Top Earning Woman in Music

Carl De Souza/Getty Images

Forbes
"It takes a really big man to fill my shoes," Madonna once quipped. Apparently, it also takes a really rich man to fill those formidable size eights. The 49-year-old pop superstar tops Forbes' first-ever Cash Queens of Music list of the top-earning female musicians, banking $72 million between June 2006 and June 2007.

Madonna earned much of that from her landmark "Confessions" tour, the highest-grossing tour for a female artist, earning $260 million worldwide. During that time-frame, Madonna also enjoyed income from record sales, her deal with hipster retailer of choice H&M and payment from NBC for rights to broadcast her concert performance at London's Wembley Stadium.

The Material Mom isn't slowing down one bit as she swings toward her 50th birthday this August. In October, the famously shrewd musician ditched Warner Music Group, her record label of 20 years, for an unprecedented 10-year deal with concert promoter Live Nation worth an estimated $120 million.

In Pictures: Top-Earning Women In Music

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Music's Biggest Cash Kings
Top-Earning Actresses
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The 20 women on Forbes' Cash Queens list earned a combined $420 million between June 2006 and June 2007. The vast majority collected hefty paychecks from sell-out tours. Barbra Streisand, who at 65 is the list's oldest member, earned the No. 2 spot with $60 million thanks to her comeback tour, her first since she announced her retirement in 2000. Hard-to-get tickets to see Babs live fetched on average $300 apiece, the highest ticket price for any concert that year. Compare that with tickets to see the Rolling Stones live last year, which sold for $137 apiece on average.

To compile the list, Forbes examined concert grosses, merchandising revenue, album sales and additional revenue streams from ancillary businesses: clothing lines, fragrance deals and endorsements. Only "active" artists were considered -- those who had released an album or film or toured during the specified period. These are gross income figures, with no deductions for taxes, management or agent fees.

Rounding out the top three is Celine Dion, 39, who banked $45 million, largely from her hugely successful "A New Day" concert series at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The long-running show, opened in 2003 and housed in the Coliseum Theater built specifically for the spectacle, had been seen by an estimated 3 million fans before it wrapped in December. Dion's groundbreaking deal ushered in a cadre of big-name music acts (Elton John, Bette Midler) signing exclusive contracts in Las Vegas.

Landing the No. 4 spot is Shakira, 30, the Colombian-born crossover phenom who earned $38 million. The multiple-Grammy-winning star swiveled those famously nimble hips on an astonishing 98 tour stops during the period. (She made headlines when she audited history classes at UCLA on the West Coast leg of the tour.) In November, Shakira appeared on the soundtrack for the film adaptation of "Love in the Time of Cholera."

Country stars fared well on the list. Faith Hill (No. 8) earned $19 million touring with her husband, country singer Tim McGraw. The Dixie Chicks (No. 9) trailed close behind with $18 million. Martina McBride (No. 13) earned $12 million, while "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood (No. 15) rode her country sound to $7 million.

Even Britney Spears snagged a spot on our list, though she toured minimally, lip-synching her way through a handful of House of Blues clubs last spring. Despite near-daily public meltdowns culminating in September's humiliating "comeback" performance at the MTV Video Music Awards, the troubled 26-year-old mother of two still managed to eek out $8 million from old hits and surprisingly strong sales of her perfume, Curious, which grossed $55.4 million in 2006.

Licensing deals buttressed the earnings of several Cash Queens, including Gwen Stefani and Jennifer Lopez, who boast their own clothing lines and have stamped their names on popular fragrances. Beyonce is the list's endorsement darling, having bagged contracts with A-list sponsors like L'Oreal, American Express, and Samsung. Hilary Duff, who at 20 is the youngest member of the Cash Queens list, presides over a tween merchandising empire -- spawned from her days as Disney's Lizzie McGuire -- that pocketed her $12 million.

Gwen Stefani is pregnant!

Singer Gwen Stefani is pregnant, Gavin Rossdale's father, Douglas, tells Usmagazine.com.

"Yes, they are!" he gushed to Us early Tuesday in a telephone interview. When asked if he's happy, he said, "Of course!"

Britain's The Sun first reported the news.

Stefani, 38, and husband Gavin Rossdale, 42, have a 20-month-old son, Kingston.

