Oprah Winfrey was so taken by Sapphire's novel "Push" that she read it more than once.
Yet even though the talk-show host has made best-sellers of unknown books, Winfrey didn't think even her staggering influence could make "Push" -- the story of an obese, illiterate Black teen who suffers unspeakable abuse -- something that millions would want to read.

Fresh on the heels of her steamy screen debut earlier this year in "Notorious" as Lil' Kim, Naturi Naughton is back with "Fame," a remake of the 1980 Academy Award-winner for Best Score and Best Song. Now, the New Jersey native is enjoying a starring role showcasing an array of her considerable talents, including solo performances of a couple of hits from the original, the title track "Fame" as well as "Out Here on My Own."

NEW YORK (AP) -- Kanye West apologized for yet another outburst at the MTV Video Music Awards, this time directed at country-pop sweetheart Taylor Swift. The disruption upstaged not just Swift's awards speech, but the entire evening, including an emotional tribute to Michael Jackson...

This critical interval in the evolution of jazz was chronicled by the late Berkeley Professor William Shack in his book "Harlem in Montmartre," and it is now the subject of a most entertaining and informative documentary of the same name directed by Emmy-winner Dante James ("Slavery and the Making of America").

Before there was the sprawling Neverland ranch in California, before he became a superstar with the best-selling album of all time, "Thriller," a tiny house in the industrial city of Gary was home for Michael Jackson.

Born in Grand Rapids, Mich., Emmy Award-winner Dante James is an independent filmmaker who has produced and directed numerous award-winning documentaries as well as a critically-acclaimed dramatic short film. In June 2006 James, accepted an appointment as Artist-in-Residence instructor/filmmaker at Duke University, and the following year he conceptualized, produced, and directed "The Doll," ...

Barack and Michelle Obama edged out Hollywood stars on Vanity Fair's International Best-Dressed List.

Born Dec. 14, 1988 in Salinas, Ca. to a father of Irish and Native American extraction and a mother who is Filipino, Chinese and Latina, Vanessa Anne Hudgens grew up living all along the West Coast from Oregon to Southern California. She began her career in the world of musical theatre at the tender age of 8, enjoy early roles in stage productions ...

Curtis James Jackson, III, aka 50 Cent was born on July 6, 1975 in South Jamaica, Queens, where he was raised by his single-mom until she was murdered when he was only 8. He was taken in by his grandparents, but began hanging out with the wrong kids and began selling crack by the age of 12. While still a teenager, he was arrested and convicted for drug dealing, and turned his life around while serving out a six-month sentence...

Niecy Nash was born Carol Denise Ensley in Palmdale, Calif., on Feb. 23, 1970. She developed an interest in show business at a very early age after seeing the fabulous Lola Falana on TV. But she first earned a B.A. at California State University before embarking on a career in Hollywood, starting out as a standup comic ...