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'Love To Love You Baby' singer dies on Thursday (May 17) after long battle with cancer.By Gil Kaufman Donna Summer Photo: Fotos International/Getty Images Donna Summer, the powerhouse singer known as the "Queen of Disco," died on Thursday (May 17) in Florida after a battle with cancer, according to TMZ. The five-time Grammy winner who set dance floors ablaze in the 1970s with such anthems as "Last Dance," Hot Stuff" and her most iconic hit, "I Feel Love," was 63-years-old. In a genre that was filled with many one-hit wonders and fly-by-night studio acts that were unable to keep the disco inferno stoked after scoring hits, Summer was a lifer, consistently charting even after the dance craze faded in the late 1970's. For photos of Donna Summer through the years, click here. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Summer set herself apart with strong vocals backed by her songwriting skills, as well as some creative luck in hooking up with producers/songwriters Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte. The pair helped her pumped out hit-after-hit and provided her with a sensual, almost ethereal sound on tracks such as "I Feel Love," which seduced both on and off the dance floor. Born LaDonna Adrian Gaines on December 31, 1948 in Boston, Massachusetts to a butcher father and schoolteacher mother, Summer showed promise as a singer from an early age. She made her public debut at age 10 at her church when the scheduled singer didn't show up and she filled in. After appearing in a number of musicals and plays in high school and singing with the psychedelic rock band The Crow, she joined the cast of German production of the musical "Hair" in 1967 at age 18. She stayed in Munich after the show's run ended and recorded her debut solo album there in 1974, Lady of the Night. Though it spawned a hit overseas with "The Hostage," she didn't crack the U.S. market until a year later with the song that would make her an international superstar, the seductive disco anthem, "Love to Love You Baby." The tune she created with Moroder and Bellotte was a #2 hit in the U.S. and landed her an American record deal with the it label of the era, Casablanca Records. The 17-minute club remix of the single, which featured such real-sounding ecstatic moans that some radio stations refused to play it, became a huge hit and set a new standard for sophisticated arrangements in a genre often marked by cheesy sounding instrumentation and lazy songwriting. She released two albums in 1976, A Love Trilogy, which featured the nearly 18-minute epic "Try Me (I Know We Can Make It Work)," and the winter/spring/summer/autumn-themed Four Seasons of Love. In a singles genre where the song as the thing, Summer continued to put out consistently artistic albums, including 1977's I Remember Yesterday, which featured the song that would secure Summer's place at the top of the disco diva pecking order, "I Feel Love." That hypnotizing song was also the first one recorded with a backing track made up entirely of synthesized sounds. This being the era of excess, her second 1977 album, Once Upon A Time, was another concept disc, this one retelling the Cinderella story in the disco era on tracks like "Once Upon a Time," "Fairy Tale High," "Working the Midnight Shift" and "Queen for a Day." She transitioned into acting in 1978 in the disco comedy "Thank God It's Friday," which earned her a Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal for the hit "Last Dance." By 1979's two-album Bad Girls she was indisputably a star, logging six weeks at #1 and scoring hits with the sexy "Bad Girls" and more rock-oriented "Hot Stuff." When Summer released a double-album greatest hits disc later that year she became the first artists to ever score three #1 albums in a row with double-disc releases. She went on to score hits with a Barbra Streisand duet and moved over to the then-new Geffen Records, where her success began to wane a bit. By 1983, she'd moved past the disco sound and into a synth-heavy R&B/new wave sound with the female empowerment anthem "She Works Hard For the Money." That song, though, would effectively mark the end of her hit-making days. Summer continued to release albums through the late 1980's, but was never again able to capture her disco peak. In fact, by the end of the decade she spoke out against the "sinful" nature of her disco hits and turned her back on her earlier material and focused on painting. After a 17-year break, she released her first studio album of original material, Crayons, in 2008. Related Photos Donna Summer: The Queen Of Disco Related Artists Donna Summer

Burning kids, breaking vows and snapping necks are the topics of conversation on this week's 'Thrones.'By Josh Wigler
Alfie Allen in "Game of Thrones"
Photo: HBO
Is there such a thing as going too far on "Game of Thrones"? Just ask the charred toddler hanging on the walls of Winterfell — he'll have an answer, I'm sure.
