. Numerous stars tweeted their sympathy when Lily Allen, Amanda Holden and Kelly Brook suffered miscarriages. Would we have thought any less of them if they had instead kept quiet and sent their friends a condolence card? Perhaps, in this digital day and age, we would.

Yet the most hideous spectacle was the sight of Twitter users debating whether Winehouse’s death, or the atrocity in Norway, were bigger stories. It was mawkish, cold-hearted, cynical even. “Amy all the way,” tweeted one. “Norway is a day old”.

By Sunday, one wondered if people hadn’t taken leave of their senses completely. “A reason to love Amy Winehouse,” tweeted @PennyRed. “Not only did she make Back to Black, she apparently once spat at Pippa Middleton.”

Barely 24 hours after Winehouse had passed away, this didn’t seem like a terribly respectable thing to say. Then again, Twitter, by its very nature, does not encourage people to think before they speak.

It seems unlikely that anyone would chose to tweet about the death of someone close to them, it being an intensely private thing. So why not afford the same respect to Amy Winehouse? A 140-character obituary will never be able to do her enormous talent justice.

Jesse James and Kat Von D Split

Another celebrity couple have called off their engagement. A day after Kristin Cavallari broke up with Jay Cutler, news came out that Jesse James has parted ways with tattoo artist fiancee Kat Von D. On the reason why, the ex-husband of Sandra Bullock put the blame on distance.

Speaking about the split, 42-year-old Jesse told PEOPLE, "I'm so sad because I really love her. The distance between us was just too much." The host of "Monster Garage" lives with three children outside of Austin, Texas, while Kat shoots her reality show, TLC's "LA Ink", in Los Angeles.

While Jesse shared news of the split via the publication, Kat confirmed their separation on Twitter. "I am no longer w Jesse," so she wrote, "and out of respect for him, his family and myself, thats all the info I'd like to share." She ended the posting with, "Thanks for respecting that.

James, 42, and the LA Ink star were engaged in January and had been planning a summer wedding around the one-year anniversary of when they started dating.

But the commute between Los Angeles, where Von D, 29, shoots her reality show, and James's home outside of Austin, Texas, where he lives with his kids, Chandler, 16, Jesse Jr., 14, and Sunny, 7, proved to be too much.



Von D confirmed the split on Twitter.

"I am no longer w Jesse," she writes, "and out of respect for him, his family and myself, thats all the info I'd like to share. Thanks for respecting that.

The Bachelorette

Bachelorette is a spin-off of the American competitive reality dating game show The Bachelor. In its January 2003 debut on ABC, the first season featured Trista Rehn, the runner-up date from the first season of The Bachelor, offering the opportunity for Rehn to choose a husband among 25 bachelors. The 2004 season of The Bachelorette again took a runner-up from the previous season of The Bachelor. After last airing on February 28, 2005, the series returned to ABC during the spring of 2008, following an absence of three years.

Seasons

Season 1 (2003)

Trista Rehn, the runner-up of the first season of The Bachelor, selected Ryan Sutter, and the season's finale broadcast was one of the most-watched programs in the history of reality television. They are still married and have two children together. Contestant Bob Guiney was chosen to be the Bachelor in season four of The Bachelor.

Season 2 (2004)

Meredith Phillips, who was let go by bachelor Bob Guiney (see above), chose Ian Mckee. However, they ended their relationship in February 2005.

Season 3 (2005)

Jennifer Schefft, selected by Andrew Firestone in season three of The Bachelor, got a second chance at love, after her relationship with Firestone ended, in The Bachelorette's third season. She chose Jerry Ferris, an art gallery director, over fellow finalist John Paul Merritt in a first live, final rose ceremony. During this last episode, Jerry proposed to Jen. She rejected his proposal, however, stating that the chemistry was not there.Schefft went on to find love away from reality TV, marrying Chicago public relations executive Joe Waterman in May 2009. The couple welcomed their first child, daughter Mae Elizabeth, on November 13, 2010.

