Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Today's Blind Items

This former A list R&B female singer was a really big thing back in the day. Well after she stopped performing so much she gained a few pounds. Well, more than a few actually. So, when she finally came back and did a new CD, she was a little concerned about the photo on the cover of it. The record label offered to airbrush the photo and make her look as skinny as she wanted to be. Well, she said no, and that she would just go ahead and get some photos taken on her own. A few weeks later the label got some photos of her in the mail. They were great photos. The problem was they had all been taken fifteen years and fifty pounds earlier. She insisted that the photos were taken all in the past week or so and those were the ones she wanted on the cover of the CD. With no choice in the matter, the label did as she said. Then she also decided that she couldn't do any concerts because if she did, people would see she looked nothing like the cover photo, so she did no promotion for the CD at all.


77 comments:

  1. I would guess Brandy because shes the only i can think of with a new cd coming out

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  2. Lauryn Hill or Macy Gray? Although MG has had photos lately and looks heavy...

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  3. back in the day makes me think older like Gladys Knight

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  4. Based on today's photos, I've got to guess Tina Turner. That's a very strange picture, and Tina really shouldn't be wearing that outfit!

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  5. Brandy is a good guess ... here's the cover of her newest album for reference:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:HumanBrandy.jpg

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  6. Doesn't his seem like Janet Jackson? She cancelled her concerts after photos circulated from the first few dates and she looked pretty big. Haven't heard of her promoted the album before or since.

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  7. wow, that pic is bad..

    I think Brandy is the best guess. She's the only R&B singer I see w/ a new CD release.


    http://www.metacritic.com/music/upcomingreleases.shtml

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  8. back really big back in the day and r & b would be:

    janet jackson
    denise williams
    chaka khan
    tina turner
    patti labelle
    nona hendrix
    roberta flack
    anita baker
    oleta adams
    sade
    patti austin
    melba moore
    toni braxton


    and i'm narrowing the list down to:


    janet jackson
    chaka khan
    patti austin
    patti labelle
    denise williams

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  9. omg - it's sooooooooo janet jackson!!

    check out the cover from the cd she released earlier this year:

    http://www.amazon.com/Discipline-Janet-Jackson/dp/B00112ARJ0/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1228263347&sr=8-1

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  10. Judging from the picture, I'd say it's got to be Tina Turner. Until I checked Amazon, I didn't even know she'd released an album in August...

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  11. robert, here's a photo of tina turner from 2008:

    http://celeb.wohoo.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/tina-turner-and-beyonce-grammy-performance.jpg

    not that different from her 2008 cd cover.


    check out the janet jackson link i provided above and see what you think.

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  12. I like the Janet Jackson guess--I don't think anyone would care if someone like Tina Turner did it--she still looks great for someone her age,
    abd even 15 years ago she would have been in her late 50's.

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  13. It can't be Janet Jackson - she did several dates to promote her new album (though she canceled a bunch of them), including a show at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 1.

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  14. It's Brandy. Human hits sores next week and I don't think I've heard or seen her on any talk shows or interviews promoting the album. And I haven't seen any tour or performance news either.

    And the album's release was delayed by Epic Records for a month. They claim it was to record additional tracks... tracks that never made it onto the album.

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  15. good grief, people. 'back in the day' means 'not recent'. as in not brandy (and you consider her A list or R&B? janet jackson? really?? that's an insult to R&B!)
    tina turner's touring so it must not be her. but i'm thinking more gladys knight/aretha era when R&B was big.

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  16. Brandy has not gained any weight. It is not her.

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  17. It's not Brandy. Getty images has several photos of her from the last few months, and if anything, she's lost weight.

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  18. Back "in the day" Janet would be considered A-list for sure!!!!

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  19. Chaka Khan, on the other hand, looks to have gained some:
    http://www.topnews.in/light/files/images/Chaka-Khan5.jpg
    http://entimg.msn.com/i/gal/GrammiesUndressedWorst/ChakaKhan_502.jpg

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  20. Does Natalie Cole count as R&B? This picture from "Still Unforgettable" (September 2008) is clearly NOT Natalie Cole at 58 years old!

    http://www.amazon.com/Still-Unforgettable-Amazon-Exclusive-Bonus/dp/B001AW3UNQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1228267172&sr=8-1

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  21. I'm going with Ms. Jackson. She's fluctuated so wildly these last several years.

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  22. technically, tina isn't r & b either and tina is still touring. check out her website.

    natalie cole is r & b and her concerts are scheduled through march of '09, so i don't think it's her.

    chaka khan has concerts scheduled in december and january.

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  23. Agree it can't be Janet Jackson. That pic is so tailored to the CD cover there's no way she just "happened" to have that shot from before. Also can't be Tina Turner because the photo in random photos is FROM her concert, the blind says she hasn't toured. Also rules out Jackson because Jackson attempted to tour, just then flaked out. Wasn't Brandi in the random photos recently and she certainly hasn't gained weight. She's skinnier now than she was pre-baby. The only R&B singer I've heard talk about her weight gain is Ashanti and she was never A List, I don't think.