Season two has already seen no fewer than four of its currently aired seven episodes conclude with the death of a child in increasingly brutal fashion. And "A Man Without Honor" — the 17th hour of the series — was perhaps the cruelest of the bunch, thanks to Theon Greyjoy. Not quite the boy-monster that Joffrey is, Theon is definitely giving him competition for the show's Most Loathsome Villain award. Even though the golden-haired demon child sat out of this week's outing entirely (ironic, given the title of the episode), Joffrey's presence hung heavily through Sansa and Cersei, both of whom are afraid of the boy king, but for very different reasons.
Oh, and did we mention that a certain little kingslayer made his ugly comeback this week? Learn all about that and more in the rest of our "Game of Thrones" recap.
Better to Be Cruel Than Weak
If Theon is truly lost, then he's finding his way back to himself through fire and blood, just like Dany. Unlike Dany, his version of "fire and blood" includes murdering innocent children to further his own agenda. Theon has very clearly lost it at this point. In addition to slaying kids who may or may not be Bran and Rickon (you know the rule of fiction, guys — unless you see a character die, they're never really dead), he's taken to physically harming every single person who opposes him. Poor Ser Rodrik was just the tip of the iceberg.
You Know Nothing, Jon Snow
North of Winterfell and well beyond the Wall, the crow Jon Snow and the wildling girl Ygritte are having themselves a grand old time. Well, not grand, but certainly sexually charged. It's funny to see someone speak in such a way to Jon. He's not the man of the Night's Watch he thinks he is, not in Ygritte's eyes; to her, he's just "a boy who's never been with a girl." She's not wrong, really. But all of that might change now that the roles have reversed and Jon's become Ygritte's captive. Also, fans of the books, were you as psyched as I was to hear Ygritte spit out her most famous line to Jon? We'll be hearing plenty more "you know nothings" as the season progresses, I bet.
The Lion King and the Wolf Girl
If the Emmys had a Best Onscreen Duo award, I'd make a strong case for Charles Dance and Maisie Williams. Their scenes as Tywin and Arya in the ruins of Harrenhal are swiftly becoming the best scenes of the season. Some out-of-context dialogue highlights: "This will be my last war, win or lose." "Do you think I'd be in this position if I'd lost a war?" "Careful now, girl. I enjoy you, but be careful." "You're too smart for your own good. Has anyone told you that?" Dance and Williams just clearly get a kick out of each other, and their chemistry is infectious. Great stuff.
Love Your Children
Down south in King's Landing, there's no sight of Joffrey Baratheon, yet the Lannister-in-stag's-clothing remains a hot topic for his surrounding court. Sansa Stark makes the bloody discovery that she's now able to bear Joff's children, a realization that she unsuccessfully tries to keep from Queen Cersei. Surprisingly, when giving Sansa advice, Cersei doesn't even really recommend that Sansa work towards falling in love with Joffrey some day — "You can try," she says skeptically, but her real advice is to "love no one but your children." She's having trouble listening to her own words, as Joffrey's continued cruelty pushes the Lannister matriarch further and further away from her son.
Uniquely Unfit for Constraint
In further Lannister news, "A Man Without Honor" saw the not-so-triumphant return of Jaime Lannister for the first time since the season premiere. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau stole the show this episode, as he tends to do whenever he's onscreen. But I'm glad it's taken us this long to see him again — absence makes the heart grow fonder, even if a murderous prison escape makes it grow a little firmer in the end. Aside from seeing Jaime again, the Stark Camp story reached some other notable moments that should have fans of the books grinning: the furious introduction of Rickard Karstark, the developing creepiness of Roose Bolton, and the first mention of the MIA Barristan Selmy in what feels like ages. Yeah, remember that guy? Got a funny feeling we'll see that bold warrior again soon. ...