Babies have been on Stefani's brain since she welcomed Kingston -- one of Us' Babies of the Year -- in 2006.

Last fall, when The Guardian asked Stefani what's next, she replied, "Make babies, make music. I'm on repeat mode."

Stefani and Rossdale have been married since September 2002.

the pain he left us....

To many who saw Heath Ledger in the last months of his life, the actor appeared to be happy, healthy and excited "in a great place," in the words of one friend.

Which only made his sudden end feel more tragic.

Haydn Ledger, one of the 28-year-old actor's uncles, said his nephew wouldn't have done anything rash. "It just wouldn't come into the equation at all," he said Thursday in an interview on CBS' "The Early Show."

He and Mike Ledger, another of the actor's uncles, deflected a question about whether their nephew had been depressed, saying that should be left to his parents to address.

Ledger told The New York Times in November that working on the films "The Dark Knight" and "I'm Not There" had been stressful, and that he was struggling with sleeplessness and had taken the sleep aid Ambien.

Medical examiner's office spokeswoman Ellen Borakove said an autopsy Wednesday was inconclusive and that authorities would know more in about 10 days, when more tests are expected to be complete.

Ledger's housekeeper and a massage therapist found the actor dead Tuesday, lying naked and face-down on his bed, police said.

There were six different types of prescription drugs in the room, including pills to treat insomnia and anxiety, and an antihistamine, according to two law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

A rolled-up $20 bill was found on the floor near the bed, but New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne said lab tests found nothing to indicate the bill had been used to snort drugs. Police also said no illegal drugs were found in the apartment.

Lee Daniels, who produced the critically acclaimed 2001 movie "Monster's Ball," in which Ledger starred, strongly disputed any notion that Ledger had a drug problem.

"The definition of substance abuse is really up to one's perspective," Daniels said. "I didn't see him as a drug addict. I saw him as someone who enjoyed life. I know drug addicts he was not a drug addict."

The law enforcement officials said three of the drugs were prescribed in Europe. Ledger had recently been filming in London.

Daniels also said the Australian-born actor was in great spirits when they saw each other a few months ago.

"He was in a good mood, he was in a great place ... he was excited about living in New York," Daniels said.

Police said Ledger probably died between 1 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. Tuesday. At 1 p.m., the housekeeper went into his bedroom to change a light bulb, saw him sleeping and heard him snoring.

"I didn't think anything was wrong," the housekeeper, Teresa Solomon, told the New York Post. She said she was "still shaking" and unable to sleep a day after the actor's death.

At 2:45 p.m., the massage therapist showed up for Ledger's appointment, knocked on his door and got no answer. She later noticed Ledger was unconscious and called actress Mary-Kate Olsen, whose number was programmed into Ledger's cell phone, to seek advice, police said.

Olsen said she would send over her private security. In the ensuing moments, the massage therapist realized that Ledger might be dead, called Olsen again, and then called 911. Paramedics and Olsen's security people arrived minutes later.

News of the death stunned family, fans and colleagues.

"Working with Heath was one of the purest joys of my life," said Ang Lee, who directed Ledger to an Oscar nomination in the 2005 film "Brokeback Mountain." "He brought to the role of Ennis more than any of us could have imagined a thirst for life, for love and for truth, and a vulnerability that made everyone who knew him love him. His death is heartbreaking."

Before moving to Manhattan, Ledger lived with then-girlfriend Michelle Williams in a four-story, sage-green Brooklyn brownstone with a black wrought-iron fence. Ledger was a frequent guest at the Brawta Caribbean Cafe two blocks from the house, owner Jennifer Ewers said.

"He was a perfect gentleman. He comes in here with his hoodie on, reads a book, and gives you a peace sign," she said. "He was always with his daughter, playing hide-and-seek among the plants, or on his skateboard, peeking his head in."

Fans left flowers and candles Wednesday outside the Brooklyn home and Ledger's apartment in Manhattan's tony SoHo neighborhood. Khaled Ali, 41, a stage manager for a Broadway show, dropped off a candle at the apartment building on his way to work, saying he and fellow cast members were devastated.

"I felt a connection with him as an actor, as a fellow in the theater community," he said. "With 'Brokeback Mountain' he touched me personally in telling the story of my community. It was very touching."

