My Daily Joe

Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins talk about the day they wrote Carrie Underwood’s 2006 No. 1 smash, ‘Before He Cheats.’ The third single from her 2005 debut album, ‘Some Hearts’ the song would top the Billboard charts for five weeks, becoming Carrie’s third consecutive No. 1 hit. It was also named CMA Song of the Year in 2007. A Top 20 crossover hit on all charts, it is Carrie’s best-selling single to date.

Chris Tompkins: At the time, Gretchen Wilson was going in to record. After her first record, everybody wanted to have a song on that second record, and I was trying to think of edgy stuff. I never would’ve thought that Carrie Underwood would record it! I went into my office that morning and began typing lyrics … not even picking up a guitar or a pen or anything … and I typed up that first verse. I’d just moved into my new house, and Josh had come over, and we were just looking for ideas. I played him what I’d typed earlier. And without even talking about it, Josh just sang that chorus line, ‘Maybe next time, he’ll think before he cheats …’ So we just started talking about it from there, how to match that first verse, and started thinking of some quirky stuff like that. And like good songs always do, the song kind of wrote itself from there. Usually a song takes a couple of writing sessions, four or five hours each — and talking and goofing off, having coffee. But this was such a quick write. It took about two hours. It was the first song I wrote in my new house! Read more »

The man did not want to let go of Bo Kimble’s hand.

Kimble couldn’t recall his name or where the exchange occurred, but like countless handshakes and encounters of this kind, Kimble says he understood this was a chance for a person to touch a part of Hank Gathers.

It’s been 20 years to the day since Gathers, a 6-7 forward and senior at Loyola Marymount, collapsed on the court and died of sudden cardiac arrest.

He was 23 years old.

“It feels about 10 years,” Kimble remembers, looking back on that heartbreaking night of March 4, 1990, during a West Coast Conference tournament game at Gersten Pavilion in Los Angeles.

“I’ve had grown men in a full cry. People come up to me all the time and remember what we’ve done. That’s been happening non-stop.” Read more »

Here are the first two sentences of Rolling Stone’s first Billy Corgan feature in a decade:

Unless you count what he’s done to his career, Billy Corgan has never attempted suicide. Until recently, there were plenty of mornings when he’d wake up to a stark choice: “Go eat breakfast, or go kill yourself.”

When Rolling Stone’s Brian Hiatt met with Corgan in Los Angeles in early February, the Smashing Pumpkins founder had a lot to say about a very rough 10 years. “There’s a lot of days where you feel forgotten,” Corgan says at one point. In a soul-baring, wide-ranging interview, Corgan discusses the idiosyncratic spiritual beliefs that saved him from suicidal depression (including his association with a vintage hippie cult called Source Family); opens up for the first time about his 2009 split with drummer Jimmy Chamberlin (Corgan says he fired him); reveals his father’s heroin addiction (his dad was arrested two years ago with a needle still in his arm); says that he “loves” Jessica Simpson; and much more. For the full feature, see our new issue, on sale now — in the meantime, here are a few highlights:

Corgan on His Critics:
“Do I belong in the conversation about the best artists in the world? My answer is yes, I do,” he says. “I’ve been too productive for too long, and despite what anybody wants to strip away from me, I am influential. I am. So all the Pitchforks in the world can try to strip me of every ounce of dignity, but I belong.”

On the Pumpkins’ Breakup:
“Rather than break up the band, what I should have done is chuck James [Iha] out,” Corgan says. “I should have just said to Jimmy [Chamberlin], ‘You go to rehab, and we’ll continue, and James, get the fuck out of here.’ Instead, I fell on my sword for James, for what I thought was a friend.”

On His Spiritual Beliefs:
Corgan subscribes to the fashionable idea that we’re building to a cataclysm, or at least a major vibrational shift, in 2012; he wonders what was really in the H1N1 vaccine; he fears that the United States is headed toward a Soviet Union-style economic collapse… But when pressed on details, he backs off: “I don’t want to be a dead hero,” he says.

On “Loving” Jessica Simpson:
“If I go, ‘Oh, we’re just friends,’ then it’s like, ‘Did they go out, did he dump her or she dump him, what happened?’ It has nothing to do with any of that. Sometimes people just like being around each other, and good things come out of that. My goal in life is to love whoever I think is worth loving, and I think if people knew her like I knew her, they would love her like I do. It’s really simple.”

On top of effing over his wife and impregnating his mistress, John Edwards is about to be indicted by a Federal grand jury. And his estranged wife Elizabeth could even help sent him to jail!

The douche is being investigated by the FBI and IRS for using campaign funds to pay his babymomma Rielle Hunter. An indictment is pretty much inevitable!

“John is terrified that he’s going to be indicted,” claims a source. “While he believes he’s done nothing illegal in trying to hide his extramarital affair with Rielle and their daughter, he thinks the Feds are going to make an example of him.”

Today’s story in the New York Times about Katie Couric vs. Anderson Cooper: Insiders tell me it’s more than likely that Cooper’s team planted the story.

“He wants out of CNN,” they say. “His ratings are terrible, and he’s miserable.”

This may be true. The sources do concede that Cooper has met with CBS News chiefs, but that the conversations are more about either anchoring the “CBS Morning Show” or joining “60 Minutes” in a more permanent way. Cooper already contributes to the latter show as a freelancer, so to speak. Read more »

According to NBC Sports, sources close to Phil Jackson are saying that LeBron James wants to be a Los Angeles Laker next year.