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  24. I'm thinking it's Gladys Knight

    http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/artist/releases/default.aspx?pid=11510&aid=6939

    Is she the one who had the fight w/Beyonce and they caught her eating McDonalds?

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  25. oops just saw the album was released in 2006 :o(

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  26. Chaka Khan's been heavy for a long time, and she was touring last summer. I saw her.

    my first thought was Anita Baker, I read that she was going to release a new album, and she was definitely huge back in the day.

    More Anita news, from Wiki:
    "Baker embarked on a concert tour in 2008, entitled "An Evening with Anita Baker". Her performance at DTE Energy Music Theater on July 12, 2008, was recorded and Baker has announced plans to release a new DVD and/or CD live album in early 2009."

    Anita gets my vote.

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  27. It can't be Brandy, you guys! Fifteen years ago Brandy was a tweener.

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  28. This is very similar to something I read on ONTD the other day regarding Amanda of the Dresden Dolls ( never heard of her or them, though)......

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  29. Agree it can't be Janet Jackson. That pic is so tailored to the CD cover there's no way she just "happened" to have that shot from before.


    naaahhh...even her face looks younger in that CD photo. like from the Velvet Rope tour.

    deity, i don't think the dresden dolls are r & b from back in the day, are they?

    gladys knight also has tour dates coming up.

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  30. Ooh ooh ooh!

    Lauryn Hill!

    Check out her Wikipedia page ... that girl is flaky as the day is long.


    ... except that I can't find anything about a new CD.

    Hmmmmm ....

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  31. white lorelei, lauryn hill was the second guess....lol.


    she does have a cd that came out in 2008:

    http://www.amazon.com/Ms-Hill-Lauryn/dp/B0014FC29C/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1228272328&sr=8-3

    and she apparently did have a concert scheduled that was cancelled:

    http://www.stodola.pl/klub/index_en.php?news=367


    so looks like we're down to janet jackson or lauryn hill.

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  32. It cannot be Janet Jackson because the BI say: "Then she decided that she couldn't do any concerts..." Janet has - rather famously - had to cancel several recently due to flu or whatever it was that sent her to the hospital.

    I think there is some dark horse out there we are neglecting. So far every person mentioned has been on tour in the last few months .. well expect for Lauryn the Loon.

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  33. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  34. Maybe it is Lauren Hill, she sure has changed a lot...

    http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o267/mwzadotcom/lauryn.jpg

    http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o267/mwzadotcom/lauryn-hill-clown.jpg

    http://www.killedthat.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/laurynhill_crazy.jpg

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  35. I just saw Tina Turner's new album or whatever it was at Target -- she looks nothing like that picture below in the Mad Max outfit! It has to be her!!

    Besides, 15 years ago could not include Brandi; wouldn't she be too young?

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  36. Yup -- "Tina!" was released this past September and it looks like Tina Turner from 15 years ago.

    Go look at the CD cover...http://www.yenra.com/wiki/Tina_Turner_new_album

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  37. It's officially Tina Turner. Back in the day has to be 20 years or more ago. Plus someone who has been out of the spotlight. Who would even guess Janet Jackson? Everyone know she baloons up and down.

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  38. No, I don't think it's Tina. It's not like she disappeared. She performs! And I think she's too grounded to do something like this anyway. Plus she's been doing promotion for this album and she's ON TOUR! She always does promotion. The other night I saw a re-airing of her interview with ET.

    My guess is Aretha Franklin. Here's the cover of her new album:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:ThisChristmasAretha.jpg

    Here's a shot of her from February (I think):
    http://thesebootsaremadeforstalking.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/visionsinyellowgrammys.jpg

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  39. It can't be Tina! Don't forget, she was on the Grammy's this last year with Beyonce, and looked thinner than Beyonce. I like the Lauryn Hill guess.

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  40. I swear I saw this picture of Deborah Cox's album somewhere recently and thought why does this look exactly like every picture of her from 10 years ago?...

    http://www.amazon.com/Promise-Deborah-Cox/dp/B001GIN3BI

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  41. lauryn hill it is. check this out is all I have to say. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://ginavivinetto.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/lauryn-hill-clown11.jpg&imgrefurl=http://ginavivinetto.wordpress.com/2008/08/21/what-the-hell-happened-to-lauryn-hill/&usg=__MEdUKA3iG3310DW7iP82bNB9Di4=&h=619&w=400&sz=44&hl=en&start=5&tbnid=QLO0UpiG8eicjM:&tbnh=136&tbnw=88&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlauryn%2Bhill%26hl%3Den%26rls%3DGGLJ,GGLJ:2006-48,GGLJ:en

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  42. I'm not sold on the Lauryn Hill guess.

