Real Lyrics to Great Songs

FILE - In this April 9, 2008 file photo, Poison lead singer Bret Michaels poses for a portrait in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles.

Bret Michaels' is expected to make a full recovery, according to his doctor. The 47-year-old former Poison frontman's will to live is "undeniable," said Dr. Joseph Zabramski, chief of cerebrovascular surgery at the Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, who has been leading the team treating "The Celebrity Apprentice" contestant since he suffered a brain hemorrhage last week.

"Mr. Michaels will continue to undergo testing considering we have hit a few roadblocks, including hyponatremia, severe cranial and back pain suffered from blood drainage, an emergency appendectomy performed a week earlier and a lifelong history of Type 1 diabetes," Zabramski said in a statement released Friday by Michaels' publicist, Joann Mignano.

Michaels, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 6 and underwent an emergency appendectomy April 12, was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital last week with a severe headache. He was later diagnosed with a subarachnoid hemorrhage, which causes bleeding in the fluid-filled spaces around the base of the brain. The cause of the hemorrhage is still unknown.

"There is no doubt that Mr. Michaels' condition is serious," Zabramski added.

He said Michaels, who has two daughters, 9-year-old Raine Elizabeth and 4-year-old Jorja Bleu, "did not want his family to wake up and see him lying unconscious in the middle of the floor." He also said immediate medical attention and Michaels' "fight to stay conscious during the hemorrhage" enabled doctors to stabilize his condition.

Other doctors said it is possible that Michaels could be healthy enough to appear on "The Celebrity Apprentice" live finale May 23. He is currently one of seven contestants remaining on Donald Trump's competitive reality series, including pop singer Cyndi Lauper, reality TV diva Sharon Osbourne, celebrity chef Curtis Stone and actress Holly Robinson Peete.

"If all the studies he had done show no evidence of an aneurysm being found, it would really just depend on his energy level," said Dr. Ronald Benitez, director of cerebrovascular surgery at Overlook Hospital in Summit, N.J. "If all the tests were negative, and I was watching the show at the end of May, I personally wouldn't be surprised if he was on it."

Michaels already filmed most of "The Celebrity Apprentice" last fall. However, the finale requires the last two contestants to debate against each other live in front of Trump. If Michaels ascends to the final showdown, it would be unprecedented in "The Apprentice" franchise history if he is not present to defend himself in the boardroom.

"We've never been confronted with anything like this," Trump told Matt Lauer on NBC's "Today" show Tuesday. "He is still in the show. He's doing really, really well, and all of sudden ... I can't imagine. It's going to be live for two hours, and it's going to be in four weeks. I can't imagine he's going to be on the finale, but he very well might be."

Whether he's fired or hired by Trump during the May 23 finale or in an earlier installment, Michaels' representatives are still giving his music fans something to believe in. While his appearances scheduled through May 21 have already been postponed, Michaels' other concert dates, including his summer tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd, are going ahead as scheduled.

"At this time, we are planning to resume the tour May 26 in Ft. Smith, Ark., provided there are no further complications or setbacks," said a statement posted Thursday on Michaels' website by his tour manager, Janna Elias. "We will then continue with all scheduled dates throughout the summer and fall, including the June and July tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd."

It certainly wouldn't be Michaels' first comeback tour. After glam-rock was edged out in the 1990s, the "Unskinny Bop" singer found renewed fame on reality TV. He starred as a judge on the third season of USA's singing contest "Nashville Star" in 2005, then as the bad-boy bachelor looking for lust on VH1's tawdry dating show "Rock of Love" from 2007 to 2009.

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On the Net:

Bret Michaels, http://www.bretmichaels.com/

"Celebrity Apprentice", http://www.nbc.com/the-apprentice/

FILE -In this Jan. 10, 2010 photo Singer Bret Michaels arrives at the NBC Universal Winter 2010 press tour party in Pasadena, Calif.

Soul legend Aretha Franklin has canceled her appearance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, but organizers and fans got lucky with a replacement.

Earth, Wind & Fire happens to be in the area and offered to play on the popular music festival's largest stage on Friday night.

Festival spokesman Louis Edwards says the "Queen of Soul" told organizers on Thursday that she wouldn't be able to perform. Edwards said she apologized to fans but wouldn't give a reason why.

But Earth, Wind & Fire were already scheduled to play Saturday in Biloxi, Miss., about 65 miles away. They played Jazz Fest last year to rave reviews.

Pearl Jam is scheduled to headline Saturday, and the set will be broadcast live online to Louisiana National Guard soldiers serving in Iraq.

President Barack Obama and U2 lead singer Bono have met in the Oval Office to discuss the administration's development work in Africa.

The White House says the social activist singer joined with Obama, along with members of his national security staff, to talk about ways to make sure U.S. foreign aid is effective. They also discussed opportunities for using innovation and technology to drive economic growth in Africa.

The meeting Friday comes as the administration prepares for several international summits where development will be on the agenda.

In this April 27, 2010 photo, a 16,000-square-foot home in New Ringgold, Pa., in Schuylkill County, is seen. Many residents of the area believe celebrity couple Beyonce and Jay-Z are moving into the house, which is on the market for $11.9 million.

Hey, didja hear the news? Beyonce and Jay-Z are moving to Schuylkill County, Pa.!