“LeBron wants to win. He’s a smart guy, and Phil loves LeBron, absolutely loves him,” said the source which wished to remain anonymous.

There are also rumors that the Lakers want to acquire Lebron because Kobe is getting older and will likely retire soon.

LeBron will be the biggest name on the free agent market this summer, however the Lakers have no salary cap room, and would have to sign LeBron at a very low salary (close to league minimum), which a player of Lebron’s caliber would likely not agree to. Read more »

Broadcast TV rights for Oscar-nominated “Precious” have been acquired by the gestating Oprah Winfrey Network from Lionsgate, for air after the pay television window expires in summer 2012.

“‘Precious’ is the perfect film for OWN,” said Christina Norman, CEO of the cabler, which is scheduled to launch in 2011. “It’s a powerful film of self-discovery and empowerment, and I know it will resonate deeply with our audience.” Read more »

(CNN) — Retired basketball icon Michael Jordan bought a majority share of the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats, officials said Saturday.

Jordan, who was already a minority owner of the team, headed a group that bought a majority share of the team from businessman Robert Johnson, Johnson said in a statement.

Johnson said he has signed a “definitive agreement” to sell majority interest of Bobcats Sports and Entertainment to Michael Jordan and MJ Basketball Holdings, LLC. The deal is subject to NBA approval. Details on the purchase price were not available.

Jordan has overseen the team’s basketball operations in recent years. He won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls.

Johnson, who founded BET and sold it to Viacom for $3 billion in 2001, announced that he had been looking for someone to buy earlier this year.

His fortune was depleted by an expensive divorce, but in a 2009 interview with CNN, Johnson estimated his net worth was still $1.1 billion.

Johnson’s resume is full of firsts: BET was the first African-American owned company traded on the NYSE. He was the first African-American billionaire in the United States. And, in 2002, he became the first African-American majority owner of a professional sports franchise.

Source: CNN

Las Vegas star, Airamis, and west coast legend, Knoc-turn’al, hooked up and delivered a scorching new urban banger titled “I’m on the Hunt.” While in Brickhouse studios in Las Vegas, engineered by the great Tony Mack, the two instantly connected when this instrumental came on and created an ode to all the sexy females in the club.

Read more »

TMZ has just obtained a copy of the full L.A. County Coroner’s report in the death of Michael Jackson — which until now was under seal. The conclusion is clear … Propofol killed the singer.

VIEW OFFICIAL REPORT HERE

According to the report, the manner of death is homicide and the conclusion is based on the following 4 items:

1. Circumstances indicate the Propofol and the benzodiazepines were administered by another.

2. Propofol was administered in a non-hospital setting without any appropriate medical indication.

3. The standard of care for administering Propofol was not met. Recommended equipment for patient monitoring, precision dosing and resuscitation was not present.

4. The circumstances do not support self-administration of Propofol.

The Coroner’s report was under wraps until the criminal complaint was filed and it will be a centerpiece in the prosecution of Dr. Conrad Murray on charges of involuntary manslaughter.

UPDATE: In the Coroner’s report, the scene at Jackson’s house is described in detail, and the bedroom sounds like a hospital. There was a chair next to the bed — “reportedly the decedent’s doctor sat here.” Also there — a green oxygen tank, prescription meds, medical supplies, a box of catheters, disposable needles and alcohol pads. Also found — near the foot of the bed … a closed bottle of urine.

As we first reported, authorities found 11 bottles of Propofol in the house — 3 100 ml vials and 8 20 ml vials.

Also, there was talk about Jackson’s hair and reports he was bald. In fact, the Coroner’s report says, “The decedent’s head hair is sparse and is connected to a wig.”

UPDATE: As for what drugs were found in Michael Jackson’s house … authorities found Diazepam (for anxiety) prescribed by Dr. Murray, Lorazepam (for anxiety) prescribed by Dr. Murray and Temazepam (for insomnia) prescribed by Dr. Murray. Authorities also found Clonazepam (for panic disorders) prescribed by Dr. Allan Metzger, Trazodone (an anti-depressant) prescribed by Dr. Metzger. And they found Tizanidine (a muscle relaxer) prescribed to Omar Arnold (a Jackson alias) prescribed by Dr. Arnold Klein. There was also an empty vial of Propofol injectable emulsion and an empty glass vial of a Flumazenil injection (which reverses effects of sedation) and a broken syringe.

As we first reported, authorities found 11 vials of Propofol … 3 100 ml vials and 8 20 ml vials. None of the bottles had prescription directions, patient or doctor names.

They also found liquid Midazolam (anti-anxiety), Lorazepam liquid (injectable) and 14 capsules of ephedrine (for narcolepsy and depression), caffeine aspirin, Zanaflex (a muscle relaxer) and Prednisone (for skin conditions). There was also Azithromycin (an antibiotic), prescribed by Dwight James/Cherilyn Lee and the patient name was Kathlyn Hursey.

UPDATE: An anesthesiologist who consulted with the Coroner said there are “NO reports of its use (Propofol) for insomnia relief, to my knowledge. The only reports of its use in homes are cases of fatal abuse.”

SOURCE: TMZ