To help celebrate the upcoming book release DOUBLE PLATINUM by Shelia M. Goss, you now have a chance to win a 2 DVD set showcasing live performances by one of the top-selling female artists of all time – Mariah Carey – The Adventures of Mimi. 

How to enter: Answer the following question:

What is the name of the record executive who delivered the bad news to Parris Mitchell – either she record a hit CD or the record company would be giving her the boot? The answer can be found in an excerpt from Double Platinum at http://sheliagoss.com/books/doubleplatinum/

Send your answer to sgpublicist@aol.com and put Double Platinum in the header. You have until 11:59 p.m. est on January 30, 2008. All correct answers are eligible for the drawing.

Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. Contest open to U.S. residents only.

Its the Christmas season and the giving just won’t stop…take a look at the new contest I posted over on my entertainment site.

Can’t go wrong with a 3 for 1!!!

Contest – Enter to Win CDs from Mary J Blige, The Isley Brothers and Patti Labelle

Mary J. Blige – “Growing Pains”

The Isley Brothers – “I’ll be Home for Christmas” 

 Patti Labelle – “Miss Patti’s Christmas”

One of the companies I work with has offered me free CDs to provide to my readers. This week my entertainment site will be hosting several CD contests.

First up is the legendary 2Pac.

Contest – Enter to Win The Best of 2Pac CD

I came across Erykah Badu’s new single “Honey” on the Sohh.com site. Check it out: HONEY

Brian McKnight is currently starring in the Broadway musical “Chicago.” Below is an interview I had with the R & B crooner when he was promoting his last CD.

Ten @ Amazon.com
Brian McKnight

Shelia Goss: Why do you think you’ve had longevity in this business?
Brian Mcknight: I wish I had the answer to that question. I don’t have it. That question would be better answered by the people who have been fans. All I do is go to the studio to write songs that I love and hope that there are people out there who love them as well. Up until now, there have been a few (smile).

Shelia: You’re very humble. When you write, do you write from personal experiences?
Brian Mcknight: A lot of its personal…some of it is what other people are going through I suppose. If I had to do percentage wise, it’s about 80 percent personal and 20 percent emphatic.

Shelia: The name of your album is “10″ which is befitting since it’s your tenth album. What do you want listeners to feel after they hear “10?”
Brian Mcknight: That’s a hard question to answer. When I make a record all I’m hoping for is that people will hear one song that makes them feel something familiar about one thing or another…the songs will probably make you cry…make you think about your own relationships–ones you’ve been in or one you’re hoping to have…that’s all I hope for.

Shelia: With this album did you have a lot of creative control?
Brian Mcknight: I always have creative control.

Shelia: Not too many artists can say that.
Brian Mcknight: From the beginning…I said if I didn’t have creative control, I didn’t want to do it; so I’ve had that since my very first album.

Shelia: What’s different from this album than from some of your previous ones?
Brian Mcknight: I think the only difference is my outlook. I’m finally at a place where my view of myself and the view the label has of me is the same. I’m emancipated. I got out of a situation I wasn’t happy in. I think this music here is very light, not too deep and it seems like I’m having a lot more fun and I am.

Shelia: How do you stay motivated in between albums?
Brian Mcknight: I just love to write music.

Shelia: Do you have plans on recording a gospel album?
Brian Mcknight: Not at this time. I choose to put an inspirational song on every album as opposed to doing an entire gospel album.

Shelia: What are some of your goals for the upcoming year?
Brian Mcknight: Single digit handy cap on the golf course.

Shelia: It sounds like golf is one of your favorite pastimes.
Brian Mcknight: Yes. I’ve only been playing about eight months but I’m bit by the bug.

Shelia: What do you like to do besides play golf?
Brian Mcknight: I still play basketball, skydive, and motorcycles, but right now golf is taking precedence over everything.

Shelia: Will you be doing some of those celebrity golf tournaments?
Brian Mcknight: Soon. Not yet, but soon.

Shelia: I know it’s hard to pick favorite songs on your own album; especially when the whole album means so much to you, but tell me about three songs in three different categories on your CD–one that makes you feel good, one that makes you think and the third one in any category.
Brian McKnight: A feel good song would be “For the Rest of My Life.” It’s probably one of the best songs I’ve every written. The title says it all. It’s the kind of love you’re looking for.

One song that makes you think about things is sort of my theme song and it’s “Should Have Been Loving You.” It’s a song where it makes you look at your life and ask yourself what would you change? You know you can’t change the past, but you can go back and tell the people whose lives you’ve affected that you’re sorry.

I wrote a song for the troops called “Red, White, and Blue.”