Season 4 (2008)

DeAnna Pappas, who first appeared in season eleven of The Bachelor, and was rejected by bachelor Brad Womack, chose Jesse Csincsak over Jason Mesnick. They were set to wed on May 9, 2009, but the couple announced their break-up in November 2008. On season 13 of The Bachelor featuring Jason Mesnick as a single father looking for a second chance at love, Pappas made a surprise return.

Season 5 (2009)

Jillian Harris, who was rejected by bachelor Jason Mesnick in season thirteen of The Bachelor, was the fifth bachelorette. She is also the first non-American bachelorette from Canada. The fifth season premiered on May 18, 2009. On the season finale, Jillian received a proposal from Ed Swiderski. A supplement to the finale, "After The Final Rose", aired on Tuesday, July 28. However, they ended their relationship in July 2010. Contestant Jake Pavelka was chosen to be the next "Bachelor".

Season 6 (2010)

Ali Fedotowsky, who walked away from bachelor Jake Pavelka in season 14 of The Bachelor, was the sixth bachelorette. The season premiered on May 24, 2010. Ali, who let contestant Chris Lambton go the day before the Final Rose Ceremony, chose Roberto Martinez in the finale, and the couple remains together.

Season 7 (2011)

Ashley Hebert, who was rejected by bachelor Brad Womack in season 15 of The Bachelor, is the seventh bachelorette. The season premiered on May 23, 2011.

Bachelorette Down to the Final Two

Hello rose lovers! It's fantasy suite time already -- can you believe how far we've come in our "journey"? Before we begin with tonight's adventures, just a quick editor's note about last week's hometown date episode. I wrote my recap based on a rough cut that ABC sent me on DVD, and clearly the order of the dates changed before airtime. Sorry for any confusion, and I'm also sorry that the explanation does not involve me getting blackout drunk while playing a drinking game based on every time Ashley chewed her lips or fiddled with her bangs, as some of you suggested. Now, on to the "exotic" dates!

Splash! Ice-blue waves crash on the shore as Ashley arrives in Fiji on a pontoon plane. Fiji, as it turns out, is the latest in a long line of "perfect" places "to fall in love" and/or "get engaged" and find a "happy ending." Ashley reclines atop a pile of fluffy pillows on her hotel bed and narrates a recycled-clip flashback montage about the final three suitors. Ben is "goofy and silly and fun and playful" but also "sincere and honest"; Ben's doppelganger Constantine "has a really good head on his shoulders" and is "really smart," and their relationship has "so much depth to it" (see: their bonding session over a large plate of salad); and then there's JP, who "looked like a model" when he got out of the limo, according to Ashley. "Sometimes you don't need 20 dates with somebody to know how you feel about them," says the Bachelorette of Jape. (Ok -- but how about, like, 5?) And now, at long last, she gets to spend "private time with the guys alone," a prospect that's so monumental that she needs to curl up on the couch and journal about it. (Side note: Don't you hate it when people use "journal" as a verb, like I just did there? It's one of my top five pet peeves.)

JP appeared a little too sure of himself and said he wanted it to be over and, “ want it to be me”. Going by the chemistry between the two, and Ashley’s leanings towards his good looks and charm, it might come to that. “Sometimes you don’t need 20 dates to know how you feel about somebody. And with JP, after the first date I knew things would get pretty serious,” was Ashley’s comment.

The audience poll on abc.com shows JP getting y 71 per cent of the votes compared to 27 per cent for Ben.

The show format is a little different this time with the Men Tell All to be aired on July 31, ie next Sunday. The following night, Monday, August 1, is the finale. Immediately following the finale is the After the Final Rose special.

Ahead we see Ashley, Ben, and JP staying in Fiji. The men will meet her parents, brother, and sister. We hear JP tell Ashley he is madly in love with her and Ben says he is in love with her too. Ashley’s sister says Ashley is too much for one of the guys. Who could that be?

This is season seven of the show, which was restarted in 2008 after a gap of three years.( it stopped in 2005). The finale of the season one of the Bachelorette in 2003 was one of the most-watched programs in the history of reality television, 30 million people tuned in to watch the show (realitytvworld.com). Trista Rehn from this season married Ryan Stutter from the show in December 2003, as of 2011, they are still together and have two children.

