Beyonce, Lionel Richie, Anita Baker headline 2009 Essence Music Festival in New Orleans

October 5th, 2009 Voodoo Experience returns to New OrleansNEW ORLEANS — The Voodoo Experience alternative music festival returns to New Orleans for the three-day Halloween weekend with a diverse lineup that includes Eminem, Kiss, Jane's Addiction and Widespread Panic. The event runs Oct.

September 21st, 2009 JAY-Z was so ecstatic to headline Britain's legendary Glastonbury music festival last year (08), he's compared it to the joy of winning a Grammy award. The hip-hop star caused controversy when he was picked to perform at the notorious event at Worthy Farm, with Oasis star Noel Gallagher blasting organisers for booking a rapper to play the traditionally rock 'n' roll festival.

September 14th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Singer Lionel Richie insists that his newborn grandson Sparrow looks similar to granddaughter Harlow. Lionel's daughter Nicole Richie welcomed her second child with Joel Madden early hours of September 9.

September 6th, 2009 LENNY KRAVITZ will celebrate the 20th anniversary of his breakthrough album LET LOVE RULE by closing the Voodoo Experience festival in New Orleans, Louisiana on 1 November (09). He'll join an eclectic mix of acts on the bill for the Halloween weekend three-day event - Jane's Addiction, Kiss and Widespread Panic will also be part of the festival.

September 2nd, 2009 OZZY OSBOURNE is to headline a three-night Los Angeles street festival in his honour and return to the fabled Sunset Strip for the first time in almost 40 years. The Strip will be closed for the first time ever on 12 September (09) as part of the Sunset Strip Musical Festival, which will start with Osbourne's honour on 10 September (09).

July 22nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Singer Lionel Richie has sparked rumours of romance with actress Bai Ling after the two were spotted enjoying a cozy date recently. Richie and Ling were spotted on what appeared to be a romantic date last Thursday at Whist at Viceroy Santa Monica, reports Fox News.

July 6th, 2009 Lionel Richie joined by Commodores at Essence fest NEW ORLEANS — Lionel Richie got a little help from his former bandmates to close out the weekend's Essence Music Festival: Members of The Commodores joined him on stage to sing several of their hits, including "Brick House" and "Just to be Close to You." The crowd remained on their feet through the nearly two-hour set and Richie's encore of "All Night Long." The final night of the festival stretched well into early Monday at the Superdome, with performances by Richie, En Vogue, Teena Marie, Al Green and Maze, featuring Frankie Beverly. Beverly and Maze have closed out the event each of the past 15 years.

July 6th, 2009 Essence Festival ends 3 days of music, motivationNEW ORLEANS — Inspiring gospel music and messages reigned supreme Sunday inside the Morial Convention Center on the final day of the Essence Music Festival which honored Bishop T.D. Jakes as part of its 15th annual celebration.

July 6th, 2009 En Vogue marks 20 years with Essence Fest concertNEW ORLEANS — En Vogue marked their 20th anniversary as one of music's most successful female groups with a reunion show that electrified the crowd at the Essence Music Festival. Sunday night's performance featured all the group's original members — Cindy Herron-Bragg, Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson and Maxine Jones — soaking up an enthusiastic audience that sang along and danced in the aisles.

July 4th, 2009 Artists salute 'King of Pop' at La. Essence FestNEW ORLEANS — Brass band musicians on trumpet, trombone and tuba belted out "A Closer Walk With Thee" as the Essence Music Festival gave a salute to Michael Jackson befitting a New Orleans jazz funeral procession.

July 4th, 2009 Essence Fest celebrates black music, cultureNEW ORLEANS — Queen Latifah dropped by the Essence Music Festival on Friday to help celebrate its 15th year of uplifting and empowering the African-American community through issues-filled seminars by day and high-powered musical performances by night. Queen Latifah, a spokeswoman for Cover Girl's Queen Collection, said she was happy to support an event that tackles concepts close to her heart but also weaves in fun.

July 2nd, 2009 Essence Fest to celebrate black music in La.NEW ORLEANS — The celebration of black music and culture at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans will provide comfort to artists and fans alike after a tough week following Michael Jackson's death. Singer Lionel Richie, a longtime friend of the pop superstar and festival headliner, says performing at Essence will give him and others a chance to regroup.

June 22nd, 2009 Estelle to headline Stockholm Jazz FestivalSTOCKHOLM — Grammy-winning British singer Estelle will replace Lauryn Hill as the headline act at this year's Stockholm Jazz Festival. Earlier this month, the festival said Hill had canceled all European tour dates because of health reasons.

June 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Mum-to-be Nicole Richie is driving her family "crazy". The socialite - who is seven months pregnant with her second child with the Good Charlotte rocker - is driving her friends and loved-ones mad with her pregnancy hormones and demands.

June 17th, 2009 Gervais, Morgan, Maher to headline NY Comedy festNEW YORK — Ricky Gervais (jer-VAYS') Tracy Morgan and Bill Maher (MAHR) will headline the sixth annual New York Comedy Festival. Organizers announced Wednesday that Gervais and Morgan will perform at Carnegie Hall and Maher will play Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center.