Tony Bennett is quite amazing. He turns 86 tomorrow. So what’s he been doing? Playing golf? Napping? No, Tony has recorded a whole new set of duets with Latin superstars. Jeez, Louise. The guy never rests. The album, “Viva Duets,” will hit stories in late October. Marc Anthony, Gloria Estefan and Vicente Fernandez are among the artists. On Friday August 3rd at 9am you can hear his duet on “The Best is Yet to Come” with Chayanne at www.tonybennett.com. It’s his birthday gift to us!

Here’s the track listing:

“For Once In My Life” with Marc Anthony
“Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” with Miguel Bosé
“The Very Thought of You” with Ana Carolina
“The Best Is Yet to Come” with Chayanne
“The Good Life” with Franco DeVita
“Who Can I Turn To?” with Gloria Estefan
“Return to Me (Regresa A Mi)” with Vicente Fernández
“Blue Velvet” with Maria Gadú
“Just in Time” with Juan Luis Guerra
“Are You Havin’ Any Fun?” with Dani Martín
“The Way You Look Tonight” with Thalía
“Cold, Cold Heart” with Vicentico

Julia Fordham has a loyal following, but you may not know about her. Her voice is gorgeous, maybe the best in pop music right now. Of course, she’s not 19. Today is her birthday, and Fordham, who’s British but lives in Santa Monica, will play a special show tonight at Molly Malone’s on South Fairfax Blvd. in Los Angeles. I wish I could be there. Actor-musician Paul Reiser, who collaborates with her, will be among her special guests along with Celia Chavez. Julia’s first hit was in the late 1980s with “Happy Ever After.” She’s made many stunning albums since then including “Concrete Love” and “East West.” Just listen to her “Stay” or “Manhattan Skyline,” or “Porcelain.” It’s kind of criminal that she’s not recording for a big label. (Hello Verve? Blue Note? Decca?) Maybe if Julia covers “Call Me Maybe,” things will change. In the meantime, here’s a great great singer at the peak of her career. Happy Birthday, Julia. Today all of the videos at the bottom of our home page are yours.

Julia Fordham and Paul Reiser: “Stay”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s4BS3NVCqo

More videos in the video player

I don’t know how she does it: it was only six years ago that Oprah Winfrey was touting new age nut Eckhart Tolle as the all time genius of the world. He was her spiritual mentor. Winfrey actually ran podcasts and internet classes with the guy who has since quietly vanished from the spotlight. Now, maybe because she’s in her own personal crisis with her OWN network, Oprah is pushing a new guru. (She still hawks Marianne Williamson.) This guy is named Michael Singer, author of a book called “The Untethered Soul.”

But Michael Singer is indeed better known in his hometown of Alachua, Florida as Mickey Singer. And in 2005 he was indicted in a massive government fraud case against his company Medical Manager Health Systems, which was an offshoot of WebMD. http://www.gainesville.com/article/20051216/LOCAL/212160339 Singer was accused with nine others of inflating Medical Manager Health Systems profits, and of conspiring to launder money.

Two years after the indictment, Singer donated $100,000 of new computer software to the Alachua Police Department. By the time the case was over in 2010, Singer settled with the government by paying a $2.5 million settlement. The government dropped all charges. Singer acknowledged that the accounting practices of his company were illegal but–according to the agreement hammered out between his powerful Washington DC lawyers from Baker Botts and local Florida prosecutors–didn’t know it was taking place at the time. http://tinyurl.com/c9u3y4m

Later, the people actually convicted by the government had their verdicts overturned based on a lapsed statute of limitations. http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100303/articles/3031013

Now Singer will appear on Oprah’s Sunday Soul show this weekend on OWN. After his long adventure with the government, Singer–who was an early software multi-millionaire in the medical systems field–became a guru. He started something called the Temple of the Universe outside of Gainesville, Florida. He has lots of followers, but I’m not sure you could call it an actual cult. Temple of the Universe is registered with the IRS as a religion and has non profit tax status. But they’ve filed no public papers about their finances. They don’t even come up on Charity Navigator. But Singer is selling books and CDs and conducting new age classes and lectures.

Odds are Oprah will not be asking him about all this other stuff on Sunday’s show.