Michael Jackson tribute show confirmed

Several members of Michael Jackson's family last night unveiled plans for a tribute concert in Wales to the late King of Pop.

The show, supported by Jackson family matriarch Katherine Jackson, will be held on October 8 in Cardiff at the Millennium Stadium, which holds about 75,000 people.

It will be broadcast live via satellite on pay-per-view television and into movie theaters around the world, some of which will screen it in 3D, according to promoter Global Live Events.

Katherine Jackson told reporters at the unveiling in Beverly Hills, California, that she is proud of the event and the caliber of singers performing, although no names were announced.

Jackson's brother, Jermaine Jackson, tried in vain to mount a tribute concert in Vienna in 2009, but plans were scrapped after he struggled to get big-name acts and the event's organiser went out of business.

Jermaine, Janet, and Michael Jackson's father Joe, were not on hand at Monday's announcement. Instead, Katherine was joined by family members, Tito, Jackie, Marlon and La Toya.

No artists have yet been announced for 'Michael Forever: The Tribute Concert' - which will be held in front of 75,000 fans - but it is expected that performers will be revealed daily until August 4, when tickets will go on sale.

However, Tito promised the concert will feature "all the artists [Michael] admired and respected so much.

"Michael loved doing things on a large, major scale. This is definitely one that he would approve."

Global Live Events, who are staging the concert, promised it will be a fitting tribute to the King of Pop's musical legacy.

Chris Hunt, president of Global Live Events, said: "We wanted to do something decent and worthy of Michael's musical genius yet something fun and authentic that you would envision Michael attending with excitement and joy surrounded by talent that he respected and loved."

It's intended that the concert will raise awareness and funds for Aids Project Los Angeles and two other charities to be announced later.

It was not explained why Michael's siblings Janet, Jermaine and Randy were not in attendance at the press conference, but his brothers later blasted the "inappropriate" timing of the concert, which is scheduled to take place less than three weeks after the start of Dr. Conrad Murray's trial for the involuntary manslaughter of the singer.

Jermaine and Randy said: "While we wholeheartedly support the spirit of a tribute that honours our brother, we find it impossible to support an event that is due to take place during the criminal trial surrounding Michael's death.

"There will come a time and place for an amazing and deserving tribute to Michael. But we feel that the most important tribute we can give to our brother at this time is to seek justice in his name.

Read more: Follow Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson Tour Rehearsals Will Not Be Shown In Court

Prosecutors wanted to show some 12 hours of unedited footage from the "This Is It" movie about Jackson in a bid to demonstrate that the "Thriller" singer was healthy and in good form before he died of a drug overdose in June 2009.

Attorneys for Dr. Conrad Murray, who is charged with being responsible for Jackson's death after giving him a dose of the anesthetic propofol, are expected to argue at trial that "This Is It," which was released after the pop star's death, was not a true picture of his health in his final days.

Sony Pictures, the studio that released the documentary film, argued that showing the never-before-seen footage in a public court might hurt its potential commercial value. The studio said it screened more than 100 hours of raw footage for the attorneys and the judge in the case.

Judge Michael Pastor made the ruling on Monday, concluding that it would not help the defense and that "it was a waste of my time."

The jury will, however, be shown clips that were used in the movie showing Jackson rehearsing for a series of comeback concerts in London.

However, Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor says footage - which was taken just days before his tragic death - will not add anything to the case, even though he agrees that Jackson was not in poor health.

He said: "There is absolutely nothing in those materials that could have been of assistance to the defence."

Pastor also agreed with the lawyers for Sony Pictures Entertainment that the clips have significant value and should not be publicly shown without a good reason.

He added: "There are materials which I viewed which I would regard as extremely valuable to Sony."

Murray has been accused of administering the medication and failing to provide proper care leading to Jackson's death, but in recent months, his lawyers have suggested the singer gave himself the lethal dose.

Read more: Follow Michael Jackson

Kristin Cavallari

Kristin Elizabeth Cavallari, born January 5, 1987 is an American television personality and actress. She is best known for her starring roles on the former MTV programs Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off, The Hills.

