PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Local fans, especially students, have an opportunity to get a few degrees closer to actor Kevin Bacon tomorrow night.  He’s the guest for a question-and-answer session at the Kimmel Center, the kickoff for his year as spokesman for the center’s tenth anniversary season.

Bacon has never forgotten his Philadelphia roots. “It’s where I started,” he tells KYW Newsradio, and it’s the city his father, urban planner Ed Bacon, helped mold.

Kevin Bacon says he’s returning to the Kimmel Center in hopes of sharing what the city has given him.

“When I started out, there were theatres, there were opportunities in school, there was music being taught in schools,” he recalls, “and I think that gets harder and harder with programs being cut. And it’s an important part of life.”

Bacon will be interviewed by film critic Carrie Rickey, who will show clips from his movies — from Footloose to X-men — and he’ll take questions from the audience.

Tickets for students are just $5.00, so he’s hoping a lot will come to meet him.

“It’s corny, but young people (are) the future and that’s what I’m really interested in,” he says.

Bacon will be in the Perelman auditorium from 7:30 to 9pm.

2012 Grammys

By Kim Glovas and Natasha Brown

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – A tribute to the late Don Cornelius and Whitney Houston was staged in front of the Art Museum this afternoon. It’s an attempt to break the world record for the longest Soul Train Dance Line. The record is 211 in a dance line.

That record was broken around 6 p.m. with 250 dancing through, and they were still dancing

On the count of three let’s just say “Don Cornelius, we love you.” One, two, three, “Don Cornelius we love you!”

Mayor Michael Nutter kicked things off at the record-breaking attempt, the current record if 211 people in a dance line. There was way more than that at the Art Museum One of them was Dionne Stahllworth.

“Don Cornelius gave so much to so many.There were times when you couldn’t see a black face on television. And Don brought the music, not just to us, not just to our people but to everybody,” said Stahllworth.

The event also allowed people to sign a giant card for Whtiney Houston’s family offering condolences on her untimely death.

The two people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak for the family and because funeral arrangements hadn’t been completed.

Houston’s family raised the possibility of holding a wake Thursday and funeral Friday at Newark’s Prudential Center, an arena that hosts college and professional sport events and seats about 18,000 people.

The 48-year-old pop star was found dead in a bathtub in her suite at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in California on Saturday, hours before she was supposed to appear at a pre-Grammy Awards gala.

Funeral arrangements were being made by Newark’s Whigham Funeral Home, which handled the 2003 funeral of Houston’s father, John Houston, according to the two people who spoke to the AP.

A woman at the funeral home, where several police officers were stationed Monday afternoon, said she could neither confirm nor deny reports that it would handle the arrangements. A white tent was set up leading into the funeral home’s rear entrance.

The Los Angeles coroner’s office said Houston’s body was released to the family late Monday morning.

Houston was born in Newark and was raised in nearby East Orange. She began singing as a child at Newark’s New Hope Baptist Church, where her mother, Grammy-winning gospel singer Cissy Houston, led the music program for many years. Her cousin singer Dionne Warwick also sang in its choir.

On Monday, mourners left flowers, balloons and candles for Houston at the wrought-iron fence around the tall brick church, which sits near the edge of an abandoned housing project near the train line leading to New York City.

“She was an inspiration to everybody,” said Gregory Hanks, a 26-year-old actor who grew up in the neighborhood and who dropped off a bouquet of flowers.

Hanks said he saw Houston perform at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center years ago.

“I grew up listening to her as a little boy, and to hear her sing, you knew she was special,” he said.

Sandy Farrow, a technology consultant from Mitchellville, Md., who was in the area visiting relatives, said she was a senior at Clifford J. Scott High School in East Orange when Houston was a freshman.

“We felt like she put East Orange on the map,” she said.

Farrow said Houston’s death came as a shock.

“We lost somebody who I thought, after all her troubles, was coming back,” Farrow said.

Across the street from the church, Bashir Rasheed set up shop with a duffel bag full of T-shirts reading “In Memory of Whitney Houston 1963-2012.” He said he had sold 24 shirts at $10 apiece within a few hours.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Fans of Madonna were snapping up tickets this morning for her August concert in Philadelphia.

Fresh off her Super Bowl halftime performance (below), Madonna kicks off the US leg of her tour August 28th in Philadelphia (see previous story).

More than 100 fans of the Material Girl were lined up this morning in 29° weather at the Wells Fargo Center box office when tickets went on sale at 10am.

Story continues below photo…

(Madonna performs during the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show on February 5. Credit: Timothy A. Clary/ AFP/ Getty Images)

—–
Melissa Almodovar of Pennsauken (at head of line in top photo) got her ticket.

“Oh my god,” she said after making her purchase.   “Almost a dream come true!”

The most expensive floor seats were going for $355 each.  Dreamah Knoll, a fan from South Philly, says a Madonna show is worth it:

“Like a circus mixed with Broadway mixed with great talent.  It’s worth the price, I think.  She puts on a really, really good show.”

Madonna fans here may have thought they had, “Like a Prayer” to score tickets.  But many are now thanking their “Lucky Star” they braved the morning chill to get them.

More CBS Philly Entertainment News

2012 Grammys

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – To honor the life of Soul Train creator Don Cornelius (who will be buried today in Los Angeles), hundreds of people from all over the world are expected to join hands on the Philadelphia Art Museum steps, this afternoon, to start a love train — and try to break a world record.

It started with an idea that soon went viral, says event organizer Mannwell Glenn.

“Don Cornelius was such a part of my growing up — of my generation — that I thought of doing something special.”

That “something special” is to break the Guinness World Record for the longest Soul Train line.

“When I saw that it is only 211 people, I said, ‘hold it! We can break that here in Philadelphia with our eyes closed.’”

But, it’s not as easy as it seems. “The person at the beginning of the line has to go all the way down to the end, before the next person can start.”

