Music

Selena's brother says the actress playing her on the Netflix series does an incredible job capturing her essence ... even though critics are giving her a hard time.

A.B. Quintanilla's giving his stamp of approval to Christian Serratos for her portrayal of The Queen of Tejano music in the bio-drama "Selena: The Series," telling us she's so good ... he finds himself feeling like he's watching his younger sister again.

Some viewers of the show aren't nearly as supportive, but A.B. feels they're either nitpicking or their criticism is misguided. For example, Serratos has been getting flak for lip-syncing poorly on 'The Series' ... but A.B. says that's actually an accurate representation of his sis.

He tells us Selena struggled with that early in her career, and there was a learning process before she improved ... which A.B. says Serratos demonstrates in later episodes.

As for the haters who don't think Christian looks enough like Selena -- A.B. points out that some people felt the same way about Jennifer Lopez when she played the Mexican singer in the 1997 "Selena" film ... especially because she's not Mexican.

A.B. dismisses all that as petty, and says it's ultimately up to the actor to make the viewer believe they are who they are playing on the screen ... and Serratos nails it.

Eddie Van Halen now has a final resting place, TMZ has learned ... the beautiful Pacific Ocean off the coast of Malibu.

The late rock star's body was cremated 22 days after he died ... this according to Eddie's death certificate obtained by TMZ. The ashes went to Eddie's son, Wolfgang Van Halen.

Sources tell us, one of Eddie's final wishes was for the ashes to be strewn off the coast of his beloved town, and Wolfgang will almost certainly honor his dad's wishes.

TMZ broke the story ... Eddie died October 6 at Providence St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica following a long battle with cancer.

The death cert also reveals the immediate cause of death was stroke. He also suffered from other health ailments, including skin cancer on his head and neck.

The doc lists music as his occupation -- having been in the biz for 42 years, he certainly qualifies.

R&B singer Ann Marie is no longer behind bars for the alleged shooting of a male friend -- but the judge put her on a tight leash while she's awaiting trial.

Ann posted a $60k bond to get out of jail ... and into her living room. The judge placed her on house arrest, and said she can only travel for work ... with prior approval.

She's got a bunch of other restrictions too. Ann Marie has to give the court a 24-hour heads up for any appointments, and she'll have to provide proof of said appointment. They'll know if she's breaking the rules because she has to wear an ankle monitor.

She's also been ordered to have ZERO contact with the alleged victim, Jonathon Wright, or any of his family members and close associates. If, for some reason, she just happens to run into him, she's been ordered to leave the premises immediately and stay 200 yards away.

She can't possess a firearm, either.

As we reported ... Ann was arrested earlier this month after cops got a call to a hotel in Buckhead, GA where she told officers Wright had been accidentally shot in the forehead.

The 911 call didn't shed much light but Ann can be heard overcome with emotions ... screaming and crying and heard saying, "I love you" to Wright.

Snoop Dogg thinks Cardi B needs to rein it in a little when it comes to talking about and showing off her lady parts -- which has a lot of people scratching their heads.

The legendary rapper -- who's no stranger to getting raunchy -- sat down for a virtual interview recently with Central Ave and gave his honest thoughts about Cardi's hit song 'WAP,' which he says is a bit much on the explicit front ... and not a good look.

He says Cardi should "slow down" when discussing her privates, because he feels like a woman's vagina is something that should be cherished and kept secret for whoever's fortunate enough to encounter it. He says he'd like to see more privacy and intimacy, and 'WAP' pretty much epitomizes the exact opposite of that ... in his eyes.

Of course, folks were quick to jump on Snoop and call him out for what seems like hypocrisy -- seeing how he's made a career rapping about women and sex, and sometimes in very explicit terms.

Not to worry, because that irony was not lost on Snoop in his chat -- he acknowledged that if he was a younger man, he'd probably be all about it ... and might even hop on the 'WAP' remix. With that said, he notes that he's just older and sees things differently now.

Snoop mentioned having a daughter changing his perspective on life, but in the same breath ... he says she's "of this generation," so he tries not to flex too much.

Oh, the times ... they are a-changin', Snoop.

Ashanti and Keyshia Cole may not face off with a hit-for-hit throw-down after all -- because the former says she's contracted COVID-19 ... but not all hope is lost just yet.

Ashanti announced Saturday that she's got the coronavirus, taking to IG to write ... "Hey y'all I can't believe I'm saying this but I tested positive for COVID-19. I'm ok and not in any pain." Then ... a sliver of hope for fans who were dying to see her on Verzuz.

