Patty Jackson 411 courtesy 2 Down Front Entertainment

PATTY JACKSON'S 4-1-1
WEEK ENDING: February 3rd, 2012

The music world is still in shock over the death of Don Cornelius. Cornelius was a true visionary, and he changed the face of TV when he created Soul Train. Cornelius, 75, was found dead from a self-inflicted gun shot wound. What happened in his California home? Cornelius’s son Tony made the 911 call. Police say there were no signs of foul play. Soul Train was the longest running, first-run, nationally syndicated show in television history. Cornelius stopped hosting in 1993, and the show, with various hosts after ‘93, ceased production in 2006. Cornelius was the first African American to create produce, host and own his own television show. He opened the door to many singers, musicians and dancers. The past few years had been rough for him. He was in a troubled marriage, and he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor domestic violence back in 2008. That incident did involve guns. He was divorced in 2009, and he pleaded with the judge to end the marriage to Viktoria Chapman before he died. He had been having many health issues recently, including a stroke, and he was being treated for a brain disorder. With his signature Love Peace And Soul signoff, he was a man who changed the face of television.

The fallout is still being heard as Simon Cowell shakes up the casting of The X-Factor. Cowell was very disappointed that his singing- reality show never lived up to expectations, and this week he fired the host Steve Jones, Nicole Scherzinger and his buddy, Paula Abdul. Simon is only bringing back Record Exec L.A. Reid. Cowell said his show was going to be groundbreaking but in the end The X-Factor turned out just like the other singing reality shows. Cowell even toned down his act. He was known as “Mr. Mean” on American Idol, but on his own show, he was very nice. What will Cowell do? Will he hire Mariah Carey as a judge on the show? She would definitely bring the crazy. With so many singing reality shows, how can X-Factor stand out? We will soon find out.

Get ready for more reality shows featuring wives. VH1 is developing a reality show featuring the ex-wives of Eddie Murphy and Will Smith. Nicole Murphy and Sheree Smith, who is now a pastor’s wife, will be starring in the new reality show The Ex-List. Filming starts in March.

Halle Berry's custody battle with her baby daddy has everyone going to counseling. Berry and Gabriel Aubry have been battling it out over their three-year old daughter Nahla. Aubry has already gotten into a scuffle with the little girl’s nanny. He was accused of shoving her, and he has been ordered to go into anger management classes. The judge’s ruling is expected at anytime, but social workers have already recommended to the judge that the joint custody agreement remain in place. This case feels like all the fighting is doing nothing but hurting their child.

Allen Iverson’s bank account is feeling lighter these days. A judge recently had $375,000 taken out of his bank account to pay a jeweler who was suing Iverson for non payment. Iverson is also battling it out with wife Tawanna. She says she and her five children have no money because Iverson removed funds from their account.

Season 2 of Welcome To Sweetie Pie’s kicks off in March on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN cable channel. I love this show! It’s the story of former Ike & Tina Turner Backup Singer/Dancer Robbie Montgomery, her son Tim Norman, her family and her soul food restaurant in St. Louis. The new season will focus on their new restaurant.

Mark your calendars for Monday, February 13^th. It’s The 5^th Annual BET Honors. Gabrielle Union is hosting the show, and honorees include Spike Lee, Maya Angelou, Stevie Wonder and Mariah Carey. Special musical guests include Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle and Common. First Lady Michelle Obama will also be making a special appearance during the tribute to Maya Angelou. In the next few weeks, you are going to see Gabrielle Union everywhere. She is starring in the Tyler Perry movie Good Deeds, which opens in theatres February 24^th, and she’s also starring in the new Steve Harvey movie Think Like A Man with Kevin Hart, which debuts March 9^th.

Another reality show in the works is the Real Preachers’ Wives of Atlanta. The show will air on TLC. Meanwhile, changes are coming to the real housewives of Atlanta. Khandi Burress and Kim Zolciak are leaving the show to star in their own spinoffs. I hear Keshia Knight Pulliam (“Rudy” from The Cosby Show) may be joining the cast when the new season starts. In other reality show news, don’t look for Vanessa Bryant to star in any. The ex-Mrs. Kobe Bryant was offered a lot of money by VH1 to star in a show, but she turned them down saying shows about players wives are not her style.

The Whispers will be in town Friday, February 10^th at the Liacouras Center. It’s a lovers’ themed show with The Whispers, The Temptations Review With Dennis Edwards, The Main Ingredient with Cuba Gooding, Sr. and The Stylistics. The Liacouras Center is located at Broad and Montgomery and tickets are on sale now.

Get ready for the return of Basketball Wives: Miami Version. The new season kicks off in February. Royce, Evelyn and Jennifer are back and with new castmates.