Undying Love
Finishing up all the way in Essos, we return to the plot point that's got my head spinning most: Qarth. So, Xaro Xhoan Daxos is in cahoots with the warlocks of the House of the Undying to kill the rest of the Thirteen and become the king of the greatest city that ever was or will be? And they took Dany's dragons, pretty much just to prove a point? Needless to say, these are more things that never happened in George R.R. Martin's novels. And once again, not sure what to think about all of these alterations, except that I think they're way too melodramatic for melodrama's sake. That said, while I'm not a fan of where the story's gone, there's no denying that Ian Hanmore is thoroughly disturbing as blue-lipped baldy Pyat Pree, and the potential for an incredibly unsettling House of the Undying scene is certainly there.
In Previous "Game of Thrones" News ...
» Amrita Acharia reveals killer secrets
» "Game of Thrones" throws out the book
» The king is dead
» The birth of the Shadow Baby
» Robb Stark finds love
What did you think of this week's "Game of Thrones" episode? Tell us in the comments section!
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After taking on 'American Idol' over the winter, 'The Voice' will now take on 'X Factor.' By Gil Kaufman "The Voice" coaches Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton Photo: NBC Fans of NBC reality singing competition "The Voice"
 will get a double-dose of spinning chairs and clashing mentors this year, as the show is being moved to the fall for its upcoming third season. The just-wrapped singing competition whose panel is anchored by country star Blake Shelton, Cee Lo Green and jousting judges Christina Aguilera and Adam Levine, will move to the fall, where it will vie for eyeballs with another singing reality show, Simon Cowell's "X Factor." According to Billboard magazine, "The Voice" will benefit from Sunday night NFL promotions in its new slot, where it will run on Monday night's from 8-10 p.m. and Tuesday's from 8-9 p.m. The "X Factor" will air on Wednesday from 8-10 p.m. and Thursday 8-9 p.m. Neither show has announced a firm return date. Unnamed sources close to "The Voice" told the magazine that there are a number of revisions in store for the program that could make it look much different from the first two season. Among them could be more air time for the top finalists instead of a renewed focus in season two on the blind audition rounds. As "The Voice" has grown into a consistent ratings generator for NBC, executives believe it will become a go-to place for labels looking to push their big fall and holiday releases in the fourth quarter during the show's live November and December shows. It's unknown how the double-dip this year will impact the careers of its stars, as Aguilera is working on new music, Levine and his band, Maroon 5, are preparing to release the new disc Overexposed on June 26 and Green has said he's working on his next solo album and prepping a return from his hip-hop crew, Goodie Mob. The only hiccup from the "Voice" move is that Cowell may steal their thunder on Monday (May 14) when he is expected to announce that Britney Spears and Demi Lovato will join the judging panel of "Factor" for season two. Related Artists Maroon 5 Cee Lo Green Christina Aguilera

'It's just a structure that can't be moved and that would be me,' Face tells 'RapFix Live' about meaning behind album title.By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Scarface on "RapFix Live" Photo: Natasha Chandel/ MTV News Four years ago, when Scarface dropped Emeritus,, he said it would be the last album in a long, illustrious career that included well-regarded works like 1994's The Diary, 1997's The Untouchable and 2002's The Fix. But just like Jay-Z, Too $hort and other MCs who have pledged to walk away from rap, the Houston, Texas, lyricist just couldn't stay away. Face's follow-up Rooted is on the way, and when the former Geto Boy moseyed up to on Wednesday, he firmly replanted his hip-hop flag. Rap retirement is clearly a foregone feeling, as the man born Brad Jordan breaks down the significance of his new album title. "It's just a structure that's gonna be there. It's like a concrete pillar, you can't get it out the way, it's there, it's grounded," he says of Rooted. "It's just a structure that can't be moved and that would be me." The veteran MC estimates that the LP is about 98 percent done, but Face is also a well-documented perfectionist; if he could, he'd tinker with an album for