    1. Where's the album cover or mention of an album coming out?

    2. Even those photos don't look 15 years and 50lbs apart.

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  43. It can't be Tina. The women on The View were talking about seeing her in concert last night and that she performed for 3 hours straight and even put her young backup dancers to shame.

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  44. Stephanie Mills?
    Melba Moore?
    Me'lyssa Morgan?

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  45. I like the Lauryn Hill guess, but she doesn't fit the part of having a new album out. I don't think it can be Brandi because she isn't very old and she would be pretty young in a photo from 15 years ago. Janet Jackson was my first thought, but she has been on tour and promoting her album.

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  46. It can´t be Brandy, the albumcover contains a photo that was made 15 years ago; how old was she back then? 12?

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  47. HOTCHACHA, I agree. It has to be Aretha Franklin. Her "This Christmas" album cover is way old and she is really much bigger these days. I don't know why she had to have a photo and not just put on some artwork. I don't care anyways, She's great.

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  48. whitney houston was huge in her heyday ...

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  49. not huge as in body type .. you know what I mean ..

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  50. Anonymous6:02 AM

    Donna Summer?

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  51. What about Whitney Houston? Does she have a new album coming out? She was definitely A list back in the day...

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  52. Anonymous8:10 AM

    Erykah Badu

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  53. It isn't Brandy I've seen her on television discussing the accident that she was acquitted for and she's definitely still pretty slim, now her daughter is another matter.


    It looks like Patty LaBelle and Aretha have albums coming out but Aretha has been 300lbs+ for years so she certainly wouldn't hide from the public.

    Anita Baker has lost her battle with food so long ago as well as the ability to find a decent hair stylist that she might as well come out and sing with a mu mu on and hair rollers in her head.

    Lauryn Hill doesn't have a cd coming out.

    Janet doesn't have a new cd coming out and by the way there are new reports that she's finally pregnant. So she may be fat but now she'll have pregnancy as an excuse for the weight gain.

    Whitney has a new cd coming out ... well every year we hear that so it really doesn't matter because her upcoming cd's are now myths.

    So far all I've got is Patti LaBelle?

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  54. What does it matter, anyway? All I care about is whether the music is good.

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  55. Anonymous9:01 AM

    Erykah Badu and Lauren Hill have toured recently. They aren't in hiding. With Aretha, she's always been large. I like the Whitney guess!

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  56. Finally, people are mentioning Whitney Houston. People are gossiping all over the internet about her "new" album cover.
    I googled "Whitney Houston new album cover" and it came up with tons of "WTF"-like statements...
    Here's one:
    http://drewreports.com/2008/11/um-i-am-confused/

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  57. Here's what I found when I googled "Whitney Houston recent photos"
    http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2006/startracks/060925/whitney_houston.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.people.com/people/gallery/0,,1533957_5,00.html&h=400&w=400&sz=45&tbnid=lI8eu8mo5qYJ::&tbnh=124&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwhitney%2Bhouston%2Brecent%2Bpicture&usg=__09kujdPK_Bx_-VtnhcE2T8LonxU=&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=3&ct=image&cd=1

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  58. brandy was just on the hills and she hadn't gained any weight. it showed her going thru pics for her album cover.

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  59. Hey all, there's this great website that will fix those super-long links. It's http://minilink.org/ You paste your long link, and it gives you a nice and short version that will fit on one line. I use it all the time now. :)

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  60. And "holy crap" at the Whitney cover.

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  61. Janet Jackson or Tina Turner...

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  62. Whitney Houston! Has anyone seen her new Album cover> No way that is her. EVen in her crack den days her body was nowhere close to being that tone.

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  63. whitney is airbrushed, but it's not because she gained a ton of weight. it's because all that crack makes her look like she's eighty.

    this is someone who has gained a lot of weight.

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  64. Never mind Chaka, she seems to be too self assured...
    Jumping on Tina Turner band wagon. I was shocked when I saw some pic's of her today!!

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  65. Mic, Deborah Cox is very pregnant with baby no. 3.

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  66. Isn't Brandi like 25?? So a photo 15 years ago would be umm, kinda obvious.

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  67. How about Anita Baker?

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  68. I say Lauren Hill. 15 yrs ago she was on top as far as success. Aretha has lost weight recently, not much but still.

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  69. It's Whitney Houston, there was a blurb about her new CD cover in one of the gossip blogs and it shows a picture of her CD along with a picture of what she looks like right now...definite difference in age and weight.

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  70. could it be mimi?
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1091639/Mariah-Carey-amazing-promo-shots-new-album-airbrusher-trying-kid.html

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  71. Who has the clout to pull that off? Janet Jackson is dating an exec with her label, so I would think she would be the only one who would be allowed to get away with mouthing off to execs.

    The photo on her CD looks like it came from her "Control" period with her aging face airbrushed onto it. She is much, much bigger than that.

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