Football’s Terrell Owens is featured in the latest issue of G.Q. magazine. Owens, 37, did not play on an NFL team this year. The wide receiver bares all in the G.Q. issue. He talks about his attitude problems that got in the way of his playing days with the 49ers, Eagles and Cowboys. He says he has no friends, including Kita Williams and Monique Jackson, the two ladies who co-starred with him in his VH1 reality show. He says they were too busy with their own issues. He says his recent suicide attempts where misunderstandings. Owens talked about his babymommas. He has four. He admits he never dated these women, and they were not girlfriends. Owens says they were women he slept with, and now he has to pay them thousands in child support. He is having financial problems and says his partners led him astray blowing $80 million of his money. He says he was told Don’t Worry About The Money…. Concentrate On Football!

Jada Pinkett Smith, hubby Will Smith and Simon Cowell are joining forces for a new talent show judging the world’s best DJ’s.

Are Chilli and Tyrese dating? Maybe not, but they did develop a close relationship on his new video Nothing On You. The former TLC singer is the leading lady in Tyrese’s new project.

The 20^th Annual Trumpet Awards air later this year. One of the highlights is Aretha Franklin accepting an award on behalf of her father the late Rev. C.L. Franklin. Rev. Franklin was recognized for his work with the civil rights movement. Rev. Franklin died in 1984. He spent five years in a coma as a result of a gunshot wound he suffered during an attempted robbery in his home. Singer Tyrese and Earth, Wind & Fire will also be honored during The Trumpet Awards.

Singer Erica Campbell from Mary Mary is the proud mom of baby number three. Erica gave birth to a baby girl.

Congrats To Actresses Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer! They were big winners at the recent SAG Awards. Winning top actress honors for the roles in the movie The Help.

R Kelly is back with a new song Share My Love. He has a new album, Write Me Back, coming out in May. He is also coming out with a new book about his life titled Soul-A-Coaster. I had a chance to talk to Kelly. He told me he wants people to get to know Robert, and how he came up in the business. The book is coming out June 12^th. Kelly is also working on the soundtrack for the Sparkle movie remake. This film stars Jordin Sparks (American Idol) and Whitney Houston. It comes out in August.

A new documentary is coming out about Actor/Comedian Bernie Mac. Mac died at the age of 50 three years ago from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease. The tribute DVD is coming out February 21^st. Chris Rock and Cedric The Entertainer are featured in the documentary.

Paula Patton is one of the Hollywood beauties featured in Vanity Fair’s Hollywood issue.

Flavor Flav’s family issues are making news. Last week his 19-year old daughter, Dazayna, was arrested for assaulting him. Flav says it was a big misunderstanding, and he was never assaulted by his daughter. Cops were called to his Las Vegas home, but Flav says all is well.

Filming starts this week on a new Madea movie. Madea’s Witness Protection co-stars Lil’ Romeo.

Look for the return of Martin Lawrence to TV. Lawrence had the hit Martin show in the 90’s, and he is currently filming two pilots for CBS. One of the pilots will be a TV show in the fall.

The 84^th Annual Academy Awards is February 26^th. The show will air on ABC, and Billy Crystal is hosting. The movie The Help has nabbed four nominations including Best Actress for Viola Davis, Best Supporting Actress for Octavia Spencer and Best Picture.

Tracy Morgan is battling it out with his family. Morgan has been making headlines lately, most recently with his health scare passing out at the Sundance Film Festival. He couldn’t handle the high altitude. Now, Morgan is fighting with his family. Morgan’s mother, Alicia Warden, who has been estranged from him for ten years, is facing foreclosure on her home in Ohio. Morgan won’t help her. Morgan’s sister, Asia Morgan, says the family feud is mess. Asia says her brother has never been nice and money has made the situation worse.

Raven-Symoné is headed to Broadway. Raven best known for her Disney hit That’s So Raven and for getting her start on The Cosby Show. Raven is joining the cast of Sister Act staring in the lead role. She takes over in March. Raven started on Broadway with The Boys Choir Of Harlem at the age of five.

The 43^rd Annual NAACP Image will air on NBC Friday, February 17^th. The show had been airing on FOX the past few years, but is now returning to NBC.

Actress Kerry Washington is on the latest issue of Essence magazine.

Filmmaker Robert Townsend is back with a new project. The movie Diary Of A Single Mom is out on DVD Starring Monica Calhoun, Leon, Billy Dee Williams and Richard Roundtree.

Actor Avery Brooks was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. The 63-year old actor is best known for his work on the television shows Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, A Man Called Hawk and Spenser For Hire.

The New England Patriots and the New York Giants will battle it out in the Superbowl. All eyes will be on Indianapolis this Sunday. On Friday, the 3^rd, it’s the gospel celebration which is part of the Superbowl festivities with Fantasia, Wayne Brady, Hezekiah Walker, CeCe Winans, and Donnie McClurkin.