years before releasing it. "You're gonna see an album this summer," Scarface promised, before humorously backtracking, "or this fall, winter." When Rooted does arrive, it'll feature vocal contributions from Akon, Cee Lo, John Legend and Jadakiss and production from Virginia beatsmith Nottz and underground favorite Jake One. Ultimately Scarface credits California producer Ervin "EP" Pope with helping to refine Rooted. "I got some good stuff. EP saved the project," he said of the producer who has crafted beats for Ne-Yo and Game. "I just sent him my whole album, that's how much I cared if he leaked it or not, but instead he finished the tracks, he put the hooks on, he put some instruments in and he made the album. I appreciate EP for what he did." What's your favorite Scarface album? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos Travis Porter And Scarface Mix It Up On 'RapFix Live' Related Artists Scarface

The film works most of the time, but its conclusion is sure to leave fans divided.By John Mitchell Eva Green and Johnny Depp in "Dark Shadows" Photo: Warner Bros finally hit theaters Friday (May 11), and let me tell you, it's a doozy. There's a lot to admire about Tim Burton's reimagined "Shadows" (and there are some problems as well), but the question that has lingered with me most since seeing the film is who exactly Tim Burton made it for. I'm not sure it was "Shadows" purists, those who ran home from school to soak up the strange, dark and wonderful late-'60s soap opera and who still have a strong connection to the style and feel of the original. It's probably not for fans of Burton and Johnny Depp's earlier collaborations either, even though the trailers and TV spots sell it like it's supposed to be. "Shadows" has long been talked about as a passion project for Burton and Depp, so in the end, maybe they made it for themselves. And the thing is, up until the very last 15 or so minutes, I was right there with them: Their affection for the original is clear, the performances are uniformly wonderful and it gives Burton room to breathe in a way we haven't seen in years. It's unfortunate that its everything-but-the-kitchen-sink conclusion feels strangely tacked on, because until then "Shadows" is the best thing the pair have done together since Depp gave one of his finest performances in Burton's touchingly bizarre 1994 film "Ed Wood." Barnabas Collins isn't anything like Depp's crazed Mad Hatter from "Alice in Wonderland" or his maniacal Willy Wonka from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Don't be fooled by the jump-cut trailer — it actually falls among his more reserved performances. The zingers that seem borderline farcical in the trailer work better than you expect — they certainly earned hearty laughs from the audience when I saw the flick — and are peppered throughout, lending a more even tone than I expected. Depp's Barnabas is an old-fashioned gentleman trapped in the body of a monster, and the actor never lets that fact get lost, even when the film's myriad subplots pull him in a hundred different directions. His vampire is far more human than the actor sometimes seems in movies in which his character's heart is still beating. In a testament to how winning Depp is, he's able to play a 200-year-old vampire in (occasionally too obvious) white makeup without sucking all the air out the room, leaving room for the supporting players to soar. Most notable are Michelle Pfeiffer and Eva Green. Pfeiffer is in full-on grande dame mode as family matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. It's a kick to see the thrice Oscar-nominated actress get a meaty role in a big picture like this, and she does not waste the opportunity, providing the entire affair with some much-needed grounding. Her gaze is steely and she carries herself regally, though years of hardship have clearly chipped away at her character's resolve, all of which comes across like a metaphor for the crumbling estate she guards, Collinwood. Green is a four-alarm hoot as the evil witch Angelique Bouchard, or Angie, as she's come to be known by the townspeople in Collinsport, where she's reinvented herself as a fishing magnate specifically to take down the Collins family business. Sure, she's an evil witch who has been tormenting the Collins family for centuries, but these days she's more of a cherry-red-convertible-driving good-time girl — albeit one with grudge that runs deep. Green chews the scenery and spits it out, which works like gangbusters in an over-the-top