Santa Monica, U.S.A. —  ”Will Always Love You: A GRAMMY Salute To Whitney Houston” is set to air this Friday, November 16 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network. The special, which was taped last month at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE, features artists paying homage to the six-time GRAMMY winner with performances from four-time GRAMMY winner Yolanda Adams, five-time GRAMMY winner Celine Dion, GRAMMY and Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson, seven-time GRAMMY winner Usher, and 10-time GRAMMY winner CeCe Winans.

Academy Award winner Halle Berry, actress Taraji P Henson, two-time GRAMMY winner LL Cool J and GRAMMY winner Britney Spears present a special collection of clips that celebrate Houston’s life and artistry through performances and interviews. The show will be broadcast in HDTV and 5.1 surround sound.

“We Will Always Love You” will include highlights of nearly all of Houston’s GRAMMY telecast performances, her classic performance of the national anthem at Super Bowl XXV in 1991, and her first-ever television appearance on “The Merv Griffin Show” in the early ’80s, among other iconic performances and exclusive interviews. The special will also feature other artists sharing their memories of Houston, as well as additional highlights of her career.

The first-ever definitive single disc collection of Houston’s greatest hits, I Will Always Love You — The Best Of Whitney Houston, was released Tuesday, November 13, and features 18 tracks, including two never-before-released songs. Additionally, an official Houston photo tribute book, Whitney: Tribute To An Icon, will be available for sale on November 27.

“Whitney! Celebrating The Musical Legacy Of Whitney Houston” is a current GRAMMY Museum exhibit that explores the extraordinary life and career of the six-time GRAMMY winner and provides an in-depth look at all aspects of Houston’s creative life. Presented in conjunction with the Houston family, the collection features diverse artifacts as well as rare photographs and footage, and includes dozens of items from the private collection of the Houston family. “Whitney!” will be on display in the GRAMMY Museum’s Special Exhibits Gallery through February 2013.

Houston was one of the biggest pop stars — male or female — of all time, selling more than 170 million combined albums, songs and videos, and garnering six GRAMMYs and two Emmys, as well as countless other awards and accolades. She graced the GRAMMY stage eight times over the years — one of a few artists who has had the distinction of performing the most times on the annual telecast. Most recently, she appeared as a presenter at the 51st Annual GRAMMY Awards in 2009 (ultimately presenting Jennifer Hudson with her first GRAMMY, for Best R&B Album).

“We Will Always Love You: A GRAMMY Salute To Whitney Houston” is produced by AEG Ehrlich Ventures. Ken Ehrlich is the executive producer. Louis J. Horvitz is director. Clive Davis, Tom Corson, and Kevin Beisler are producers.

For updates and breaking news, please visit www.grammy.com and The Recording Academy’s social networks on Twitter and Facebook.

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After finding the right actors to take over the iconic parts of the Stooges, the task of physically transforming the them fell to costume designer Denise Wingate, who created a vintage-looking wardrobe, providing a comedic contrast to the modern-day story attitudes; makeup artist Kim Greene; and hairstylist Kelly Muldoon.

To help turn the handsome Sean Hayes into sour-pussed Larry, veteran Hollywood wig maker Renate (who has created hairpieces for such characters as Spider-Man, the X-Men, and “Pirates of the Caribbean” anti-hero Jack Sparrow) styled a replica of the original Larry’s unique hairstyle.

It was a time-consuming routine to do the Larry “’do.”  Each day of shooting, Hayes had his head shaved, cleaned and prepped. Then, the hair team would draw an outline on his pate, apply glue, and affix the wig to Hayes’ head using spirit gum and tape.

For Moe’s coif, Chris Diamantopoulos donned an expensive wig groomed by veteran movie wigmaker Victoria Wood, working under Muldoon’s supervision.

From custom wigs to custom threads, Wingate complemented the recreation of the Stooges’ original look with her handmade wardrobe. “Because the original look of The Stooges is stamped in our DNA, I didn’t want it to be exactly the same as the old films,” Wingate offers. “My task was to both tip our hat to the era of the original Stooges, and still make it contemporary. This was the most challenging project I’ve undertaken, as far as getting the look and feel for the characters right.”

