Justin Bieber's 'One Less Lonely Girl' Focus Of Royalty Lawsuit

Managers of the A-Rex songwriting team are looking for $200,000 they claim that they are owed from the hit song.
By Gil Kaufman


Justin Bieber
Photo: Christopher Polk/ Getty Images

Justin Bieber's hit anthem "One Less Lonely Girl" has a couple of music managers feeling a bit left out in the cold. Vance Tate and Thomas Oliveria, who represent the songwriting team A-Rex — composed of Sean Hamilton and Hyuk Shin — have filed a lawsuit seeking additional royalties from the tune, which appears on Bieber's hit 2008 debut, My World.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the managers claim that the A-Rex team created "Lonely Girl," which is credited on My World to Hamilton and Shin, along with Ezekiel Lewis, Bieber mentor Usher and Balewa Muhammad.

Tate and Oliveria allege that they are entitled to 10 percent of the publishing royalties tied to A-Rex's share of the song, an amount they peg at around $200,000. They are seeking damages for breach of contract, fraud, conversion and copyright infringement. A spokesperson for Bieber's label could not be reached for comment on the lawsuit at press time.

The suit not only names Hamilton and Shin, but also EMI Music Publishing and the L.A. Reid Music Publishing Company, which is connected to Bieber's former label boss, Antonio "L.A." Reid, who recently stepped down as chairman of Island Def Jam Records to be a judge on Simon Cowell's upcoming "X Factor" reality show.

Another Bieber song, "Pray," meanwhile, is included on a just-released all-star charity benefit album Songs for Japan, proceeds from which will aid the victims of the earthquake/tsunami disaster in Japan. The Bieber track appears alongside tunes from Lady Gaga, Eminem, Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Madonna, the Kings of Leon and Katy Perry.

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Soap Dish: Is ABC Daytime President Brian Frons In Hot Water?

You know what they about karma it can be a real biotch and it looks like ABC Daytime president Brian Frons just might be getting some well deserved karma. Oh yes it is a Soap Dish you won?t want to miss! The man who just cancelled two icon daytime soap operas might just be in some serious hot water from that decision. Soon after the decision to axe All My Children and One Life To Life was announced the backlash began. Now it looks like just a mere week after Mr. Frons just tossed aside two long standing beloved shows for some crap reality TV that he just might be feeling the heat from his recent actions. According to an article in The New York Post the powers that be at ABC are none too thrilled with the ad revenue fall out from Frons decision. Just in case you aren?t aware Hoover pulled all of its ad revenue from the network and Hershey has said that it will pull theirs too if they receive 10,000 calls in support of the soaps that were canned. What all that means is that ABC could be losing some serious cash, plus there are [...]

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Bethenny Frankel: I Used Reality TV to Build a $120 Million Empire

Bethenny Frankel: I Used Reality TV to Build a $120 Million Empire

We all know that former Real Housewives of New York City star Bethenny Frankel won't let anything get in her way. A wisecracking, smart entrepreneur, she has, against the odds, turned her reality-TV celebrity into a mammoth business empire.

Frankel began as a the founder of BethennyBakes, a gluten-and-dairy-free delivery service on Manhattan's Upper East Side, where she lives. Her accomplishments since then have been nothing less than spectacular, and it was recently announced that Frankel has sold her Skinnygirl cocktail line to Fortune Brands' Beam Global (the world's fourth-largest spirits distributor) for what insiders say is a staggering $120 million!

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Frankel opens up about how this acquisition came about and reveals that her true motiviations for going on Real Housewives were "single-handedly and exclusively for business." Seems to have paid off.

Of the $120 mil deal she says, "It's a feat never before seen in the spirits marketplace by a single celebrity, unless you count Ciroc's nearly $100 million deal to bring on Sean 'Diddy' Combs as part-owner of its premium vodka for promotional value."

Frankel makes no bones about using Housewives to promote her Skinnygirl brand -- among other ventures. "I just decided to be totally honest and own it," she says. "You can't do something you don't stand for just to make money. It's a smart audience, people will realize it."

As for why she's been so successful, Frankel believes its because her ideas and products offer real value. "Everything I create is a solution to a problem that women have," she explains. "I don't like to wear lingerie, but my husband loves it. So I created lazy lingerie. You wear it under a blazer or sweater during the day, but when you pull it off, you have on lingerie. It solves a problem."

After leaving The Real Housewives of New York, Frankel branched out with her own Bravo spin-off show, Bethenny Ever After, detailing her life with new husband Jason Hoppy. The show has been a smash hit (the second season generated more than 1 million viewers a week). In addition, Frankel has also published a couple of best-selling books and come out with a clothing line. But Frankel doesn't want to stop there.

Rumor has it that she wants her own talk show, and that she even might be ready to walk away from Bethenny Ever After. "I like to leave a party when it's in full swing," she tells The Hollywood Reporter. "I don't want to be there at 3 in the morning with the scary guy in the bad sweater with no teeth. I like to leave when everyone still has their teeth."