She says, "I'm actually down to do the verzuz from my house... we're trying to figure it all out!!! No word from Keyshia yet on that front, but if they could salvage the battle and still move forward ... that'd be pretty incredible, as people have been waiting on this for weeks.

Since the announcement that Keyshia and Ashanti would be the next artists to be featured in a Verzuz, the show was getting major pub and attention ... as it might be the most highly-anticipated one to date. Up until now, there haven't been too many females featured on Verzuz -- and the fan base has been clamoring for these two R&B titans to go at it.

Many note that the two women have hits for DAYS, and were eager to see who could crank out more ... and which ones would resonate with people more.

The show was supposed to get started later this evening -- at the moment, it's unclear if it'll get canceled, postponed ... or if it'll proceed. Assuming Ashanti's okay and quarantined in her house, you gotta wonder ... why the hell not???

Charley Pride -- the first Black man to break through in the country music scene -- has died from the coronavirus.

The legendary singer passed away Saturday in Dallas due to complications from COVID-19 -- this according to his PR team, which announced Charley's death. Sources tell us Charley was recently admitted to the ICU of a local hospital, where he was isolated from his family after his health took a turn for the worse.

We're told he was moved to hospice care, where he died with his wife, Rozene, by his side.

Charley was a trailblazer in country -- he's the very first Black artist to be inducted in the Country Music Hall of Fame, and quite literally paved the way for other African-Americans in the genre through the '60s, '70s, '80s and beyond.

He's sometimes referred to as the Jackie Robinson of country music, which is apt because ... Charley also played baseball professionally too.

Music-wise, CP broke onto the scene in the late '50s and early '60s with a string of country singles but no major hits. It wasn't until he released "Just Between You and Me" in 1967 that he truly broke through and received recognition, as it started climbing the charts.

Charley was nominated for a Song of the Year Grammy for the song -- and after that, things truly started rolling for him ... as he put out several chart-topping songs between the late '60s and mid-'70s, some of which reached #1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs and charted on the Billboard Hot 100 list too.

Some of those hits included 'All I Have to Offer You (Is Me),' 'I Can't Believe That You've Stopped Loving Me,' '(I'm So) Afraid of Losing You Again,' 'Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone,' 'I'd Rather Love You,' 'I'm Just Me,' 'Wonder Could I Live There Anymore,' and then perhaps his biggest hit ever ... 'Kiss an Angel Good Mornin' ... which became his pride and joy.

The song won him several accolades and went on to be covered by other huge country stars like Conway Twitty, Percy Sledge, Roy Clark and others.

As his career rolled on, Charley racked up three Grammy wins and was honored with a Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. He was inducted in the CMHOF in 2000 ... and is considered one of the most influential artists of any genre for his contributions to music.

Dolly Parton shared some kind words of remembrance for Charley shortly after news came down he'd died, writing ... "I’m so heartbroken that one of my dearest and oldest friends, Charley Pride, has passed away. It’s even worse to know that he passed away from COVID-19. What a horrible, horrible virus. Charley, we will always love you."

She ended by saying, "Rest In Peace. My love and thoughts go out to his family and all of his fans."

Charley leaves behind his wife, his three children and several grandchildren. He was 86.

Blue Ivy Carter is in the running for her first Grammy -- but the timing of her nomination is a little mysterious.

Blue's voice is featured in the beginning and end of Beyonce's single, "Brown Skinned Girl," which received a Grammy nom for best music video. However, when the nominations were announced November 24, Blue's name wasn't mentioned.

Seems like someone made a call, because Blue's name has now been added as a nominee thanks to a recent update on the Grammy's website. Nigerian singer Wizkid was also added for the track.

The mystery is ... who made the decision or the phone call to add her to the online list??? Hmmm.

Anyway, it's not the first possible slip-up for the award show in the last few weeks. You'll remember, fans and artists alike were outraged when The Weeknd's "After Hours" album and single "Blinding Lights" were left off the nomination list.

Lil Wayne just pled guilty in federal court to illegally possessing a loaded weapon while traveling to Miami on a private jet.

The feds say an anonymous tip led them to Wayne's PJ at the Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport on December 23, 2019, and when they boarded to speak to the passengers ... Wayne told them he had a gun in his bag.

Police say they found a gold-plated Remington 1911, .45-caliber handgun loaded with 6 rounds of ammunition. They also claim they found a bag containing personal use amounts of cocaine, ecstasy, and oxycodone.

Lil Wayne pled guilty to the gun charge Friday in Miami, and his sentencing is scheduled for next month. Weezy, who was convicted of a felony gun charge in NY back in 2009, is now facing up to 10 years in prison.

