But if LeToya wants to wrest the crown from the reigning monarch, she'll need a better display than she presented as Blige's opener. Singing a small handful of tunes with only a taped backing, and playing in front of a monstrous white sheet (which hid Blige's already assembled stage setup), LeToya's overloud 20-minute opening set was both a sonic and a visual nightmare. While she displayed requisite pipes and lots of energy, it also seemed as though the Blige camp had set her up for failure. Yet another indication that Blige is in no way ready to give up the crown just yet. (source)

The "American Idol" winner has teamed up with Carolina Panthers safety Mike Minter to open a chain of beauty salons to fund a home to help single mothers.

The driving force behind the project is Minter's sister, Rosalind Beaty. Beaty said that she hopes to open franchises that will channel their profits to a faith-based, nonprofit residential home for single mothers.

The first shop is due to open this fall in Concord under the name Imaj Salon and Spa. (source)