While Frankel has obviously turned her celebrity status into big big business, her publisher, Simon & Schuster, is quick to differentiate Frankel from the other stars looking to cash in on their reality-TV 15 minutes of fame. "There's no little fairy with pixie dust here," says a spokesperson for the publisher. "Cinderella does everything she should and in the end she still gets screwed until her fairy godmother comes. She didn't need to wait for that magic. This is all Bethenny."

It is, indeed! $120 million dollars' worth!

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Mel Gibson Breaks Silence On Leaked Oksana Tapes, His Movie Career And More

FROM MTV MOVIES: For much of the past year, the only times we've heard Mel Gibson's voice in public were when new snippets of his now-infamous rant tapes were released by Radar Online. You might recall the racist, sexist explosion of rage at Gibson's ex and mother of his infant daughter, Oksana Grigorieva, on the [...]

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Katy Perry: 2011 European tour dates

Katy Perry

The "Teenage Dreams" darling, Katy Perry took time out for a photo spread to adorn the November 2010 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine. In the accompanying interview, Miss Perry chatted about music and her man, as she said, "My record is like an airplane's black box. That's where all the information is. If you want to know what happened or what my viewpoints are, it's all right there. All the walls come down in my songs. Songwriting is like an anvil lifting off my chest." As for fiance Russell Brand, the soon-to-be 26-year-old tells, "He tells me I'm the most beautiful girl in the world every day. He constantly reminds me. He never lets me forget it." Perry has also just recently released her 2011 European tour dates, with the full listing as follows: Sunday, February 20 Lisbon, Portugal: Campo Pequeno Wednesday, February 23 Milan, Italy: Palasharp Friday, February 25 Zurich, Switzerland: Hallenstadion Saturday, February 26 Munich, Germany: Zenith Sunday, February 27 Vienna, Austria: Gasometer Friday, March 4 Berlin, Germany: Columbiahalle Sunday, March 6 Offenbach, Germany: Stadthalle Monday, March 7 Paris, France: Zenith Thursday, March 10 Brussels, Belgium: Forest National Friday, March 11 Cologne, Germany: Palladium Monday, March 14 Hamburg, Germany: Sporthalle Tuesday, March 15 Amsterdam, Holland: HMH Thursday, March 17 & Friday, March 18 London, UK: HMV Hammersmith Apollo Monday, March 21 & Tuesday, March 22 Manchester, UK: Apollo Monday, March 28 Dublin, Ireland: O2 Arena Wednesday, March 30 Nottingham, UK: Trent FM Arena Thursday, March 31 Bournemouth, UK: BIC Friday, April 1 Cardiff, UK: Cardiff International Arena Sunday, April 3 Newcastle, UK: Metro Radio Arena Monday, April 4 Birmingham, UK: LG Arena Tuesday, April 5 Glasgow, UK: SECC Hall 3 [gallery=741]

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Songs For Japan Includes Eminem, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga And More

Benefit album is now on iTunes, with proceeds going to the Japanese Red Cross Society.
By James Montgomery


Songs For Japan Cover Art
Photo: EMI Music Group

On Monday, we learned the names of some of the stars set to appear on Songs For Japan, a compilation album to benefit the ongoing disaster relief efforts in the earthquake- and tsunami-ravaged nation. And on Friday (March 25), not only was the full roster of artists and songs revealed, but the album was made available for purchase on iTunes.

Lady Gaga, Eminem, Beyoncé, Madonna, the Kings of Leon and Katy Perry joined a list of already-announced artists like Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna on the album, which is available worldwide on the iTunes Store for $9.99. Proceeds from the sale of Songs for Japan will benefit the Japanese Red Cross Society.

All in all, 38 artists lent songs to the album, including legends like Bob Dylan, U2, Bruce Springsteen and the late John Lennon; country acts like Keith Urban and Lady Antebellum; rock artists like the Foo Fighters, R.E.M. and Bon Jovi; pop icons like Madonna and Pink; and top hitmakers like Bruno Mars and David Guetta.

All acts appearing on Songs for Japan — and their labels and music publishers — have waived their royalties and proceeds from the worldwide sales of the album to insure the Japanese Red Cross Society receives as much support as possible. The JRCS will use funds from the album to support its ongoing relief efforts and for eventual recovery assistance to the areas hardest hit by the earthquake and subsequent tsunamis. iTunes will also donate its proceeds from the album's worldwide sales to the benefit of the JRCS.

