- If you’ve ever wanted to see the larger-than-life Wendy Williams live, here’s your chance! The talk show diva will host “The Wendy Williams Show” in 17 cities around the US this summer. The series is dubbed the “Say It Like You Mean It Summer Tour” and kicks off August 4 in Miami. [Hollywood Reporter]
- Matthew Knowles’ Music World Gospel has inked a deal with BET to release the debut albums for the “Sunday Best” third and fourth season winners. The agreement also means Matthew will release “best of” gospel compilations and a variety of specialty brand projects for the show. The wildly popular gospel talent search show just launched its fourth season on BET this month. [EURweb]
- One lucky Rihanna fan received two surprises of a lifetime when her boyfriend proposed during a backstage meet-and-greet at a Rihanna concert. Rihanna seemed totally shocked by the proposal and, of course, posed alongside the newly engaged couple for a few photos. That had to be one of the happiest moments of these fans’ lives! [Perez Hilton]
- Aretha Franklin is looking better than ever these days, but that’s not keeping her drama-free. She’s being sued for copyright infringement by her longtime songwriting partner Norman D. West, who claims Aretha’s Springtime Publishing Inc. did not sign a royalty agreement for a song on her recently released album. [The Associated Press]
- For fans who loved reading Jay-Z’s book “Decoded,” the rapper is opening up again about his role as a music historian and why he thinks it’s okay to sample another artist’s work. “I study music and if I’m inspired by it, I just use it. It’s not a crutch for me,” he said in a recent interview. You can hear more of what inspires Jay in the clip below. [Hip-Hop Wired]