When I heard the word that Whitney Houston had died, I thought about that first day in 1985, her whole life was ahead of her. I never would have imagined it would have ended like this. Then I remembered – I had a picture!

In the late 1980s, Peaston, a former schoolteacher, born in St. Louis, won several competitions on the Showtime at the Apollo television show, winning over the audience with a powerful rendition of “God Bless the Child.”

She rebounded from a heroin addiction to see her career surge after performing the national anthem at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. She won her first Grammy Award a decade later, and two more in 2003 and 2004.

She suffered from dementia, kidney problems and leukemia. Her husband and her two sons fought over control of her $1 million estate, though a deal was later struck keeping Mills as the conservator and capping the singer's expenses at $350,000.

The only thing I haven’t done is feature film. But I don’t even want to do anything like that until it means something. I’m a single digit handicap There’s only three people in the world who sing better than me. Many sing differently,

Dressed in a black blazer and black satin shorts that showed off her shapely legs, Ledisi opened with the uptempo “Raise Up.” As she sang, she danced around the stage with enough energy to exhaust most performers.

“Here it is… BAM! And you say goddamn, this is Def Jam.”

OK, so maybe the iconic opening lyrics to Public Enemy’s “Night of the Living Baseheads” are a little rearranged, but in true Def Jam fashion that’s exactly what they did to the game as chronicled in "Def Jam Recordings: The First 25 Years of the Last Great Record Label."

NEW YORK, NY - Music Industry Icon Andre Harrell has launched a global talent search, accepting auditions via Blazetrak.  Blazetrak is a web platform that provides direct video access to the world’s top professionals. The search will result in a record deal (single) through Harrell Records and/or a production/publishing deal through Harrell Music.

From now through Nov. 30, artists and aspiring producers/songwriters are invited to submit their best original music and/or performance of a cover (via audio or video) to Harrell through the Blazetrak platform. He will personally review each and every submission during the month of December and all entrants are guaranteed a video response directly from Harrell, including his expert critique of the submission (submission fee: Nine Blazetrak credits).

Ultimately, on Jan. 10 Harrell will announce the selected recipient of the record deal or production/publishing deal via a live Ustream event.

Harrell said “I just started a new record company and I'm looking to fill up my roster. Blazetrak.com is a paid service where people can upload their music and I will make a personal video response telling them why I like it and what they can do to make it better. It's a new way to do A&R.  People don't have to fly to New York, stay in a hotel and sit and have a meeting with me, or try to get a meeting with me if they don't know me.  They can be from France, Africa, London, Nebraska or LA and just take four minutes to upload their music.  They can send me two or three demos and I'll listen to them and give them a video response right back.  It's really giving me the ability to have 20 or 30 meetings a day and discover new talent."

To view the talent search opportunity, go directly to: www.Blazetrak.com/AndreHarrell.

One of hip-hop’s icons, 44-year-old Dwight “Heavy D” Arrington Myers, was pronounced dead this afternoon at an  L.A. hospital.

In 1956, at age 14, she recorded Spirituals and launched a career that would enrich popular music with such hits as “I Never Loved a Man the Way I Loved You,” “Do Right Woman-Do Right Man,” “Dr. Feelgood,” and her rendition of Otis Redding’s “Respect” that soared to the top of the charts.

COLUMBUS OHIO -- Monae recently performed at the Schottenstein Center Arena in Columbus as the opening act for pop star Katy Perry’s California Dreams Tour. Unlike some opening acts that performed to prerecorded tracks, Monae was backed by a full band that even included a string section.

Janet is back in form, looking great, sounding strong and dancing spectacularly. The “No. 1s” show is a reward to the loyal fans who have stood by her side throughout the 25 years since her breakthrough album, “Control,” took the world by storm.

Greeted by thunderous applause from her loyal fans, Sade told them, “We’re going to make up for all the lost years.”

She’s neither self-absorbed nor self-centered; she is simply Stacey Richardson-Crawford. A woman that is confident enough to share some of life’s ups and downs, through her touching new music

Music is the universal language by which a society communicates with itself and the rest of the world. It is also the world that pianist and music impresario, Terrance McKnight lives in and thrives.

Neo-soul star Eric Roberson will bring his Road to the Grammys Tour to the Von Jazz Lounge, 245 E. Campus View Blvd. in Columbus, on Feb. 3.