Early life

Cavallari was born in Denver, Colorado, the second of three children of Judith Spies (née Eifrig) and Dennis Cavallari. When her mother divorced her father, her older brother Mike moved with their father to Laguna Beach, California, while she moved with her mother to the village of Barrington, Illinois, a suburb an hour northwest of Chicago. Kristin attended Barrington Station Middle School, and graduated on to Barrington High School. After difficulties adjusting to a new life with a stepfather and stepbrother, Kristin moved to California to live with her father. Instead Kristin was enrolled at Santa Margarita Catholic High School for her sophomore year. After she attended a Driver's Education course through Laguna Beach High School, her father enrolled her in Laguna Beach High School.

Career

Reality Television: Laguna Beach and The Hills

Cavallari was in her junior year of high school when the first season of Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County began production. At the time, she was involved in an on-and-off relationship with senior Stephen Colletti. Cavallari's romance with Colletti caused a rivalry with another cast member, Lauren Conrad. The love triangle became one of the series' central plotline. 

In May 2009, Cavallari confirmed that she would be joining the cast of the popular MTV reality series The Hills. She appeared in the mid-season finale that aired on May 31, 2009 and appeared as a regular in the remainder of the fifth season. She inked a deal with MTV to appear as a series regular throughout two more seasons of the series following the fifth. The sixth and final season aired summer 2010.

Acting

After her stint on Laguna Beach, Cavallari headed to Los Angeles and briefly enrolled at University of Southern California. She signed on the UPN reality television series Get This Party Started, which premiered February 7, 2006. The series was canceled after airing two episodes due to extremely low ratings. She guest starred in another UPN series Veronica Mars in one episode. She has appeared in numerous television roles such as CSI: NY, Cane and Adventures in Hollyhood.

In 2006, she signed on as Crystal in the horror film Fingerprints. Filming took place throughout April and May 2006 in two Oklahoma towns. The film premiered at Screamfest on October 16, 2006. The film won Best Feature at the 2006 New York City Horror Film Festival. The film was released in 2007 to mixed to positive reviews. She also played a small role in "Wristcutters: A Love Story," an independent film, directed by Goran Dukic in 2006.

In 2008, she had a supporting role in Spring Breakdown alongside Amy Poehler as Summer. The film was released straight-to-DVD on June 2, 2009 and received mixed reviews. She also starred in the independent film Green Flash alongside Torrey DeVitto.

In 2009, she starred in the independent American high school comedy film Wild Cherry as Trish, which also starred Rumer Willis. She also starred in the straight-to-DVD film National Lampoon's Van Wilder: Freshman Year as Kaitlyn. The film was released July 14, 2009 to mixed to negative reviews.

Activism

Cavallari has been involved in the "Until There's a Cure" public service advertising campaign to raise awareness and funds for AIDS and HIV research and vaccine development. In 2006, Cavallari appeared in ads for PETA, and has also appeared as a celebrity spokesperson for "We Are Ellis Island", a campaign for the restoration of historic buildings on Ellis Island. In February 2009, she posed for the NOH8 Campaign in support of gay marriage. In January 2010, she traveled to El Salvador to do charity work. She told US Magazine "It really put everything into perspective and made me appreciate everything I have, seeing how happy and excited the kids were was the best feeling in the world", said Cavallari.  In March 2011, Cavallari traveled to Kenya, Africa to do charity work with the non-profit organization One Kid One World. 

Personal life

Cavallari was engaged to Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler but he called off their engagement in mid July of 2011.

Filmography

2004 - 2005 Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County Herself 28 episodes

2006 Get This Party Started Host 2 episodes

2006 Veronica Mars Kylie Marker 1 episode

2006 Lord of the G-Strings Crystal

2007 Cheerleader Camp Julie Television movie

2007 Cane Casey Episode: "Family Business"

2008 Green Flash Lana Direct-to-DVD release

2008 CSI: NY Isabelle Vaughn Episode: "Forbidden Fruit"

2008 Spring Breakdown Seven #3

2009 Wild Cherry Trish van Doren

2009 National Lampoon's Van Wilder: Freshman Year Kaitlin Hayes Direct-to-DVD release

2009 - 2010 The Hills Herself 23 episodes

2011 The Middle Ms. Devereaux Episode: "Friends, Lies, and Videotape"