LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Grammy-winning singer Natalie Cole has been diagnosed with Hepatitis C and probably contracted the liver disease from drug use more than 30 years ago, according to her publicist.

“The virus, found during a routine examination, is likely the result of her drug use many decades ago,” her publicist Lellie Capwell said in a statement released on Wednesday.

Cole, 58, the daughter of legendary singer Nat King Cole, is responding well to treatment but is suffering what doctors called “significant side effects” including fatigue, muscle aches and dehydration.

The singer, whose father died of lung cancer when she was 15, documented her addiction to cocaine, heroin and alcohol in her 2000 autobiography “Angel On My Shoulder.” She overcame her addiction after a lengthy stay in rehab in the early 1980s.

“I’ve been so fortunate to have learned so much from my past experiences,” Cole said in the statement.

“I am embraced by the love and support of my family and friends; I am committed to my belief in myself and in my abiding faith to meet this challenge with a heartfelt optimism and determination. This is how I intend to deal with this current challenge in my life,” she said.

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne infectious disease that is often without symptoms and can cause inflammation of the liver, and in extreme case, liver cancer. It is usually contracted through transfusions of unscreened blood, or by injecting or inhaling drugs.

Lindsey Millar

Traveling to bigger metropolitan areas inevitably provokes “If only Little Rock had _____” discussions.
Usually, those wants and wishes die at the end of the conversation. Not so for Jason Marshall, 24, and Jennifer Jackson, 32. After the pair traveled to Dallas to see smooth soul man Muziq Soulchild, they wondered why more neo-soul acts weren’t coming to Little Rock. Some research, a few calls and connections made here and there and the two had formed Upscale Underground, a booking and promotional company focused on showcasing national talent that, they believe, hasn’t gotten appropriate shine.

Upscale means classy, laidback — an event removed from the beefs, aggression and misogyny of the clubs. Underground, like in most musical contexts, suggests artists who fly under the mainstream radar.

Upscale Underground’s debut of its “Soul’d Out” concert series barely fit that qualification. Dwele, a neo-soul artist from Detroit, came to Juanita’s in October, just months before his guest appearance on Kanye West’s song “Flashing Lights” earned the pair a Grammy nomination. The company has also featured jazz/soul artist Frank McComb and blues/soul crooner Keite Young. So far all performances have been held at Juanita’s.

Aside from filling a niche, the motivation behind Upscale Underground is simple, if almost quaint in today’s music industry: Marshall and Jackson genuinely love neo-soul music. Their early success is a testament to that. For Dwele, Marshall says they “showed him some of that Southern hospitality” and fed him and his band a big home-cooked Southern meal. The stomach is the quickest route to the heart: Dwele returned in January just to host an event and Marshall says he’ll be back again soon, too.

On Friday, Upscale Underground presents

So far, for Marshall, who works for Alltel and dabbles, impressively, in hip-hop production, and Jackson, who owns and operates Soul Serenity Salon and Spa, Upscale Underground is a part-time gig. The advances paid to artists and other costs associated with events come from their pockets, though they’re actively pursuing sponsorship.

To augment what’s so far been an almost monthly major concert offering, Upscale Underground also hosts weekly parties on Thursdays at Crush Wine Bar. Often, the parties serve as listening sessions for just-released albums by artists in the pantheon, like Erykah Badu and Jill Scott. Occasionally, local acts like Rodney Block and the Real Music Lovers or Delya Chandler and Smooth September perform.

On the horizon for Upscale Underground: smooth soul diva Conya Doss on May 10, and in September, to celebrate the company’s one year anniversary, a one-day festival in Riverfest Amphitheatre with bigger-name national acts. As Upscale Underground continues to establish connections, Marshall predicts that Little Rock will become a must-stop spot for all neo-soul artists.

DETROIT – The talent search is on for the 2008 Detroit Bring It Competition that will decide who is the most soulful singer, righteous rapper, clever comedian, delightful dancer and moving musician.

Auditions will be held April19 at the Cobo Hall Convention Center in downtown Detroit.

Detroit Bring It is a collaborative effort led by The Entertainment Task Force, community leaders and business owners.

“The event was such a success last year that we decided to make it an annual event,” says the Entertainment Task Force Committee. “Detroit has always been and will continue to be a great resource of talent and a major influence in the entertainment industry. Detroit Bring It helps to identify and develop that talent.”

At the 2007 competition, held at the Music Hall Theater located in the heart of Detroit’s Cultural Center, people packed the theater to see some of the most talented and most promising entertainers perform in the competition. A total of 15 rappers, dancers, singers and comedians competed.

Once again, there will be three categories in the competition: Music, Dance and Spoken Word, which includes hip-hop and comedy. Through the process of elimination, the selected contestants will advance to the semi-finals and onto the finals scheduled for July 2008.

About The Auditions
The auditions will be held April19 at the renowned Cobo Hall Convention Center on the second floor from 9:00 AM until 6:00 PM. The registration fee is $25.00 per entry. You must be age 18 or older to participate.

You may arrive at 7:00 AM for on-site registration. The auditions are limited to 400 contestants. No exceptions will be made.

The non-refundable registration fee is due at the time of the audition.

Applications are available at www.detroitbringit.com.

For additional information, please contact Anderson Goldfinger at 313-737-4002.

For media inquiries and interviews, please call Jackie Robinson at 313.671.6620