However, he's likely to get leniency. Our sources say Wayne agreed to the guilty plea and in exchange, the government agreed to recommend a lighter sentence because he's accepting responsibility. Ultimately, his sentence will be up to a judge, but it's a good sign for Tunechi.

Dionne Warwick's calling on her A-list friends to help celebrate her 80th birthday ... which is doubling as a fundraiser for an important cause.

The legendary singer hopped on "TMZ Live" Friday to dish deets on her Holiday Musical Birthday Celebration ... a virtual party and concert, going down Saturday, her 80th birthday.

Dionne's using the occasion to lift spirits with her angelic voice while also raising money for Hunger Not Impossible ... an org connecting kids and families in need with prepaid, nutritious to-go meals from nearby restaurants.

Some of Dionne's pals joining the festivities include Aloe Blacc and country stars John Rich and the Oak Ridge Boys -- but anyone can join through her website, where fans can buy packages with cool perks. Aside from getting entry to the virtual event, you can get a private Zoom meet-and-greet with Dionne and a special shout out from her.

And, Dionne's still making new friends ... she told us all about the friendship she's formed with Chance the Rapper since she playfully checked him on his stage name.

Meek Mill and Michael Rubin must be tired of Congress stalling on a relief package -- they've just created their own ... a $2M scholarship fund to benefit underprivileged kids in Philadelphia.

The "Championships" rapper and 76ers partner created the fund which is expected to benefit nearly 1,000 students in the Philly area ... and the impact will be IMMEDIATE. We're told the money -- which will go toward the 2020-2021 school year -- will help students from pre-K through high school score resources they desperately need during the pandemic.

The students from poverty-stricken homes who are selected to receive a scholarship can use the money to attend private/parochial schools throughout the city with costs covered. For those in e-learning school, they can use the funds to to access equipment ... like laptops, tablets and WiFi.

As you know, so many families are struggling to make ends meet, and a big part of that includes finding resources so kids can continue learning from home.

It's an awesome and much needed gesture from Michael and Meek ... close friends who are both from Philly.

Both men have been involved in multiple relief efforts through this god awful year. Michael was the architect of the All In Challenge during the early part of the pandemic. Tons of celebrities did their part in hooking it up ... from Meek, Drake, Tom Brady and Kevin Hart to Justin Bieber, Magic Johnson and Leonardo DiCaprio.

The Hollywood Hills architectural masterpiece owned by DJ Erick Morillo before he died is being listed by one of the stars of "Selling Sunset" ... who says it's his favorite home ever.

Jason Oppenheim originally sold the incredible property, once dubbed The Flying Wing, to the "I Like to Move It" DJ back in 2014 ... and now Erick's family's working with Jason to sell it again.

The 4-bed, 6-bath beauty was designed by famed architect Harry Gesner, and Oppenheim says its storied history and breathtaking views of L.A. are unrivaled ... and there's so much more.

The 4,543 sq. ft. is built into its own hillside with jetliner views from an open floor plan ... which features vaulted wood plank ceilings, and disappearing glass doors for tons of natural light.

There's a chef's kitchen, spacious living and dining areas, a custom-built bar and an infinity pool to further take in those views. After Erick bought the place, he built a state-of-the-art music studio under the pool ... and upgraded the entire property with an audiovisual system.

Erick bought the home for $7.6 million, and Jason's listing it now at $7.999 mil.

Taylor Swift sent her fans into a spiral -- believing the dress she wears in a new music video means she's hitched -- but we're told there's still no Mrs. before her name.

Taylor dropped her 9th studio album "Evermore" Friday and gave fans a music video for the single, "Willow." In the video, she sports a white-lace dress with a flower headband -- a sure sign, for fans -- that she had recently gotten hitched to her long-term boyfriend, Joe Alwyn.

However, despite what fans want to believe, sources with direct knowledge tell us Taylor and Joe are not married ... and the dress is just that. A dress.

Not to fear, there are still other nuggets in the album's lyrics for fans to find hidden messages. The song "Long Story Short" seems to reference Taylor's 2016 feud with Kim and Kanye, singing, "I tried to pick my battles 'til the battle picked me."

There's another possible reference to her failed relationship with Tom Hiddleston, "Clung to the wrong lips. Long story short. It was the wrong guy."

Pepa from Salt-N-Pepa can't shake her thang without pain and discomfort, because she claims a doctor pressured her into multiples butt surgeries and botched them.

Sandra Denton, better known as Pep, is suing Dr. David Sayah for negligence, claiming he talked her into 3 separate procedures to repair damage she suffered in a July 2018 car accident.

