R&B singer Fantasia Barrino paid tribute to the late Whitney Houston last night at a concert in Chicago. The American Idol winner discussed how, even though the late singer was a celebrity, she still was a human. Barrino remembered her own attempted suicide last year and  how much she has to live for, when she broke down in tears. Watch the clip after the jump READ MORE

The Young and the Restless’ Tatyana Ali and All My Children’s Emerson Brooks took home Outstanding Actress and Outstanding Actor awards at the 2012 NAACP Image Awards on February 17. It was also a big night for The Help, which won Outstanding Motion Picture and earned awards for Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer in Outstanding Actress and Outstanding Supporting Actress respectively. 

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Tyler Perry’s House of Paynewon in the drama and comedy categories. Oprah’s Lifeclass beat out the competition for Outstanding Talk Series. For the full list of 2012 NAACP Image Award winners visit Zap2it. See more photos from the award show after the jump!

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Might Janet Jackson fill an open judge seat on The X Factor? According to The Hollywood Reporter, the pop icon “has expressed interest in joining the show.” However,THR also revealed,  “any talks are currently in the preliminary stages.”  Reportedly, Pink and Katy Perry are also being mentioned as possible judges who Simon Cowell is interested in bringing onboard.

Photo by PR Photos

From the moment she crooned onto the scene in the early 80's, the world knew it had found a superstar in Whitney Houston. On today's Pop Confidential, Jamey Giddens, Luke Kerr, Jillian Bowe, Regan Cellura and Melodie Aikels look back on the life and legacy of Whitney Elizabeth Houston, the world's most-awarded musical act of all time.

The PC gang charts the early success of Houston's self-titled debut album Whitney Houston, released on Valentine's Day in 1985,  producing such unforgettable jams as "You Give Good Love," "Saving All My Love For You," "How Will I Know" and "The Greatest Love of All."

Then they reflect on Houston's second record, 1987's pop-heavy Whitney, which yielded a whopping four Number One hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100 charts ("I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)," "Didn't We Almost Have It All," "So Emotional" and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go?," making Houston the first female singer to achieve such a feat.

Next they discuss Houston's third album, the R&B-tinged I'm Your Baby Tonight from 1990, produced by uber producers L.A. Reid and Babyface. While this record didn't have the crossover appeal of Whitney, Houston's third effort produced several notable songs the gang fondly remembers, including the title track “I’m Your Baby Tonight” and Jamey's favorite kiss-off song "My Name Is Not Susan."

It was Houston's next musical collection, coupled with her big screen debut, which cemented her status as a pop culture deity. In 1992, the diva starred opposite Kevin Costner in the interracial romantic thriller The Bodyguard. It was for that hit film's soundtrack Houston recorded what would become her most popular track of all time. Her sultry version of country music legend Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" became the best-selling single by a female artist of all time.

In addition to "I Will Always Love You," cuts like "Run to You," "I Have Nothing," "Queen of the Night" and Houston's remake of Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman," helped The Bodyguard soundtrack become the best-selling movie soundtrack of all time. Tune in to hear Mel, Jillian and the rest of the PC gang recall what The Bodyguard phenomenon was like for them.

After the twin successes of The Bodyguard and its soundtrack, Houston continued to release music in conjunction with her work as an actress for years to come. In 1995, she starred alongside Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine and Lela Rochon in the film adaptation of Terry McMillan's New York Times’ Best-Selling novel Waiting to Exhale and performed the title track “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” for the ultimate chick flick’s soundtrack. Tune in to hear PC’s Regan speak about how Exhale’s message of women being sick and tired of their guys’ b.s. transcended color barriers.

The next year, Houston—by this point one of Hollywood’s highest paid actresses—starred opposite Denzel Washington in The Preacher’s Wife, a remake of the classic film The Bishop’s Wife. The accompanying soundtrack became the best-selling gospel CD of all-time, and even made a fan of our generally pop culture-challenged Luke, who at the time was tucked away at boarding school, rocking out to Houston’s soul-stirring jams. You’ll want to download this podcast to hear Jillian, Jamey, Regan and Mel’s stunned reactions to that particular revelation! READ MORE

R&B icon Chaka Khan is letting her feelings about record exec Clive Davis continuing on with his annual pre-Grammy party, following Whitney Houston's death, be known. Davis, who discovered Houston almost three decades ago, decided to forge ahead with his star-studded gala at the Beverly Hilton hotel — the same hotel where Houston had died hours earlier. Khan made an appearance on Piers Morgan Tonight on Monday, and blasted Houston's mentor, as well as whoever made the decision to fly a struggling addict out to L.A., a week early for her planned performance at Davis' party. Watch the exchange below!

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Luscious Jackson, the alternative rock group most known for their songs “Naked Eye” and "Lady Fingers,” has returned with their first new material since 1999’s Electric Honey. When the group debuted in 1993, they did so under the wing of The Beastie Boys;  today comprised of Jill Cunniff, Gabby Glaser and Kate Schellenbach, Luscious Jackson is back, and releasing their music in a new and independent way.  
 
I recently caught up with lead vocalist and bassist, Cunniff for Pop Confidential. We discussed the long-awaited reunion, kids and “‘90s Nostalgia.” 

Pop Confidential: A couple months ago I was driving home and I found "Naked Eye" on and the radio, a song I always loved.  Then, just when I thought things couldn't get anymore awesome, it led into an interview about your reunion! How did all that come about; it had something to do with a children's album, right?
 
Jill Cunniff:  Well, we did most of a children's album a few years back and tried to make a TV show kind of like Yo Gabba Gabba, but it didn't come together.  So we ended up putting the album on the shelf, not knowing exactly how to get it out besides just throwing it on iTunes.  This was before social media was really booming. Now we have a base of fans that we can turn to and say,” new release” or “new song.”  We didn't have that then. So, recently Gabby came to me and started talking about how all the kids in her neighborhood love the songs on the kids album, so let's finish it.  At the same time I got a call about Pledge Music, which is a crowd sourcing funding site for musicians.  We decided to do a whole new album of non-children's material to go along with the pledge drive. We are also finishing up the kids album.  The drive is at Pledge Music. READ MORE