The track list for Songs for Japan, according to Apple:

1. John Lennon, "Imagine"
2. U2, "Walk On"
3. Bob Dylan, "Shelter From the Storm"
4. Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Around the World"
5. Lady Gaga, "Born This Way"
6. Beyoncé, "Irreplaceable"
7. Bruno Mars, "Talking to the Moon"
8. Katy Perry, "Firework"
9. Rihanna, "Only Girl (In the World)"
10. Justin Timberlake, "Like I Love You"
11. Madonna, "Miles Away"
12. David Guetta, "When Love Takes Over"
13. Eminem (featuring Rihanna), "Love the Way You Lie"
14. Bruce Springsteen, "Human Touch"
15. Josh Groban, "Awake"
16. Keith Urban, "Better Life"
17. Black Eyed Peas, "One Tribe"
18. Pink, "Sober"
19. Cee Lo Green, "It's OK"
20. Lady Antebellum, "I Run to You"
21. Bon Jovi, "What Do You Got?"
22. Foo Fighters, "My Hero"
23. R.E.M., "Man on the Moon"
24. Nicki Minaj, "Save Me"
25. Sade, "By Your Side"
26. Michael Bublé, "Hold On"
27. Justin Bieber, "Pray"
28. Adele, "Make You Feel My Love"
29. Enya, "If I Could Be Where You Are"
30. Elton John, "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"
31. John Mayer, "Waiting on the World to Change"
32. Queen, "Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)"
33. Kings of Leon, "Use Somebody"
34. Sting, "Fragile"
35. Leona Lewis, "Better in Time"
36. Ne-Yo, "One in a Million"
37. Shakira, "Whenever, Wherever"
38. Norah Jones, "Sunrise"

Will you download the benefit album? Let us know in the comments!

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Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz Put Their Divorce Aside to Travel the Town Together With Bronx

Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz reunited yesterday in LA to spend a fun family afternoon with their young son Bronx. The trio visited the Travel Town Museum and evidently stopped off for pizza, as Pete later tweeted about burning his mouth on some hot cheese. Ashlee and Pete announced their plans to divorce in February, but have since been regularly photographed together with Bronx. They seem to be putting their differences aside for his sake, and Pete recently spoke about how they make it all work. Pete said of his split from Ashlee, "We try to make his life as easy to navigate as possible and he's growing up so it's important for everyone who loves him to be involved in his life. . . He's a talker and he tells a lot of stories in full sentences." He and Ashlee and moving forward with their lives, as is her big sister Jessica. The Simpson family has something great to look forward to with Jessica's upcoming wedding, and she recently received even more good news - Jess was ranked as Us's Style Icon of the Year and also one of People's Most Beautiful Stars.

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Black Eyed Peas, Usher, Slash Light Up Super Bowl XLV Halftime Show

Foursome is joined by special guests and tons of lights for smash-hit medley.
By Mawuse Ziegbe


Black Eyed Peas perform during the Super Bowl XLV halftime show
Photo: Getty Images

The Black Eyed Peas promised a party at the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday (February 6), and the pop supernovas definitely delivered, with a performance teeming with lights, dancers and surprise appearances from celebrity pals.

Following a Chatter.com commercial that showed animated versions of the Peas showing off their social-media skills, the group kicked things off with their 2009 smash "I Gotta Feeling," descending from the ceiling on illuminated platforms onto a stage surrounded by a cluster of dancers clad in white bodysuits. The foursome led the team of fist-pumping troops in "Tron"-like getups, with Taboo sporting an outfit covered in flashing lights, will.i.am rocking a shiny hairpiece, Apl.de.ap wearing huge bright studs and Fergie vamping it up in bling-laden shoulder pads.

When the speaker-busting bass of "Boom Boom Pow" dropped, the dancers dispersed across the field to create arrow-shaped formations as the glow-in-the-dark lights on their suits illuminated the stadium. Then rumored surprise guest Slash of Guns N' Roses rose from below the stage for a "Sweet Child O' Mine" duet with Fergie. The GNR great rocked a finger-searing solo in a studded version of his signature black top hat as more angular platforms and dancers moved across the gridiron. The platforms were bearing scores of marching-band musicians who blasted their horns and pounded away on their drums as the Peas went into "Pump It" and blue lights splashed across the production.

Quick streams of fog heralded the arrival of the Peas' second surprise guest, Usher, who swooped in on a long chain to bust out his will.i.am-assisted joint "OMG." Rocking a sparkly collar on an otherwise all-white ensemble, the R&B hitmaker cranked out several counts of energetic choreography, enlivening moves from his "OMG" video and at one point jumping over Will and landing in a split.

A spray of pyro ushered in the collective's breakout 2003 hit "Where Is the Love?" as the oddly shaped platforms spelled out the word "Love" in bright-red letters. The team of dancers, which appeared to have multiplied to over 100, formed hearts across the field as will updated the lyrics of the smash with lines like, "Obama, let's get these educated."

Then the group jumped ahead to their most recent single, 2010's "The Time (Dirty Bit)," as several back up hoofers rocking cubed helmets joined the Peas onstage and dancers lined up along the gridiron to simultaneously bust out the Running Man, a move which drew cheers from the crowd.

The platinum-selling Peas wrapped up the performance with a reprise of "I Gotta Feeling," as the quartet triumphantly signed off amid of blitz of fog, firepower and flashing lights.

Ripping the halftime show was clearly a touching moment for will, who tweeted beforehand, "Me and apl started the peas when we were 16 yesterday we were dreamin now were livin it. Wow. I'm not crying out of sadness or nervousness its joy and pride and memories and the journey."

And once the crew left the stage, the frontman was not only proud, but pumped. "That was so freakin sick," he wrote. "Wow...!!!"

What did you think of the Black Eyed Peas' Super Bowl performance? Let us know in the comments!

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