In legal docs, she says the wreck made the biopolymer injections she previously had in her butt and hips shift, leaving her in extreme discomfort. Pep says she was referred to Dr. Sayah in Sept. 2019 to help her out, and the plan was to remove the biopolymer material and butt implants to relieve her pain.

According to the suit, the doctor initially convinced Pep to simply replace her butt implants with smaller ones ... because she claims he told her she'd be distraught if she went back to her au natural derriere.

Instead, Pep alleges Sayah performed an unsuccessful liposuction, which required yet another corrective surgery.

Before that one went down ... she claims Dr. Sayah pressured her into a different procedure which caused her buttocks to harden and knot up -- making it difficult and stressful for her to perform on stage.

She claims the third and final surgery was in Feb. 2020 when Sayah finally removed the biopolymer material ... or so she thought.

Pep says she went to another doctor because her butt was still hurting and, after an MRI, discovered a "large amount of biopolymer silicone and dead scar tissue remaining."

Taylor Swift dropped her second album of 2020, setting fans on a rabid hunt for hidden meanings in her lyrics ... and some hear references to her Kim and Kanye feud and a failed relationship.

"Evermore" features 17 tracks, one of them being "Long Story Short" ... where Taylor sings, "I tried to pick my battles 'til the battle picked me. Misery." Fans believe it's an obvious reference to her 2016 war of words with Kim and Kanye over the lyrics to his song, "Famous."

If you don't know already ... Kanye's verse, "I made that bitch famous" -- in reference to Taylor -- sparked a massive back and forth between Kanye claiming Taylor knew the lyric was happening and Taylor claiming the opposite.

Shortly after that feud, Taylor started dating actor Tom Hiddleston, but the couple split after just a few months ... and fans think the chorus for "Long Story Short" references that too.

She sings, "Clung to the wrong lips. Long story short, it was the wrong guy."

Lil Wayne is deep in the hole with his ex-manager to the tune of more than $20 mil ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Ronald Sweeney claims Wayne hired him in 2005 to help renegotiate his deal with Cash Money. You'll recall Weezy beefed with Cash Money honcho Birdman over how much Cash Money paid out to Wayne's label, Young Money.

Long story short ... Lil Wayne settled that Cash Money lawsuit in May 2018, but Sweeney now claims he only got a few payments from that settlement ... and they were nowhere near what he says his full cut should be.

Then there's this ... in the suit, filed by attorney Ed McPherson,  Sweeney says back in May 2018, Lil Wayne asked him to fire Cortez Bryant -- Weezy's manager and childhood friend -- over a conflict of interest in a legal dispute involving Drake and Cash Money.

Sweeney says he did so, and took over Bryant's duties and got Wayne to give him a pay bump from 10% to 17% commission. But, Sweeney claims Bryant and Mack Maine then conspired to drive a wedge between Wayne and Sweeney, which allegedly worked. Sweeney says Wayne fired him in September 2018.

Then, this past June, Lil Wayne sold his masters to Universal Music Group for more than $100 million. Sweeney doesn't seem to be asking for any money from that deal ... but brings it up seemingly to point out Wayne has the cash to pay him what he claims he's owed.

Kelly Clarkson has declared war on her estranged husband, claiming he defrauded her out of a fortune.

Clarkson just filed legal docs with the California Labor Commission, claiming her ex, Brandon Blackstock, who also served as her personal manager, defrauded her by charging exorbitant fees, and she wants all of the loot back.

Among other things, Kelly says Brandon wasn't legally allowed to operate as a talent agent, because he never obtained a license.

She wants all the money back, and we are talking a fortune. Kelly has been one of the top money earners in the music biz for a long time now, so the commissions she's paid are enormous. She was with Brandon's company for 13 years.

Bryan Freedman, lawyer for Starstruck, tells TMZ “The labor petition conveniently ignores the fact that Kelly had her own licensed talent agency CAA at all times. While Starstruck Management Group provided talent management services on her behalf, it did so at all times that CAA was her agency of record."

He continues, "It is unfortunate that Kelly is again attempting to avoid paying commissions that are due and owing to Starstruck to try and achieve some perceived advantage in her ongoing custody and divorce proceedings.”

Kelly was sued by Brandon's company in September, Starstruck Management, claiming she owed the company $1.4 mil in commissions.

This is the latest shot over the bow in what has become a nasty divorce.

TMZ broke the story ... Kelly and Brandon were fighting over custody ... he wanted their 2 kids to stay with him at the family's Montana ranch. She said she did not want the kids shuttling back and forth between states, and L.A. has been home base for the children. The judge agreed, and now Brandon can only see the kids every other weekend.