In any era, the Stooges were not exactly fashion plates. “Curly’ pants were never long enough,” says director Peter Farrelly. “They were always up to his ankles, and if he had a hat on, it was too small. Larry’s sleeves were always too long. Moe looked like he had no neck due to the way he dressed.  We’ve kept all that iconic clothing, but updated it.”

The filmmakers surround the Stooges with an impressive ensemble, including Jane Lynch, Sofía Vergara, Jennifer Hudson, Craig Bierko – and Larry David…as a nun…named Sister Mary-Mengele.

“Sister Mary-Mengele. That name is what really attracted me to the role,” offers David. “For years I said to myself, ‘if only I could play a character whose last name was Mengele. Or Goebbels. Or Goering.’”

“I’m a really authentic actor,” David continues about his approach to playing outside his gender for the first time in his career. “I really researched it and I spoke with some nuns, and they told me that I couldn’t really reveal what’s on underneath the habit. They took me into their confidence.”

Like David, veteran actress Jane Lynch endured the hot Atlanta heat-and-humidity, in a nun’s clothing, for her role as the orphanage’s Mother Superior, a “habit” she’d soon rather not repeat (at least not in a southern summer).

“We were in Atlanta in the summer, it was a hundred degrees in the sun, and I’m wearing a black habit,” Lynch recalls incredulously. “And, I wore the wimple along with the veil. All made of polyester. We had a cooling tent where they shot this cold air at us and, between takes, I would actually pick up my skirt and put it over the vents to get the whole body cooled down!”

Emmy-nominated actress Sofía Vergara (“Modern Family”) plays the film’s femme fatale, Lydia, who tries to lure the Stooges into offing her innocent husband. Vergara, who relished playing the sultry villain, explains that the Stooges’ appeal is universal, citing her own encounters with the phenomenon.

“I think everybody at some point in their life watched The Three Stooges. In Columbia, where I grew up, we called them ‘Los Tres Chiflados’. At that time, there wasn’t any native Columbian TV shows, so the big hits in the United States would go all over the world.”

Lydia’s partner in crime is Mac, “who gets the stuffing beat out of him for about 90 minutes,” says Craig Bierko. “My function in the film was to be on the business end of a fist, a twist, a poke, a lion, a steamroller, a pogo stick and, occasionally, Sofía Vergara. Which is how they lured me here.  Sofia Vergara!” the actor states with a sly grin.

The starring cast also includes Oscar-and-Grammy winning actress-singer Jennifer Hudson as the orphanage’s resident singing nun. “What I remember most about The Three Stooges growing up was hearing my mom speak of this classic show,” Hudson says. “That was her favorite thing back in the day. She used to always tell me about it. That was one of the things that drew me to the part.”

Image Courtesy of   @thethreestooges

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The 54th edition of the Grammy Awards was permeated by a sense of respect and sadness, due to the sudden death of the 48-year-old singer Whitney Houston.

The announcement of Whitney Houston’s death was given by her publicist on February 11. The pop singer died in her room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. Although the cause of death is not yet totally clarified, sources tell TMZ that a lethal combination of prescription drugs and alcohol could have led Whitney Houston to death.

The Grammy Awards responded to the shock generated by the loss of the late Diva, with a tribute paid by soul singer Jennifer Hudson. The 30-year-old singer gave an emotional performance of Houston’s signature song ‘I Will Always Love You,’ leading single of ‘The Bodyguard’ movie’s soundtrack.

As usual in this event, the show paid respect to the musicians and music executives passed away during the past years; the remembrance started showing 27-year-old British singer Amy Winehouse, while her music played. It then went on showing pictures and playing music belonging to many of those who enriched the music scene, as Motown executive Esther Gordy Edwards, soul-music architect Nick Ashford and rapper Heavy D, just to cite few.