The video for Justin Bieber’s song, “As Long as You Love Me” is out. It’s ridiculous. Bieber looks a cross between Hilary Swank in “Boys Don’t Cry ” and a young Anne Murray. He’s supposed to be a rebel who wants to run off with his girlfriend. Michael Madsen, who’s at least a foot or more taller and fifty pounds heavier minimum–plays the girl’s father. When he beats up Justin, it’s laughable. Bieber’s bruise make up is sort of pathetic.

Forget that the song itself isn’t really a song–it’s just a chorus and a drum track. As it plays, Bieber is made to endure looking like a fool. He is not macho. Nothing will change that. He’s more like a nacho, and Madsen looks  like he’s going to devour him. Rapper Big Sean has a cameo rapping, and he’s a welcome diversion. His rap at least has some edge.

But except to clueless young tween girls, Justin Bieber exudes the sex appeal of a Rubbermaid kitchen mat. This video is a severe mistake. Bieber’s album is already a bust sales wise. It needed a hit single. This is more like a bunt to the pitcher, who throws him out at first.

Justin Bieber was better off courting the Donny Osmond-Clay Aiken crowd. He isn’t James Dean. He’s Treble with a Cause. The poor kid. Maybe let him grow hair in, give him clothes that look masculine, for god’s sake. Give him a fighting chance.

Photo: Anne Murray cNigel Dixon

“As Long You Need Me” Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4em3LKQCAQ

Anne Murray:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N04hV81t_Rc

Hilary Swank, “Boys Don’t Cry:”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOarssJWHhI

Jermaine Jackson is a pragmatist. In the end, he’s realized he can’t beat Michael Jackson’s estate. He’s taken his name off the letter that started this whole catastrophe. He’s left Janet and Rebbie twisting in the wind. Randy is now totally isolated in his little failed coup. And Randy shouldn’t be surprised that Jermaine deserted him. It was Jermaine who “stole” Randy’s babymama and had two more kids with him.

Here’s Jermaine’s posting today. I’ve broken it into paragraphs for easier reading:

Yesterday, I had a phone call with my son Jaafar that broke my heart. He asked: “Is it true that we cannot visit grandmother’s house as a family anymore?” Enough has become enough… After much soul-searching, it is clearly time for us to live by Michael’s words about love not war. In this spirit, I offer this statement by way of extending an olive-branch. Accordingly, I rescind my signature from the letter which was sent to the Estate, and which should never have gone public.   I still hold deep reservations about many issues involving the Estate, and I will continue to bring scrutiny and a resolute voice wherever we have cause for concern.

But the way to address such matters is through the proper channels and via a private dialogue, not public conflict. Whatever the tabloid and on-line misrepresentations have led people to believe, my primary concern has only ever been rooted in the welfare of our mother in the environment where she lives. No-one on the outside has a clue about the stresses and pressures she has been under long before recent events and I, like everyone in the family, adore the ground she walks on. We are also still raw from the loss of Michael three years ago. The ever-present grief has haunted me with questions about whether we stepped off him too much or whether we did enough to help when a corporate world surrounded him.

So when it comes to the well-being of loved ones, and especially our mother, we are perhaps understandably and unapologetically over-protective. As attorney Perry Sanders has since confirmed, a health check detected high blood pressure with Mother. Rest was the sole reason she went to Arizona. Prince even carried her bags down the stairs and urged her to rest-up, because we all come from the same caring place. When she was away, and with the children in the responsible care of Tito’s son TJ, there was never a malicious attempt to “block” the kids from talking with her. We simply worried that a call home would first entail, or lead to, conversations with individuals we are in dispute with and that would, therefore, increase pressure on Mother — and pressure was what a doctor said she didn’t need.

This was why we went to the house in Calabasas to talk directly with the kids and merely discuss arrangements for them to meet with their grandmother. We were denied that access by security — and it was clear that mutual suspicions had allowed events to spiral out of control. I regret that events were ever allowed to reach such a stage. I regret any distress caused to Prince, Paris and Blanket. That was never, ever the intention of myself, Janet, Rebbie or Randy.

Moving forward, the most effective way to best serve Mother’s welfare, and that of Michael’s children, is to start a collective dialogue, in private. Mistakes have been made and irrational things have been said on both sides in a highly-charged emotional environment. It is time for us all to draw a line in the sand and move towards peace, co-operation, love and healing. I truly hope that we can find it in our hearts to do so. Because above and beyond anything else, what matters…is family.