Glenn says more than 500 people are expected to gather, today, at the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum at 4:00 p.m. to take the hippest trip in the world. “But, I would not be surprised if thousands showed up on the steps of the Art Museum.”

And many of them are going all out. “We have a lot of enthusiastic people who are now talking about wearing their pink suits, platform shows, boas; bring their fans, putting on afro wigs and everything.”

Philadelphia radio personality E. Steven Collins says Philadelphia is just the place to make such a special tribute, because of their special connection to Gamble & Huff.

“It’s the place that gave Soul Train a musical theme, through Gamble and Huff, legendary songwriter duo out of Philadelphia. They wrote the ‘People All Over The World’ theme son,” referring to “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia),” performed by MSFB.

Glenn says Kenny Gamble and possibly Mayor Nutter will make appearances.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Romance was in the air at movie theaters on the weekend before Valentine’s Day, as The Vow took a bow.

The romantic drama, starring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum, finished first at the box office on its debut weekend, by earning an estimated $41-million.

Another new attraction — Safe House, the CIA action thriller with Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds — also opened strong, placing a close second with a total of $39-million.

The weekend’s other new release, the adventure sequel Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, took third place with a healthy $27-million, while the re-release of Star Wars: Episode 1 – Phantom Menace in 3D finished fourth with $23-million.

With an unexpected four movies clearing the $20-million mark — in February, no less – the year’s sixth weekend was the strongest yet as industry-wide totals continue to surpass those of a year ago.

Houston, 48, died Saturday at a Beverly Hills, Calif., hotel, authorities said. The cause wasn’t known, her publicist said.

The pop star began singing at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark as a child. And while parishioners had fond memories of her many performances there over the years, they said her and her family’s longtime membership and service to the church is what they will never forget.

Houston was born in Newark and raised in East Orange, and many said she never forgot her Jersey roots. Her mother, Grammy-award winning gospel singer Cissy Houston, had led the musical program at the 112-year-old church. Whitney’s cousin, singer Dionne Warwick, also sang in its choir.

“The pastor asked us to support the Houston family, to share our love and God’s love with them and to give them strength in this sad time,” said Shawn Cooper, 32, of Newark as he left an early morning service, which was only open to church members.

“I haven’t been a regular churchgoer, but felt I should be here today because this is a time for the community to come together,” Cooper said, noting the church was full Sunday morning. “The Houston family means a lot to this community, they have done a lot for this community, and being there for them is the best thing we can do as a community today.”

Several other parishioners voiced similar sentiments as they made their way into the church, ignoring the bitter cold temperatures and moderate to gusty winds.

A few sympathy cards were tied to a fence post at the church, including one addressed “to the greatest songstress ever.” Next to it, a small bouquet of fresh flowers fluttered softly in the brisk morning air.
Speaking outside the church before the service, New Hope’s Pastor Joe Carter asked reporters gathered to respect the Houston family’s privacy.

“The family shared Whitney with the world, but Whitney was a mother, a daughter, and a sister, and that’s the focus we want to keep in front of everyone today. We ask that in this time of grief, you respect their privacy,” Carter said.

At another service later Sunday morning, the Rev. Jesse Jackson made a surprise appearance at the church. He recalled watching Houston perform in the church choir and spoke on how she had “grown up in this wonderful church,” noting that New Hope was involved “in the height” of the nation’s civil-rights struggle.

Jackson said he was “traumatized” by Houston’s sudden and unexpected death, noting that it came less than two week after the death of Don Cornelius, the creator and longtime host of TV’s “Soul Train” show.

“Before we could adjust to (Cornelius’ death), the news broke last night about Whitney,” he said. “The two announcements had a devastating impact.”

A former classmate at a Newark high school recalled Houston in a phone interview as a sweet, bubbly yet unpretentious girl.

Dr. Maria Pane said she attended Mount Saint Dominic Academy with Whitney Houston. The two had homeroom together as well as physical education, French and art.

“She was such a beautiful, kind girl and very quiet that to be honest with you, I had no idea there was a star in the making,” said Pane, who now lives in Maryland.

Pane said the two rode the bus together after school, and she remembered Whitney’s favorite way to pass the time at the bus stop: practicing her dance routines.

In a statement late Saturday night, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called the singer “a true New Jersey treasure” who died too soon.

“Her terribly premature death is an awful loss for her family and the incredible New Jersey musical family.
Her soaring talent put her in the pantheon of great New Jersey musical talents like Frank Sinatra, Count Basie and Bruce Springsteen. Our prayers are with her family.”

Some of Houston’s fans came to the church Sunday as a way of dealing with their grief. Among them was Charice Crawford, a 34-year-old Irvington resident who said the singer’s music became the soundtrack to her life.

“This is where I needed to be this morning,” said Crawford, who does not belong to the church. “I understand why I couldn’t attend the service, but being here helps ease the grief of her passing.”

When she was a child, Crawford said she and her younger brother would pretend they were Houston and ex-husband Bobby Brown, singing their songs to entertain family members.

“I always wanted to be her when I was little, and I always bought her albums the minute they came out, Crawford said. “It’s so sad to think she’ll never sing again.”

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Haitian music artist, producer and political activist Wyclef Jean hosted a pool party in Atlantic City over the weekend. The musician performed on-stage in the night club, the Pool After Dark inside Harrah’s Resort. After posing for photographers on the red carpet, Jean talked about the untimely death of his colleague and friend Whitney Houston, his plans for an arts school in Haiti and his new album.

News broke that Whitney Houston died–looking back on her career, what are your thoughts about her contributions to the music industry?

I just want to say RIP to Whitney Houston. I got a chance to work with her in the studio; wrote the record “My Love’s Your Love” and today is really a tragic day personally for me, for my family. I think one of the hardest things as entertainers is despite what is going on we still have to come and perform.

This is really affecting you?

Yeah, it affects me because knowing Whitney, knowing her comedy side, ‘Wyclef’ her calling my name, knowing her professional music side and knowing her as the human being definitely took a toll on me but I know if she were here she’s be like, ‘Get your ass on-stage’ (laughs) you know what I mean.

What are some upcoming projects you’re working on?

Everything is going good on my end. Right now I’m focusing on my label which is called, ‘All Hands On Deck’ with my little brother Sedeck and right now we’re producing an artist by the name of Cris Cab which is a young phenomenon. Back to what I do best—finding talent, discover talent so you’re going to be hearing a lot of that.

How is your new album coming along?

The new album I’m working on is called, ‘Feel Good Music’ that’s the title. Just music that feels good, that’s what I want to do right now. That’s what my brain space is at so we’ll see what comes out of that.

You’re going to be performing inside can you tell us what you have planned?

You know I’m from the Caribbean so invite me to a pool party is perfect for me I didn’t know it was a performance–I thought it was just a block party so that’s the best way to explain to you what I do. It’s very cool tonight, it’s laid back, it’s more casual so the style of the performance is just really we by the pool so for me it’s dope. I said just get me a guitar and a DJ we gonna make it very fun and very sexy and y’all gonna have fun.

You’ve done a lot for Haiti, how are things going?

Definitely, you see I committed a lot of my time and I would say a rock star’s weakness is always charity because you always want to do more for people and the label’s like, ‘Yo, where’s the album? Where’s the album?’ You’re like, ‘I got to go ahead.’ I think my next thing is I want to focus on seeing how I could build a Wyclef Jean School of the Arts. I feel if I focus on that, maybe that’s something that can sustain itself and it can last forever and can produce successors so that’s my focus–that’s what I’m focusing on right now.

BUZZ @ THE BEACH

For the February 17 weekend, Mario Lopez hosts the party at the Pool After Dark while Chris Botti performs in the concert venue at Harrah’s Resort. Borgata welcomes Aaron Lewis, Lisa Lampanelli and The Deadmeat Tour: Steve Aoki & Datsik. The House of Blues in Showboat Casino will present Eddie Money and Little Anthony & The Imperials.

By Jericka Duncan and Cherri Gregg

Philadelphia (CBS)– Whitney Houston was such an iconic figure to people around the world and right here in Philadelphia.

Eyewitness News spoke to several fans who followed Houston’s career from beginning to end.

“Whitney Houston, no matter what life she led, the impact that she has had on music is undeniable,” said WRNB radio talk show host MoShay LaRen.

LaRen says she grew up watching and wanting to be like Houston. “As a young girl, Whitney Houston, she could do no wrong,” said LaRen. “Everybody wanted to be Whitney Houston and have the big ‘ I Want to Dance with Somebody’ hair.”

The pop-icon’s voice, style, and grace attracted fans from everywhere. Here in Philadelphia, Houston is being remembered. KYW Newsradio spoke to WDAS radio personality Patty Jackson and Philadelphia native and singer Kathy Sledge.

“She was such a huge role model,” said Sledge. “She was such a huge role model to so many, especially young black women, young black girls.”

“She is truly one of the greatest singers of our generation,” said Jackson. “It was so sad to see her life as we watched her through the ups and the downs,” Jackson noted.

SEE PHOTOS: Whitney Houston Remembered

Chuck Gamble of Philadelphia International Records says in the mid-80s, when Houston was still relatively unknown, she recorded “Hold Me” with Sound of Philadelphia sensation Teddy Pendergrass- the first song after his accident.

“It gave Whitney a chance to come out with a legendary artist.”

Gamble says Houston was a superstar and one of the best voices in decades.

“She had the ability to sing a song both vocally and have people love her.”

Gamble says The Sound of Philadelphia had a long history with the entire Houston family.

“Gamble had an opportunity to work with her mother early on, in the 70s with Cissy Houston when she was a part of one of the acts they had then called the Sweet Inspirations.”

He says the world has lost a voice that will be untouched for many years to come.

“She’s one of the greatest artists that we’ve had in the last 20 years or so.”

Those who followed Houston’s life were not oblivious to the tough times. Houston divorced her husband, R&B Artist Bobby Brown and accused him of domestic abuse. She later admitted that she had a drug problem. But there was something special about Houston, fans say that kept them wanting the best for the legendary singer, who died at the age of 48.

“No matter what she went through, the world has always believed that she would come back,” said LarRen. “She was on her way back and people were believing that she was on her way back.”

Click here for complete coverage.

Legendary producers Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, who wrote and produced hits with the late Linda Creed, who later wrote Houston’s #1 smash, ‘Greatest Love of All,’ released a joint statement.

“Whitney Houston was an unbelievable talent and one of the greatest voices of all time. Her passing is a tremendous shock and a terrible shame. She had a rough life and was under so much pressure as an artist, because she meant so much to the music community. She was one of the most admired singers ever, who was loved by everybody. We’re praying for her family.”

Gamble & Huff also recalled Ms. Houston’s strong Philly connection:

- A then-unknown Whitney Houston recorded “Hold Me,” a duet with Gamble & Huff recording artist Teddy Pendergrass for his 1984 Elektra album, “Love Language,” his first following the automobile accident that left him paralyzed.

- Gamble & Huff wrote and produced a number of hits with the late Linda Creed, who later wrote Houston’s #1 Smash, “Greatest Love of All.” They first met Houston in Philadelphia at a memorial for Creed, following her death from breast cancer, recalling that Houston “looked like a model and had so much going for her” when they went to her dressing room. They also recalled seeing Houston for the last time at Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy party in 2008.

- Gamble & Huff’s relationship with the Houston family began in the late ‘60s when they worked with the R&B act the Sweet Inspirations, founded by Cissy Houston. A Gamble & Huff composition, “Gotta Find Me A Brand New Lover” appeared on the group’s fifth album (Sweet Sweet Soul) in 1969, and “whenever Cissy couldn’t find a baby sitter, she’d bring Whitney to our studio in Philly. Cissy always used to talk about her daughter when we were recording with her, and what a great talent she was going to be.”

Kal Rudman, publisher of the Friday Morning Quarterback, bible of the broadcast and music industries, also expressed his thoughts on the passing of Ms. Houston.

“We have lost a magnificent voice, and I am certainly grief-stricken. This is another tremendous blow to the record industry. Whitney’s alliance with the genius, Clive Davis, who often produced her records and picked most of her hit songs with his golden ears, made for a double dynamite combination.

“Whitney came to my office in Cherry Hill (NJ) a number of times and she couldn’t have been sweeter or more humble during each and every visit. She was a highly gifted woman from a highly gifted family, which included her blessed mother Cissy, another extraordinary singer, and her aunt, Dionne Warwick, whose dream of becoming a motion picture actress was realized through Whitney when she scored big in the movies. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree. I was disappointed that I was never able to work out the scheduling for a visit with her on the frequent record business specials that I co-hosted and produced on The Merv Griffin Show.

On behalf of the staff of the Friday Morning Quarterback, we send our deep condolences to an iconic musical family.

On Sunday, the chairman of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, Damon Williams also commented on the death of Houston.

“We love Whitney Houston so much for sharing her special gift with the world.Whitney took the torch from R&B Pioneers before her and carried it to unimaginable heights. Our heartfelt condolences go out to all of Whitney’s family members.We are thankful for the many years of support from Whitney’s mom, Cissy Houston, and cousins Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick, who all are recipients of the Rhythm & Blues Foundation Pioneer Award.”

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Eastern State Penitentiary hosts special Valentine’s Day guided tours examining the love stories of this famous prison.

The folks at Eastern State Penitentiary are celebrating Valentine’s Day with their Love Behind the Walls Tours, which run through Valentine’s Day.

“We’re going to be focusing on some of the relationship stories that developed over the years,” said Frank Dolan (photo), Associate Director of Tour Programs and Site Operations at Eastern State Penitentiary.

“A lot of men and women lived here. The place was open for 142 years, so one of my favorite aspects was a series of love letters from the late 1800′s between a male and a female inmate. These people were in solitary confinement. They weren’t supposed to see each other but somehow they managed to find one another. They’re actually really sweet, touching letters.”

Dolan says believe it or not, this can be a very romantic place.

“Some of the language is real flowery and Victorian. They talk about breaking down the stones so they can see one another.”

And even in modern times.

“We do a lot of wedding photography here; we’ve had a couple of staff weddings take place here,” adds Dolan.

2012 Grammys

The world lost a spectacular singer on Saturday. Whitney Houston, who died Saturday in Los Angeles of unknown causes, touched the lives of many with her compassion and her lyrics. Take a moment to share what Whitney and her songs meant to you.

Click Here For Complete Coverage

A year ago, Clive Davis’ glittery pre-Grammy showcase was winding down after a number of electric performances when the grandest name of all, Whitney Houston, walked on stage to close the evening with what promised to be a show-stopping tribute to her famous cousin, Dionne Warwick.

Instead, what transpired was yet another troubling display of erratic behavior from the superstar, and a foreshadowing perhaps of what was to come.

Though she looked spectacular, her once-stunning voice sounded frayed and hoarse. She didn’t seem to follow the rehearsed plan and looked out of sorts at times. Even when Davis, her longtime mentor and producer, announced that the show was over, Houston appeared to try to get back on the microphone, only to be stopped by Davis with the joke: “I found you when you were 19; I’m still your boss!”

On Saturday, Houston was once again the focus of Davis’ annual party, but her presence was a posthumous one. Pop music’s former queen, until her majestic voice was ravaged by drug use and her regal image was tarnished by erratic behavior and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown, died on the eve of the Grammy Awards she once reigned over. She was 48.

Houston was pronounced dead Saturday afternoon in her room on the fourth floor of the Beverly Hilton, Beverly Hills police Lt. Mark Rosen said. “There were no obvious signs of any criminal intent,” he said.

The cause of death was unknown, said Houston’s publicist, Kristen Foster.

Houston’s death came on the night before music’s biggest showcase, the Grammys. She will be remembered Sunday in a tribute by Jennifer Hudson, organizers said. Houston had been at rehearsals for the show Thursday, coaching singers Brandy and Monica, according to a person who was at the event but was not authorized to speak publicly about it. The person said Houston looked disheveled, was sweating profusely and liquor and cigarettes could be smelled on her breath.

At her peak, Houston was the golden girl of the music industry. From the mid-1980s to the late 1990s, she was one of the world’s best-selling artists. She wowed audiences with effortless, powerful and peerless vocals rooted in the black church but made palatable to the masses with a pop sheen.

SEE PHOTOS: Whitney Houston Remembered

Houston’s success carried her beyond music to movies, where she starred in hits like “The Bodyguard” and “Waiting to Exhale.”

She had the perfect voice and the perfect image: a gorgeous singer who had sex appeal but was never overtly sexual, who maintained perfect poise.

She influenced a generation of younger singers, from Christina Aguilera to Mariah Carey, who when she first came out sounded so much like Houston that many thought it was Houston.

Celebrities React To News Of Whitney Houston’s Death

But by the end of her career, Houston became a stunning cautionary tale of the toll of drug use. Her album sales plummeted and the hits stopped coming; her once serene image was shattered by a wild demeanor and bizarre public appearances. She confessed to abusing cocaine, marijuana and pills, and her once pristine voice became raspy and hoarse, unable to hit the high notes as she had during her prime.

“The biggest devil is me. I’m either my best friend or my worst enemy,” Houston told ABC’s Diane Sawyer in an infamous 2002 interview with then-husband Brown by her side.

It was a tragic fall for a superstar who was one of the top-selling artists in pop music history, with more than 55 million records sold in the United States alone.

She seemed to be born into greatness. In addition to being Franklin’s goddaughter, she was the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston and the cousin of 1960s pop diva Dionne Warwick.

The New Jersey native touched the hearts of many including Governor Christie.

“Whitney Houston was a true New Jersey treasure. Her terribly premature death is an awful loss for her family and the incredible New Jersey musical family. Her soaring talent put her in the pantheon of great New Jersey musical talents like Frank Sinatra, Count Basie and Bruce Springsteen. Our prayers are with her family,” Christie said in a statement Saturday night.

Houston first started singing in the church as a child. In her teens, she sang backup for Chaka Khan, Jermaine Jackson and others, in addition to modeling. It was around that time when music mogul Clive Davis first heard Houston perform.

“The time that I first saw her singing in her mother’s act in a club … it was such a stunning impact,” Davis told “Good Morning America.”

“To hear this young girl breathe such fire into this song. I mean, it really sent the proverbial tingles up my spine,” he added.
Before long, the rest of the country would feel it, too. Houston made her album debut in 1985 with “Whitney Houston,” which sold millions and spawned hit after hit. “Saving All My Love for You” brought her her first Grammy, for best female pop vocal. “How Will I Know,” “You Give Good Love” and “The Greatest Love of All” also became hit singles.

Another multiplatinum album, “Whitney,” came out in 1987 and included hits like “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”

The New York Times wrote that Houston “possesses one of her generation’s most powerful gospel-trained voices, but she eschews many of the churchier mannerisms of her forerunners. She uses ornamental gospel phrasing only sparingly, and instead of projecting an earthy, tearful vulnerability, communicates cool self-assurance and strength, building pop ballads to majestic, sustained peaks of intensity.”

Her decision not to follow the more soulful inflections of singers like Franklin drew criticism by some who saw her as playing down her black roots to go pop and reach white audiences. The criticism would become a constant refrain through much of her career. She was even booed during the “Soul Train Awards” in 1989.

“Sometimes it gets down to that, you know?” she told Katie Couric in 1996. “You’re not black enough for them. I don’t know. You’re not R&B enough. You’re very pop. The white audience has taken you away from them.”

Some saw her 1992 marriage to former New Edition member and soul crooner Bobby Brown as an attempt to refute those critics. It seemed to be an odd union; she was seen as pop’s pure princess while he had a bad-boy image, and already had children of his own.
(The couple had a daughter, Bobbi Kristina, in 1993.) Over the years, he would be arrested several times, on charges ranging from DUI to failure to pay child support.

But Houston said their true personalities were not as far apart as people may have believed.

“When you love, you love. I mean, do you stop loving somebody because you have different images? You know, Bobby and I basically come from the same place,” she told Rolling Stone in 1993. “You see somebody, and you deal with their image, that’s their image.

It’s part of them, it’s not the whole picture. I am not always in a sequined gown. I am nobody’s angel. I can get down and dirty. I can get raunchy.”

Brown was scheduled to perform Saturday evening as part of the New Edition reunion tour at the Landers Center in Southaven, Miss., just south of Memphis, Tenn.

Landers Center executive director Todd Mastry said Brown was planning to perform as scheduled, but wouldn’t be available to talk with the media.

It would take several years for the public to see the “down and dirty” side of Houston. Her moving 1991 rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” at the Super Bowl, amid the first Gulf War, set a new standard and once again reaffirmed her as America’s sweetheart.

In 1992, she became a star in the acting world with “The Bodyguard.” Despite mixed reviews, the story of a singer (Houston) guarded by a former Secret Service agent (Kevin Costner) was an international success.

It also gave her perhaps her most memorable hit: a searing, stunning rendition of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You,” which sat atop the charts for weeks. It was Grammy’s record of the year and best female pop vocal, and the “Bodyguard” soundtrack was named album of the year.

She returned to the big screen in 1995-96 with “Waiting to Exhale” and “The Preacher’s Wife.” Both spawned soundtrack albums, and another hit studio album, “My Love Is Your Love,” in 1998, brought her a Grammy for best female R&B vocal for the cut “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay.”

But during these career and personal highs, Houston was using drugs. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2010, she said by the time “The Preacher’s Wife” was released, “(doing drugs) was an everyday thing. … I would do my work, but after I did my work, for a whole year or two, it was every day. … I wasn’t happy by that point in time. I was losing myself.”

In the interview, Houston blamed her rocky marriage to Brown, which included a charge of domestic abuse against Brown in 1993. They divorced in 2007.

Houston would go to rehab twice before she would declare herself drug-free to Winfrey in 2010. But in the interim, there were missed concert dates, a stop at an airport due to drugs, and public meltdowns.

She was so startlingly thin during a 2001 Michael Jackson tribute concert that rumors spread she had died the next day. Her crude behavior and jittery appearance on Brown’s reality show, “Being Bobby Brown,” was an example of her sad decline. Her Sawyer interview, where she declared “crack is whack,” was often parodied. She dropped out of the spotlight for a few years.

Houston staged what seemed to be a successful comeback with the 2009 album “I Look To You.” The album debuted on the top of the charts, and would eventually go platinum.

Things soon fell apart. A concert to promote the album on “Good Morning America” went awry as Houston’s voice sounded ragged and off-key. She blamed an interview with Winfrey for straining her voice.

A world tour launched overseas, however, only confirmed suspicions that Houston had lost her treasured gift, as she failed to hit notes and left many fans unimpressed; some walked out. Canceled concert dates raised speculation that she may have been abusing drugs, but she denied those claims and said she was in great shape, blaming illness for cancellations.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

By Bill Wine
KYW Newsradio 1060

Talk about an affair to remember. Or is it a marriage to forget?

The Vow is a sweet-natured strumming of the heartstrings with an interesting premise:  an amnesiac who cannot remember her husband.

It’s a romantic melodrama that tries to make us fall in love with a couple in which the husband has to try to make his wife fall in love with him all over again.

Rachel McAdams stars as Paige, a sculptor married to Leo, a recording studio owner played by Channing Tatum.

When they’re involved in a tragic car accident as a result of a skidding truck slamming into their parked car on a snowy night and Paige being hurtled through the windshield, Leo suffers a few cuts and bruises but Paige ends up in a coma.

And as a result of her brain trauma, when she wakes up she experiences severe memory loss, so extreme that she can’t remember anything from the last five years — including her husband, whom she doesn’t recognize.

Paige’s selective amnesia prevents her from being able to recollect her life with her husband, but she recalls pretty much everything else that preceded their relationship.  What she cannot determine is when and how she became the person that her husband now claims she has been in recent years.

In reverting to her previous personality, she remembers her ex-fiancé, Jeremy, whom she broke it off with (played by Scott Speedman), and her wealthy parents (played by Jessica Lange and Sam Neill), whom she does not recall being estranged from.

The three of them are intent on wrenching Paige from Leo’s grasp.

Wanting desperately to regain the love of the woman he married in sickness and in health, Leo does manage to convince her to stay with him anyway, hoping that once back in their home, she will regain her recent memories.

But he’ll have to re-woo her.

In his feature debut, the director, Michael Sucsy (HBO’s “Grey Gardens”), working from an intelligent inspired-by-true-events screenplay by Sucsy, Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein, and Jason Katims from a story by Stuart Sender, keeps his twice-in-a-lifetime love story relatively low-keyed and quietly moving, veering just slightly off course just when we think things are about to get overly clichéd.

The memory loss as a story device turns out to be much less generic and familiar than it sounds on the surface.

So, is this simply a knee-jerk, three-hankie weepy for incurable romantics?  Not as long as the endearing McAdams can make you like her despite her standoffishness.  And Tatum, not the most expressive of actors, is nonetheless convincing as a sincere suitor.

McAdams and Tatum trail their Nicholas Sparks-sparked romdram credentials behind them — she for The Notebook, he for Dear John — although The Vow employs more of a light, humorous touch to the proceedings than either of those serious heart-tuggers.

But it’s the individual and collective appeal of the sympathetic, engaging leads that mitigates against the film’s more predictable tendencies.

So we’ll recall 2½ stars out of 4 for this schmaltzy, forget-me-not romantic drama.  The Vow may not be all that memorable, but it’s charming and pleasant and winningly warmhearted.

More Bill Wine Movie Reviews

Mercury Amodio (top photo) has opened her second PB and U — this one at the Moorestown Mall.

“PB and U is peanut butter creations any way you like it,” she tells KYW Newsradio.  “We make our own peanut butter here, and basically it’s just any kind of peanut butter fantasy you can come up with.”

If you can’t come up with your own ideas, Amodio made a list for you — which she says she thought of while she was pregnant:

“Peanut butter, bacon, cheddar, and pickle; peanut butter, Nutella, Fluff, and M&Ms; chocolate, peanut butter, Fluff, and fresh strawberries; or peanut butter, apple, and cheddar.”

Hear Hadas Kuznits’ full interview with Mercury Amodio in this CBS Philly “What’s Cooking” podcast…

Download the Mercury Amodio podcast

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For those who want to cook healthy at home, vegan chef Christina Pirello has released her seventh cookbook, called “I’m Mad As Hell And I’m Not Going To Eat It Anymore.”

Story continues below photo…

(Christina Pirello, author of "I'm Mad As Hell And I'm Not Going To Eat It Anymore." Credit: Hadas Kuznits)

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“The book has recipies that start from family makeovers,” Pirello says.  “Like if your family loves macaroni and cheese, here’s a healthier way to make it.  All the way to the hardcore things like quinoa and brown rice and miso soup.”

Hear Hadas Kuznits’ full interview with Christina Pirello in this CBS Philly “What’s Cooking” podcast…

Download the Christina Pirello podcast

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(Credit: Hadas Kuznits)

For Valentine’s Day tips, make sure you listen to this podcast with Chef Jean Marie Lacroix (right), a partner in Brûlée Catering of Philadelphia.

“People always look first, smell, and (then) eat,” he advises.

Listen to Hadas Kuznits’ interview with Chef Jean Marie Lacroix…

Download the Jean Marie Lacroix podcast

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And if you’re still in a French mood, be sure to check out Terry Berch McNally’s newly opened Paris Wine Bar, next door to London, which she and her husband also own, in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia.

Story continues below…

(Terry Berch McNally of Paris Wine Bar. Credit: Hadas Kuznits)

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“We have fresh, good, dry premium wines from all Pennsylvania wineries that are actually in kegs,” she notes.

Hear Hadas Kuznits’ full interview with Terry Berch McNally in this CBS Philly podcast…

Download the Terry Berch McNally podcast

For this week, that’s “What’s Cooking on 1060!”

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“What’s Cooking on 1060″ main page

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Safe House is a gritty action thriller about corruption that’s cynical, hard-edged, two-fisted, and only minimally interested in its own subject matter.

Denzel Washington, also an executive producer, stars as Tobin Frost, the CIA’s most dangerous traitor.  He’s a renegade operative and suspected double agent who has turned, traded secrets with and sold military intelligence to enemies of the United States, and has been on the run for more than a decade.

Curiously, Frost has just walked into the American Embassy in Cape Town and given himself up.

In possible possession of sensitive materials that everybody else in the spy game wants, Frost is remanded to a CIA-operated safe house in South Africa, where he is subjected to waterboarding, then is targeted by a group of rebel soldiers from the neighboring region, brutal mercenaries sporting automatic weapons who are intent on kidnapping him.

Ryan Reynolds co-stars as Matt Weston, the facility’s rookie “housekeeper,” a low-level CIA op who yearns to be a full-fledged field operative and is frustrated with the backwater Cape Town post he has held for the past year, where nothing ever happens.

He wishes to prove himself, and this might be his opportunity.

Once the assassination squad has killed everyone but Weston and Frost, Weston sets out to move Frost to another secure location.  So they barely escape, Weston stashes Frost in the trunk of his car, and they go on the run together.

Back at CIA headquarters, higher-up ops (Vera Farmiga and Brendan Gleeson), and their even-higher-up, the assistant CIA director (Sam Shepard), scramble to make sense of all this.

Swedish director Daniel Espinosa favors jittery handheld camerawork and frenetic action for his Bourne-ish thriller.  But he overdoes just about everything — the crowd scenes, the fistfights, the knife fights, the gun fights, the car chases, and the foot races.

The overly busy but underdeveloped screenplay by David Guggenheim, bereft of complexity, concerns itself only with connecting the action dots.  When arbitrary incidents that serve the advancing story call for behavior by already-established characters that contradicts what has gone before, he doesn’t worry about it.  Quality control be damned.

In the same way that Training Day exploited Washington’s persona, reputation, and previous roles to keep us guessing as to his intentions, so does Safe House.  But after all the teasing, it never really pays us off. We keep waiting for Washington to bust loose and give us something dramatic or revealing to chew on, but the film never allows him to.

Despite the protestations of his reluctant and temporary partner and his best efforts to prevent it, Washington’s Frost, ever the master of the mind game, gets in the head of Reynolds’ Weston.  If only the film got in ours.

So, with Washington delivering on charisma alone because that’s all the anorexic script allows, we simply watch the plot play itself out, with little narrative momentum down the stretch.  In a blinders-wearing actioner like this one, actors of the caliber of Washington and Reynolds are severely, disappointingly underemployed.

Yet we can’t blame actors for phoning it in if the movie itself won’t have it any other way.

In the final analysis, this nonstop action flick, relentless in its pursuit of hand-to-hand combat but lacking dramatic tension to an astonishing degree, is a tiresome shoot-em-up that specializes in brutal fisticuffs to the exclusion of just about everything else.

So we’ll spy on 2 stars out of 4 for the excessive and hyperactive Safe House.  In this particular shaky-cam fistfight, style downs substance with one punch.

More Bill Wine Movie Reviews

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Here’s a sequel that’s pretty much the equal of its predecessor.

That is not a compliment.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is an escapist action-adventure thriller for kids, a follow-up to Journey to the Center of the Earth in which characters keep asking, “Are you ready for an adventure?”

Well, whether we are or not, it turns out that the film itself isn’t ready.

The 2008 original, a family-adventure remake starring Brendan Fraser, based on the 1864 Jules Verne novel, was a cheesy, clunky movie-as-theme-park-ride, a 1-D movie in the 3-D format, which was the tail that wagged the dinosaur.

Its place in movie history?  It was the first live-action narrative feature film shot entirely in the digital 3-D process.  So, yes, some of us will praise it for starting the trend, while others curse under our breath for unleashing the 3-D dogs.

This one’s a journey too.  Which is perhaps why it’s called Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.  It’s a follow-up loosely based on another Jules Verne novel, The Mysterious Island.  And it’s child-friendly but grownup-alienating.

Josh Hutcherson, who co-starred in the first entry and is the only cast member to return, is Sean Anderson, a troubled 17-year-old and Jules Verne enthusiast who receives an encrypted distress signal, perhaps from long-lost adventurer grandfather Michael Caine.

With Fraser, who played Sean’s uncle in the first film, gone, the father-figure role goes to Dwayne Johnson, who plays Sean’s Navy vet stepfather and legal guardian, who accompanies him on this exotic trip, which he also bankrolls, hoping it will be a bonding experience that will bring them together.

Together, they take off on their quest with the help of a father-daughter team of tour guides — thus providing love interest and comic relief in one tandem — played by Vanessa Hudgens and Luis Guzman, a helicopter pilot.

They travel to the South Pacific near Palao, to what they think is the location of Mysterious Island, but are stranded when a freak storm forces them to crash there.

However, who shows up but Sean’s quirky grandfather, who has been on the island for years.

What makes the island so mysterious is not just that there are fantastical creatures, but that it seems an upside-down world to the visitors.  Creatures that are tiny in their world back home are enormous here, and vice versa:  here, elephants can fit in the palm of your hand, whereas the butterflies are gigantic.

But this inverted paradise is sinking, so escaping from it will be a race against time.

Canadian director Brad Peyton (Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore), who seems to have little if any feel for the material, conjures an extravagant visual spectacle but one that not only includes phony-baloney sets and terribly obvious CGI, but little in the way of suspense, drama, humor, or character delineation.

The childishly simplistic screenplay by Brian Gunn, Mark Gunn, and Richard Outten borrows elements from not only Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but Treasure Island, Gulliver’s Travels, and Robinson Crusoe as well.  But it’s thin and sloppy, bereft of internal logic.

There’s an implausibility to so much of the film, even allowing for the license afforded any fantasy, that only impressionable and forgiving children (and the younger the better) will gladly go with the flow of a film that exudes kids’ll-buy-anything cynicism in its lazy plotting and half-baked execution.

So we’ll explore 2 stars out of 4 for the fanciful but feeble fantasy film, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, a bargain-basement behemoth to take the kids to, as long as you — and even they — leave critical faculties at home.

More Bill Wine Movie Reviews

Black History Month

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By Cherri Gregg

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Known as “Philly’s Rock Star,” Curt Chambers is a singer, songwriter, and musician. The Nicetown native has graced the stage with superstars such as rapper Eminem and hip-hop mogul P-Diddy.

His sound is unique — it fuses soul, rock, pop, and hip-hop.

Chambers says just being in Philadelphia helped lead him to music as a career.

“I kind of got kidnapped by the whole ‘Roots’ crew and movement in high school, and started out playing with the Jazzy Phat Nasties and Jaguar, and was a part of that Black Lillie movement. That was really where I developed my movement as a musician and a songwriter,” he recalls.

Chambers says he loves many things about Philadelphia, including the food — Silk City Diner at 5th and Spring Garden is one of his favorites.