movie like this. She's so game throughout, you almost find yourself rooting for the bad guy. As for Burton's direction, there's an unexpected streak of sentimentality and nostalgia running through "Shadows" that recalls "Big Fish" as much as it does the film's more logical brothers ("Sleepy Hollow," "Beetlejuice"). Operating on sets instead of green-screen soundstages, he hasn't set his "Shadows" in a cartoon. Collinsport feels like a real place — the family manor has character, and there's Gothic atmosphere to spare. We haven't hit on the story too much because, well, there's a lot of it. In his rush to cover as much ground from the series as possible (and leave the door open for possible sequels), screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith is a little too quick to truncate story lines that were developed over a more than thousand-episode run on the soap. It's all hung broadly on the milestones of Barnabas' attempts to reinvigorate the family business while courting Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote) and acclimate to the many changes that have happened during the 200 years he was entombed. Consider Barnabas' attempts to make himself mortal again with the help of Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter, bringing as much drunk fun as she can to an otherwise thankless part). It was the through line of the early-'90s revamp of "Shadows" but is a side note here — one saddled with an unnecessary added twist. But with more working than not, we were willing to forgive that lack of focus until things took a fiery final turn. Perhaps unable to find a reasonable way to wrap up the many story lines, Grahame-Smith and Burton take things a little too far off the rails with a noisy and scattered climax that doesn't make much sense. Even the actors seem unsure of what's happening, and Depp, Pfeiffer and Green struggle to stay afloat amid all the noise. (We're not even going to go there with the last-minute plot twist tossed at Chloë Moretz's character.) "Shadows" will almost certainly leave casual fans baffled, not because it's bad (to be fair, some in the MTV Newsroom were not as turned off by the ending as we were), but because it's a passion project wearing the mask of a summer blockbuster. Have you seen "Dark Shadows"? Let us know in the comments below! Check out everything we've got on "Dark Shadows." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: 'Dark Shadows' Related Photos 'Dark Shadows' Premiere Five Key Scenes From The 'Dark Shadows' Trailer

'I believe he's the greatest player to touch a basketball,' Wayne says of the basketball great.By Rob Markman Lil Wayne Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images Lil Wayne is a known sports nut, and with this year's NBA playoffs in full swing, the Cash Money Billionaire is in all his glory. Weezy's favorite team are the L.A. Lakers and his favorite player is, of course, the great Kobe Bryant. When Tunechi attended the Lakers' home game against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night, he told the L.A. Times that he draws a great deal of inspiration from #24. "He's inspired not only songs, but he's inspired me in life in general, just the way he attacks things, the way he never backs down, the way he fights through injury," said Tha Carter IV MC. "Not only [does] he fight through injury, and not only do he play through injury, he excel through injury. I take those type of things and I just apply them to my everyday life." This season alone the basketball megastar has excelled on the court despite suffering with a broken nose and a torn ligament in his right wrist. On Thursday morning (May 10), Bryant missed practice because of gastroenteritis, but Laker coach Mike Brown believes the star will fight through his stomach pains and still play in tonight's playoff game. Though Michael Jordan is widely recognized as the best to ever play the game, Wayne's vote goes to Bryant. "I believe he's the greatest player to touch a basketball," he said. And just as the NBA is looking to crown a 2012 championship team, MTV's RapFix blog has been looking to crown the top rap crew in the 2012 Hip-Hop Playoffs. Will Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group be able to claim the #1 spot? Or will Kanye West and his G.O.O.D. Music win it all? Voting is open now, so head over to Rapfix to rep for your favorite crew! Do you agree with Lil Wayne, is Kobe Bryant the greatest basketball player? Tell us in the comments! Related Artists Lil Wayne