This commemoration ended with an extract of Whitney Houston’s performance at the Grammy Awards in 1986, after winning her first award for the song ‘Saving All My Love For You’. As the image of the beloved singer faded away, a spotlight discovered a graceful Hudson.

The artist delivered the first a cappella lines of ‘I Will Always Love You’; Hudson then carried on the performance in an extremely elegant and respectful way. In the virtuosity of Hudson’s voice, all the influence of the late Whitney Houston could be retrieved.

Although Jennifer Hudson showed to comfortably go through the song, a certain sense of emotion appeared clear in her eyes. The performance ended with the appearance of all the photos of the music artists and executives at the back of a humble Hudson, who was standing in front of the audience’s standing ovation, and who then turned around to send a kiss to the late music people who passed away during last year.

Due to the timing of Houston’s death, no long planning was possible for her tribute during the show; this might have been one of the things that contributed to make the tribute so special. There was nothing fancy or extreme, but just a very elegant, sweet, but at the meantime full of music talent, commemoration. It was something great, without the need of exaggeration. It was exactly as Whitney Houston was: talented, elegant and graceful.

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VH1′s beloved, popular franchise, ”VH1 Divas,” has announced a special tribute to Amy Winehouse at this year’s “VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul” with performances by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Florence Welch (Florence + The Machine) and Wanda Jackson. ”VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul” premieres Monday, December 19 at 9 PM/8c on VH1.

The tribute will reflect Winehouse’s contribution to modern, London soul music. Some highlights of the tribute will include Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings performing “You Know I’m No Good,” and Florence Welch (Florence + The Machine) and Wanda Jackson will perform her song “Back to Black.” The Dap-Kings contributed a number of tracks for Winehouse’s Grammy Award-winning album “Back to Black.”In addition, Nas, who collaborated with Winehouse on the first single of her current posthumous album, will introduce the tribute medley.

“VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul” will bring together some of the best singers across the globe, men and women alike, to honor the soulful cities that inspired these divas and their art.  The headlining “divas” were announced at an earlier date including: Mary J. Blige, Kelly Clarkson, Florence + The Machine, Jennifer Hudson Mary J. Blige, Kelly Clarkson, Florence + The Machine, Jennifer Hudson, Jessie J., Jessie J. and Jill Scott.

Previously announced performers include: Chaka Khan, Erykah Badu, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Boyz II Men, Estelle, Marsha Ambrosius, Travie McCoy , Anita Baker, Mavis Staples , Wanda Jackson and Ledisi. Previously announced presenters include: Dolly Parton, Queen Latifah, Terrence Howard, Nas, Common and La La Anthony . In addition, Martha Reeves (Martha & The Vandellas) has just signed on as a performer and Archie Panjabi and Sherri Shepherd have signed on as presenters.

The cities honored include: Chicago, Detroit, London, Memphis and Philadelphia. Accompanied by one of the most exciting groups of modern soul, The Roots, with Questlove and Adam Blackstone as musical directors, each ‘diva’ will pay tribute through not only their own soul-inspired songs, but some of the greatest classics that have shaped a genre.

In addition, for the first time, the “VH1 Divas” red carpet will be livestreamed on VH1.com on Sunday, December 18 from 5-7pm ET. Sponsored by Samsung and hosted by VH1 personality La La Anthony, the livestream will provide fans an unfiltered front-row seat to all the red carpet action and will feature real time interviews with entertainment’s biggest stars. Beginning Monday, December 19, fans can view a curated red carpet highlights video on VH1.com.

As in previous years, this edition of “VH1 Divas” will benefit the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of music education in a child’s life. VH1 Save The Music Foundation is auctioning special “Divas” ticket packages on leading charity auction site, charitybuzz.com.

Fans will have an opportunity to watch the sound check, walk the red carpet and more, all available online through December 15. Proceeds from these exclusive packages benefit the Foundation’s mission to equip students with the tools to lead, innovate and create in the 21st century.  For more information, please visit www.vh1savethemusic.org.

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