Shelia: Sylvia Hubbard is a huge Brian McKnight fan and she’s the winner of the “Speak with Brian Mcknight” contest that I had last month. After Sylvia got over the excitement of speaking with “the Brian Mcknight”, she was given an opportunity to ask him a few questions.

Below are her questions and his responses.

Sylvia: Where do you get your inspiration from when you make your music?
Brian Mcknight: I get it from everywhere. Most of it comes from personal experiences but there’s some from other people’s affairs…

Sylvia: How do you feel about the type of music being made in your genre and how does it compare to your music?
Brian Mcknight: I don’t do comparisons…I kind of live in my own world. I listen to the same music I listened to when I was a kid. My kids keep me up to date on what’s going on, but everything kind of sounds the same so I don’t know who’s who. People are expressing themselves the way that they are. Every next generation is different than the last one, so I don’t know.

I just do what I do.

To learn more about Brian Mcknight, be sure to visit his website. If you’re in New York, catch his performance on Broadway.

Shelia M Goss is an entertainment writer and National Bestselling author of Paige’s Web, My Invisible Husband,  Roses are thorns, Violets are true and Double Platinum. For a full bio, go to www.sheliagoss.com. 

I watched the second half of VH1 Hip-Honors last night. I tuned in just in time to see one of my favorite hip-hop groups of all time being honored – WHODINI. I can still remember the time Whodini, LL Cool J and Slick Rick the ruler came to my city for one of the best concerts I can recall.

Walk with me back down memory lane.

More on VH1 Hip-Hop Honors: The Story of WHODINI Videos

The Story of Missy Elliott Videos

The Story of Snoop Dogg Videos

The Story of A Tribe Called Quest Videos

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/ny-etledew5406136oct08,0,6787216.story

   “Paige’s Web by Shelia M. Goss is so good. I can’t stop turning the pages!”

Interview with Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds

PLAYLIST in stores September 18, 2007!

One of the sites I contribute interviews to has been nominated for a VH1 Hip-Hop Honors Award…I’m very excited…and I hope SixShot.com wins

Imagine if the site wins, I’ll also share in that honor…

This is where you come in – Cast your votes!!!

For once, rappers weren’t in the news for fighting. 50 Cent and Kanye West were on their best behavior during the MTV VMA Awards Sunday night; but I can’t say the same for rockers Tommy Lee and Kid Rock.

What prompted the fight between the two rockers? Were they fighting over their ex Pamela Anderson?

Well Tommy Lee tells his side of the story:

Yeah!! …..here I am minding my own biz having a great time with my friend Criss Angel (magician) and watching the Mtv awards in the front row saying hello to all my friends……Pamela comes and sits on my lap who I love and adore….and also say hello to my friend Travis Barker and his wife!…..and i get a text from another friend P. Diddy and he says come sit with me….. Read more…

To repeat…I’m just glad it was rockers acting a fool and not rappers. To quote Rodney King, “Can’t we all just get along?”

Happy Birthday to me. I just received an email confirmation that I have an interview with Babyface later on this week.

Do I have any Babyface fans out there? If so, send me your questions and you just might see it used in the Babyface interview.   

Babyface
Playlist IN STORES SEPTEMBER 18
Island Records
Official Site

Britney Spears opened up the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards show with an okay performance. I didn’t like the outfit, well what little there was, but those were some slamming boots. Britney seemed a little stiff and some of her dance moves forced.I’m sure it was just Britney being nervous. Did I say I loved the boots?

Silverman did a few jokes. Some I got; some I didn’t.

Alicia Keys was stunning. I loved her dress and her hair. Rihanna won one of the first awards. Her dress was a little too long but it was a pretty color.

Fifty and Kanye squashed the rumors of a so-called beef during pre-show interviews as well as partnering to give out the Best Collaboration award, which Beyonce and Shakira won.

I love me some T.I. He had the crowd rocking.

Chris Brown is a very talented young man. I enjoyed his performance; although he did more dancing than singing

To read more…

 CREDIT: Mike Colon Photographers/©TAMEKA AND USHER RAYMOND/ Getty Images

See more pictures over at Mrs. Grapevine: Pictures From Usher & Tameka Foster Wedding

 *A whole bunch of unreleased material from The Jackson 5 is about to hit the streets after collecting cobwebs in a New Jersey warehouse for years, reports WENN.    Read more…

I used to be crazy about The Jackson 5. Back then, my friends and I would play a game to see who could have MJ as their boyfriend. I usually ended up with Jermaine (No wonder I like older men

The song for the week is “Hate on Me.” Jill Scott is back and I can’t wait to get the whole CD. Check out the video: