SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (Akiit.com) — The Queen of Soul is looking for a few good subjects.

Auditions for singing and non-singing parts in a musical production based on music legend Aretha Franklin’s autobiography have been scheduled for May 1-3 in suburban Detroit.

The musical based on the 1999 best-seller “Aretha: From These Roots” is tentatively set to premiere in Franklin’s hometown of Detroit in March 2008.

The 65-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and winner of 17 Grammy awards will help choose the performers who will portray her at various ages, relatives, close friends, background singers and musical colleagues including Sam Cooke, Dinah Washington, Smokey Robinson and pianist Art Tatum.
Read The Full Story…

A $120 million lawsuit has been filed against Janet Jackson over claims that her two bodyguards grabbed him and choked him.

(Akiit.com) Leonard Salati says the alleged assault occurred at Club Marquee in February 2004. According to the lawsuit, Salati attempted to slip Jackson a note when her security team suddenly went into attack mode.

Jackson’s lawyers had attempted to have the case thrown out, but Justice Rolando Acosta decided to move forward based on a discrepancy over the amount of bodyguards assigned to Jackson that night.

According to Akiit.com and other sites, Jackson’s camp says she only had one bodyguard with her and boyfriend producer Jermaine Dupri. However, reps for Club Marquee say she had three.

The judge reportedly said: “Not withstanding [the] counsel’s valiant effort to shield Ms Jackson [the law grants] no exemptions based on celebrity status.”

(Akiit.com) Lloyd Polite, the young singer known to most as Young Lloyd, has announced that he is moving beyond just singing by creating his own production company entitled Young Goldie Productions.

Lloyd was first presented with the opportunity to create his company when he signed to Sho Nuff Records in 2006 and has started Young Goldie Productions with the help of Sho Nuff Records’ founder Henry “Noonie” Lee and Jazze Pha.

“Independently, along with my business partner Henry Lee (who co-founded Sho ‘Nuff in Atlanta), together we created my own production company, known as Young Goldie Music,” Lloyd told Akiitcom. “This album Street Love is the first to be released under the company’s name. So at the age of 21, to be an executive producer is a big, big responsibility.”
Read The Full Story…

(Akiit.com) NEW YORK, April 13, 2007 (UPI) — Dakota Staton, a 1950s jazz and blues singer known for her sassy style, has died in New York at the age of 76.

Staton, in declining health for years, entered the 1957 music scene in a big way with a debut album, “The Late, Late Show,” with the title track, “Broadway” and “My Funny Valentine” all hits, The New York Times said.

Born in Pittsburgh, she began singing and dancing as a child and continued performing well into her 60s. By the time she was 18, Staton was performing in nightclubs in Detroit and other venues in the Midwest, but eventually settled in New York.

Staton recorded more than two dozen albums and worked with musicians such as pianist George Shearing and arrangers such as Nelson Riddle.

In 1955, she was voted the most promising newcomer of the year by Down Beat magazine.

Staton, who died Tuesday, is survived by her brother, Fred Staton, a saxophone player.

      (Akiit.com) About 1,100 items owned by Michael Jackson and his famous family members will hit the auction block next month unless the King of Pop follows through with legal action to stop it.     

      “Mr. Jackson was not aware and he is extremely upset that his memorabilia was included amongst the memorabilia that is being auctioned off,” said spokeswoman Raymone K. Bain in a statement.

      The collection – featuring such items as Jackson’s gold record for his “Thriller” album, handwritten lyrics for The Jackson Five hit “ABC” and a “Victory Tour” program signed by Jackson family members – was owned by luggage transportation company Universal Express Inc., of Boca Raton, Fla., which bought it last year from a New Jersey construction company owner.

      The former owner, Henry Vaccaro, claimed the warehouse full of Jackson memorabilia after a failed business venture wound up in bankruptcy court. Michael and his sister Janet tried to sue Vacarro to prevent him from taking ownership, but Michael’s claim was thrown out of court in 2006. The status of Janet Jackson’s claim was unclear Wednesday, reports AP.

      The Jacksons Auction is scheduled to take place May 30-31 at the Hard Rock hotel resort in Las Vegas, the city where Jackson has been living since returning to the U.S. late last year.

      Guernsey’s auction house said other items up for bid include a test pressing of The Jackson Five’s “I Want You Back,” Marlon Jackson’s glitter jacket, Randy Jackson’s futuristic 1984 stage boots and a white fedora believed to be from Michael Jackson’s “Bad” album music video.