Funk legend Bootsy Collins is launching the first ever online guitar school for bassists.

The star, who rose to fame as a member of James Brown's backing band The J.B.'s, has founded Funk University, an institution which will teach musicians of all levels, from intermediate to advanced.

Collins will serve as the school's head professor and wannabe students have been invited to enroll at TheFunkUniversity.com.

In a statement, he says, "The best day of my life was when I graduated from university. The next best day of my life will be to see students graduate from F.U. (Funk University)....

Saul Williams's The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust is all about, "Transcending those labels, borders, and boundaries that pigeonhole us." Saul manages to do this not just in the album's concept or its genre defying sound, but by releasing the album straight to the public for either the low price of five dollars or for free. In this Starpulse Q and A, Williams elucidates the album's deeper meaning and reveals that Niggy's got more in common with Parliament's Starchild than Bowie's starman, a truly funky development.

How do you feel about people's reaction and receptio...

The true-life story of Harlem's notorious Nicky Barnes, a junkie turned multimillionaire drug-lord, Mr. Untouchable takes its audience deep inside the heroin industry of the 1970s. The most powerful black drug kingpin in New York City history, Barnes came from humble beginnings to make himself and his comrades rich beyond their wildest dreams, ultimately reaching national infamy in 1977 when the New York Times put him on the front cover of their magazine with the headline "Mr. Untouchable."

Soon after, it all came crumbling down, and Barnes found himself serving a life sentence withou...

Happy Birthday to "Napoleon Dynamite" star Jon Heder (1977), "Family Guy" animator and creator Seth MacFarlane (1973), Grammy nominated Country singer Keith Urban (1967), solo artist and former 10,000 Maniacs lead singer Natalie Merchant (1963), actor and star of "The Princess Bride" Cary Elwes (1962), "The Practice" star Dylan McDermott (1961), "The Love Boat" cruise director Lauren Tewes (1962), funk bassist Bootsy Collins (1951), original "Charlie's Angel" Jaclyn Smith (1947), U.S. Senator and former First Lady Hilary Clinton (1947), "Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak (1946), star of "Who...

It was all tears and tributes at the B.E.T Awards in Los Angeles on Tuesday night as Diana Ross was feted and Gerald Levert and James Brown remembered. Ross used her Lifetime Achievement honor to call for young R&B stars to "keep it classy" while Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu and her kids sang her praises.

Ross added, "We do not have to say the F-word, we do not have to pump and grind, we do not have to do some of these things to have longevity in our career."

But the night's highlight was a touching tribute to late soul man Levert by his father, O'Jays star Eddie and pal Patti La...

Funk icon Bootsy Collins has formed a new group, Science Fiction, with former Guns N' Roses guitarist Buckethead and the rock group's drummer Brain. Both rockers previously played with Bootsy in Praxis. The new group will be fronted by producer/guitarist Greg Hampton.

Collins tells Billboard.com his new act is like, "Planet of the Apes," adding, "What would they be like? What would that feel like? We're just trying to warn the world that that's comin', and we're having fun with that."

-More Bootsy Collins Pictures

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Networ...

Happy Birthday to "Napoleon Dynamite" star Jon Heder (1977), "Family Guy" animator and creator Seth MacFarlane (1973), Grammy nominated Country singer Keith Urban (1967), solo artist and former 10,000 Maniacs lead singer Natalie Merchant (1963), actor and star of "The Princess Bride" Cary Elwes (1962), "The Practice" star Dylan McDermott (1961), "The Love Boat" cruise director Lauren Tewes (1962), funk bassist Bootsy Collins (1951), original "Charlie's Angel" Jaclyn Smith (1947), U.S. Senator and former First Lady Hilary Clinton (1947), "Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak (1946), star of "Who...

Right on. Right on. Nothing puts a dip in your hip and a glide in your stride quite like a gritty funk groove that hits the beat hard on the one. The polyrhythmic kissing cousin of classic soul and R&B, funk's sinuous slap-bass lines and booming kick drums from its heyday in the late '60s through the late '70s went on to inspire a generation of hip-hop heads. Rhino rocks funk's foundation with a four-disc collection of rump-shaking beats and hard-to-find pimpalicious jams that don't fake the funk. What It Is! Funky Soul and Rare Grooves (1967-1977) will be available October 3.

This com...

Singer/songwriter Aimee Mann has joined the summer Christmas festivities after recording an album of holiday tunes for a new album. Mann joins Bootsy Collins, country star Wynonna Judd and Sarah McLachlan among the stars currently recording Christmas compilations.

Mann's album, "One More Drifter In The Snow," features "I'll Be Home for Christmas," "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and "Your'e A Mean One Mr. Grinch," which the singer recorded as a duet with former Grant Lee Buffalo star Grant Lee Phillips.

And the singer tells fans the album will sound like a classic Christm...

Sarah McLachlan has joined the list of celebrity Christmas fans planning a 2006 festive release. The new album, Wintersong, will feature “What Child Is This,” “Silent Night” and a cover of Joni Mitchell's “River.”

After recording a version of John Lennon's “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” as a holiday release, McLachlan chose to record a whole album of festive favorites, which will compete with other Christmas albums from Wynonna Judd and Bootsy Collins.

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)

Happy Birthday to "Napoleon Dynamite" star Jon Heder (1977), "Family Guy" animator and creator Seth MacFarlane (1973), Grammy nominated Country singer Keith Urban (1967), solo artist and former 10,000 Maniacs lead singer Natalie Merchant (1963), actor and star of "The Princess Bride" Cary Elwes (1962), "The Practice" star Dylan McDermott (1961), "The Love Boat" cruise director Lauren Tewes (1962), funk bassist Bootsy Collins (1951), original "Charlie's Angel" Jaclyn Smith (1947), U.S. Senator and former First Lady Hilary Clinton (1947), "Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak (1946), star of "Who...