That's the rumor swirling around these parts: That the singer and her rap mogul husband, Grammy Award winners both, are planning to buy a multimillion-dollar spread on 210 secluded acres in eastern Pennsylvania.

What began as idle gossip has turned into an article of faith among many here.

People are talking about it in grocery stores and pharmacies, at the fitness center and kids' T-ball games, online and over the phone. One fan even posted a welcome message on Beyonce's official website.

No one seems to know how the rumor got started. No deed has been recorded in the courthouse, no real estate transfer tax has been paid, and the celebs have yet to request a showing, according to the real estate agent listing the house.

But the gossip persists, supercharged by unconfirmed sightings of Beyonce at several businesses, from Boyer's supermarket to Heisler's dairy bar. And who was riding in that black Lamborghini seen tooling around town?

Beyonce fans Brooke Shilling and Anne Tomtishen, college students from nearby Pottsville and Ringtown, drove up to the front gate after class one day this week, excited by the prospect of one of the planet's best-known celebrity couples making a home in Schuylkill County (pronounced SKOO'-kuhl).

"I'm gonna tell everyone I'm their neighbors. It's insane!" gushed Shilling, 20.

Added Tomtishen, 23: "Maybe she'll have babies. That would be awesome!"

At first, the notion they would buy a house here seems farfetched, even ludicrous. Schuylkill County is an economically struggling region best known for the Yuengling brewery, Mrs. T's Pierogies, the Molly Maguires and a coal mining industry that is a shadow of its former self. In other words, it's a celebrity-free zone.

"I don't believe they'll be here, unless they get a taste for Yuengling," scoffed Jonathan Moss, 54, of nearby Orwigsburg.

Upon further inspection, though, the idea has a certain logic.

Beyonce and Jay-Z could do a lot worse than the unique wood-and-stone hillside contemporary at the heart of the matter. Listed at $11.9 million, it's got 16,000 square feet of living space and stunning views of Hawk Mountain, a popular birdwatching spot. The property comes with a vintage eight-bedroom Sears house, a one-bedroom guest house, a restored bank barn and frontage on the trout-stocked Little Schuylkill River. (Does Beyonce fish?)

It's also convenient - just over two hours west of Manhattan by stretch limo, even closer by helicopter or private plane.

And the region does have a few celebrity claims to fame, including 1930s bandleaders Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey and Muhammad Ali, who had a training camp a few miles away in Deer Lake.

The rumor has brought plenty of attention to the ultra-luxe property, but Beyonce and Jay-Z haven't expressed an interest in it, said Ericka Kirkpatrick, the agent who is listing the house.

"I am just humored," she said. "We have no idea what the deal is or where it got started. ... We are just being bombarded with craziness. This is so absurd!"

Jeff Faust, chairman of the local board of supervisors, said no one has approached the township about putting in a helipad - another rumor making the rounds.

"It's amazing what people will come up with," he said. "Believe me, I'd love for that property to sell. The township gets a nice chunk of change from the realty transfer tax."

The stars' reps aren't commenting, which means this rumor will likely persist at least until the house is sold. So who knows? There may be a Yuengling or two in their future after all.

In this April 27, 2010 photo, college students Brooke Shilling, 20, of Pottsville, Pa., left, and Anne Tomtishen, 23, of Ringtown, Pa., pose in front of a 16,000-square-foot home in New Ringgold, Pa. Like many area residents, they had heard rumors that celebrity couple Beyonce and Jay-Z were buying the house and wanted to see it for themselves.

In this photo provided by the Las Vegas News Bureau, Emilio and Gloria Estefan are honored on Thursday, April 29, by the Las Vegas Walk of Stars on the Las Vegas Strip for their contributions to the Latin music industry in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas celebrated Latino music icons Gloria and Emilio Estefan with two days of fanfare, culminating with a star placed in their honor on the Las Vegas Strip sidewalk.

Famed producer and musician Emilio Estefan told The Associated Press on Friday that the award was special to him because it is the first time he and his wife have received a star as a couple, and it comes from the entertainment capital of the world.

"People love Latin music - it's a proven fact through my career," Estefan said. "It's very much about the American dream."

The 57-year-old mogul, who has worked with Shakira, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony along with his wife, said he was overwhelmed by fan response and hopes to bring a concert to Las Vegas soon.

"Being in Vegas is different, you know how many millions of people pass by here," Estefan said as he prepared to go to a book signing before the star was to be placed on the sidewalk outside the Flamingo hotel-casino.

Gloria Estefan, 52, has performed in Las Vegas and is known throughout the world for her hits including "Conga" and "Turn the Beat Around."

Las Vegas Walk of Stars spokesman Pablo Castro Zavala said the star - the 48th for the walk and its first awarded to a married couple - comes in response to fans writing and asking that the Grammy-winning couple be recognized.

Zavala said the board that approves the stars approved separate stars for Estefan and his wife, but the Estefans wanted only one.

"They decided it was a better idea to do one for both because they are a couple," Zavala said.

Hundreds of people attended a Thursday ceremony for the Estefans at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, where the star was presented along with honors from local, state and federal lawmakers from Nevada.

Estefan said he hoped the star and his career would serve as inspiration for other people.

"Not only Latinos, but any kid that has brains," he said. "We live in the best country in the world."