But the thing he loves most, he says, is “the heart and passion of the city. It’s aggressive and it’s real. They’ll let you know if they feel you or not.”

Chambers, who has been nominated for a Grammy for his songwriting, and will be releasing a new solo album, “One Way Ticket.”

Hear Cherri Gregg’s full interview with Curt Chambers in this CBS Philly podcast…

Download the podcast (runs 4′ 25″)

Black History Month

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By Cherri Gregg

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Tina Dunham, a.k.a. “DJ Diamond Kuts,” was the first and so far only female mixer to get her very own slot on Philadelphia radio.

“We were riding in North Philly, on Diamond Street, and I said, ‘Yo! Diamond, I like that name,’ ” So she took it.

She grew up in West Oak Lane with her mom and DJ dad, but says she sharpened her skills in the parks of West Philadelphia.

Since then, she’s toured with artists like Nikki Minaj and Chris Brown, and says Philadelphia taught her to bring her “A” game to every show.

“We have to be on point, 24/7,” she says. “We have to be on top of our game. We’ve got to be over and beyond, and I got that from being in the city.”

She says no matter where her career takes her, she will always live in Philadelphia:

“I just love my city so much. I love the culture, I love the people, and I love the way that the people love me. I will always live here — this is just where I’ll be.”

DJ Diamond Kuts can be heard on Philly’s Power 99, is a host on BET’s “The Deal,” and is one the “Dove DJs” in the Dove Go Fresh campaign, in partnership with MTV.

Hear Cherri Gregg’s full interview with Tina (‘DJ Diamond Kuts’) Dunham in this CBS Philly podcast…

Download the podcast (runs 6′ 59″)

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — There have been a number of fascinating treatments speculating on an issue that has for centuries intrigued academics and a variety of brilliant minds: did another author actually write Shakespeare’s works?

Last year’s Anonymous proposed Edward DeVere, Earl of Oxford in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, as the “real” William Shakespeare (see related news story).  It’s now available on Blu-ray or DVD.

In 1959, Jerry Lewis produced and starred in an NBC Television production of “The Jazz Singer” — the same play that was turned into the first “talkie” movie starring Al Jolson.  This episode of the TV series “Startime” — one of the earliest color telecasts — is now out on home video.

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Black History Month

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By Cherri Gregg

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Vidal Davis is one-half of the dynamic producing duo Dre & Vidal.  These Grammy Award winners have written songs for megastars including Michael Jackson, Usher, and Justin Timberlake.

Davis says his early days growing up in Germantown helped plant his roots in music.

“I came up in church, so I had to play the drums every Sunday,” he recalls.  “On Wednesdays I had to be at the service.”

He was in church when he met André Harris, and they teamed up to make magic.

“The chemistry we had as musicians, nobody else had it,” Davis says.

And Davis says he is proud to be from Philadelphia, and even more proud to be a piece of the city’s rich musical landscape:

“I love Philadelphia — the culture and history in this city alone is just amazing. You have the Academy of Music, then you have Dick Clark, then you have Gamble and Huff.”

Hear Cherri Gregg’s full interview with Vidal Davis in this CBS Philly podcast…

Download the podcast (runs 6′ 50″)

Madonna, who performed on Sunday night during the Bridgestone Super Bowl Halftime show, will bring her act to the City of Brotherly Love on Tuesday, August 28th.

Tickets for the show go on sale on Monday, Feb. 13 at 10 a.m. through ComcastTIX, either online at www.comcasttix.com or by phone at 1-800-298-4200.

The chart topping artist has had a record breaking 37 Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart and has sold more than 300 million albums.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The Philadelphia Photo Arts Center opens an unusual exhibit, this week. It features personal photographs donated by people who found them too hard to keep.

“This is a great moment because I usually don’t get too many things of this size,” Jason Lazarus says as he looks at a 30 by 40 inch mounted print. It was dropped off at the Photo Arts Center, to become part of the photographic artist’s “Too Hard to Keep” archive, with these instructions: “This image should be exhibited face down. If you don’t use it or want it, destroy…”

That is the kind of emotion surrounding the photos Lazarus will exhibit, beginning Thursday. In this case, the donor appears to be getting over a bad marriage; two wedding albums go with the print.

Photos from a faded romance inspired artist Jason Lazarus to start his archive. “There are people like me who are kind of caught in this Catch 22 of having documented their lives, then you’re kind of faced with this physical baggage that you’re not sure how to reconcile your relationship (with).”

But, Lazarus says sometimes the donor’s motivation is unclear. He finds those the most interesting, “They’re these almost flash cards of meaning and you stitch them together in ways that you’re trying to figure out the narrative and obviously there aren’t any right answers.”

Curator Chris Gianunzio says he likes the dynamism of the ever-expanding collection. “Every time he shows this it will be different. It’s something that’s constantly adapting itself.”

The archive is part of the Photo Arts exhibit “Out of the Ordinary,” opening Thursday.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — In 1959, the classic production of the American stage was Loraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin In The Sun.”  But in 2010, another playwright, Bruce Norris, conceived “Clybourne Park,” which was based on real-life events and fashioned in the shadow of the Hansberry play.

The Norris treatment is well honored and currently installed on the Arcadia Stage of the Arden Theatre.  It’s a weird history of a house, a neighborhood, and the people who’ve come and gone over five decades.

Act I: 1959 — grieving parents give up their home in a middle-class Chicago neighborhood as they learn the family buying the property is black.  Their neighbors, we learn, are very unhappy about the sale.  In one odd moment, the son in the family, who is a Korean War veteran, takes his own life.

Act II: The year is now 2002. The same capable cast as in Act I, but now portraying different characters.  It’s now an all-black neighborhood insisting the new white owners conform to local housing regulations.

“Clybourne Park,” by Bruce Norris and directed by Edward Sobel, will play the Arden Theatre, 40 North Second Street in Old City Philadelphia, through March 25th.

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