Legendary blues singer Etta James dies in Calif

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Etta James' performance of the enduring classic "At Last" was the embodiment of refined soul: Angelic-sounding strings harkened the arrival of her passionate yet measured vocals as she sang tenderly about a love finally realized after a long and patient wait.

In real life, little about James was as genteel as that song. The platinum blonde's first hit was a saucy R&B number about sex, and she was known as a hell-raiser who had tempestuous relationships with her family, her men and the music industry. Then she spent years battling a drug addiction that she admitted sapped away at her great talents.

The 73-year-old died on Friday at Riverside Community Hospital from complications of leukemia, with her husband and sons at her side, her manager, Lupe De Leon said.

"It's a tremendous loss for her fans around the world," he said. "She'll be missed. A great American singer. Her music defied category."

Country music great Haggard hospitalized with pneumonia

NASHVILLE, Tenn (Reuters) - Country music great Merle Haggard has been admitted to a Georgia hospital suffering from pneumonia and postponed the rest of his concert dates in January, his spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

Haggard, 74, entered the Macon hospital on Tuesday night after he canceled a show in that Georgia city seven minutes before he was to take the stage because he was too ill to perform, said Frank Mull, his tour manager and close friend.

A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Haggard is best known for songs including "Mama Tried," "Okie from Muskogee" and "The Fightin' Side of Me."

Haggard had been scheduled to perform again on Wednesday night in Columbus, Georgia, but that show and the rest of the January slate will be rescheduled for April, according to Haggard's Los Angeles-based publicist Tresa Redburn.

Redburn said the singer was receiving fluids intravenously. She said she spoke with Haggard by telephone "and he sounded pretty good."

Haggard will take time off to recover and resume his tour in February, Redburn said. Haggard lives in Northern California.

Madonna not totally sharing the love with Lady Gaga?(news-articles)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Lady Gaga has been up front about her admiration for Madonna. But does Madonna share the love?

The "Material Girl" sounded lukewarm in U.S. interviews released on Friday, calling her influence on Gaga's music "interesting" and "amusing." Sometimes.

"I certainly think she references me a lot in her work. And sometimes I think it's amusing and flattering and well done," Madonna, 53, told ABC News in a television interview.

"There's a lot of ways to look at it. I can't really be annoyed by it...because obviously, I've influenced her," the pop star told ABC.

The comparisons between the two divas, both known for combining provocative stunts with catchy dance-pop hits, came to a head when Gaga released her "Born This Way" single last February.

The song was instantly likened to Madonna's 1989 hit "Express Yourself".

"When I heard it on the radio .I said that sounds very familiar," Madonna said. Asked if that felt annoying, Madonna responded, "It felt reductive."

Pressed by ABC interviewer Cynthia McFadden whether that was a good or bad thing, Madonna replied "look it up".

In a separate interview in the upcoming issue of Newsweek, Madonna described "Born This Way" as "a wonderful way to redo my song."

"I mean, I recognized the chord changes. I thought it was... interesting," she added.

"Born This Way" became an instant hit for Lady Gaga, 25, topping the charts in 19 countries and becoming the fastest selling song in iTunes history.