Intense roles became Ledger's trademark soon after he got his start in such teen movies as "10 Things I Hate About You." He buried his Australian accent and downplayed his leading-man looks as a sexually confused cowboy in "Brokeback Mountain," a drug addict in "Candy," and an incarnation of Bob Dylan in "I'm Not There."

His role as the Joker in the upcoming Batman movie "The Dark Knight" may be his final finished performance.

Ledger split last year with Williams, who played his wife in "Brokeback." The two had a daughter, the now 2-year-old Matilda.

Williams and Matilda returned to their Brooklyn home Wednesday evening from Trollhattan, Sweden. The 27-year-old actress had been there shooting scenes for the upcoming film "Mammoth," said Martin Stromberg, a spokesman for film production company Memfis Film.

Stromberg said Williams had gotten the news of Ledger's death at her hotel late Tuesday night.

Streams of reporters and a thicket of satellite trucks on Wednesday surrounded Ledger's Manhattan apartment, where some letters were piled among well-wishers' bouquets and candles.

One handwritten note on plain white paper read:

"Heath, how could anyone hate 10 things about you. We couldn't find one bad thing about you. God bless your soul, you're in our prayers."

___

Latest on Heath Ledger Death

Heath Ledger's body will be undergoing an autopsy today.

The actor, it has been revealed, was suffering from pneumonia at the time of his death.

He had also recently been filming in London shortly before his passing on Tuesday.

Friends of the Australian actor are saying that they saw his death coming.

"Heath has gone though a rough road of trying to get sober," reveals a pal.

Ledger's substance abuse issues could be one of the reason for his split from Michelle Williams, mother to their two year old Matilda.

Williams is said to be devastated over the news of Ledger's passing.

Ledger was most recently linked romantically to Australian model/actress Gemma Ward.

And, although The New York Times has reported that Heath's death is likely an overdose, his family is insisting that it was an accident.

So sad. So incredibly sad.

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NEW YORK - Heath Ledger, the talented 28-year-old actor who gravitated toward dark, brooding roles that defied his leading-man looks, was found dead Tuesday in a Manhattan apartment, face-down and naked at the foot of his bed with prescription sleeping pills nearby, police said.

There was no obvious indication that the Australian-born Ledger had committed suicide, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.

Ledger had an appointment for a massage at the SoHo apartment that is believed to be the home of the "Brokeback Mountain" actor, Browne said. The massage therapist and a housekeeper found his naked body in the bed at about 3:30 p.m. They tried to revive him, but he was already dead.

"We are all deeply saddened and shocked by this accident," Ledger's publicist, Mara Buxbaum, said in a statement Tuesday night. "This is an extremely difficult time for his loved ones and we are asking the media to please respect the family's privacy and avoid speculation until the facts are known."

Outside the building on an upscale street, paparazzi and gawkers gathered, and several police officers put up barricades to control the crowd of about 300. Onlookers craned their necks as officers brought out a black body bag on a gurney, took it across the sidewalk and put it into a white medical examiner's office van.

As the door opened, bystanders snapped pictures with camera phones, rolled video, and said, "He's coming out!"

An autopsy was planned for Wednesday, medical examiner's office spokeswoman Ellen Borakove said.

While not a marquee movie star, Ledger was an award-winning actor who chose his roles carefully rather than cashing in on big-money parts. He was nominated for an Oscar for his performance as a gay cowboy in "Brokeback Mountain," where he met Michelle Williams, who played his wife in the film. The two had a daughter, now 2-year-old Matilda, and lived together in Brooklyn until they split up last year.

It was a shocking and unforeseen conclusion for one of Hollywood's bright young stars. Though his leading man looks propelled him to early stardom in films like "10 Things I Hate About You" and "A Knight's Tale," his career took a notable turn toward dramatic and brooding roles with 2001's "Monster's Ball."

"I had such great hope for him," said Mel Gibson, who played Ledger's vengeful father in "The Patriot," in a statement. "He was just taking off and to lose his life at such a young age is a tragic loss."

Ledger eschewed Hollywood glitz in favor of a bohemian life in Brooklyn, where he was one of the borough's most famous residents. "Brokeback" would be his breakthrough role, establishing him as one of his generation's finest talents and an actor willing to take risks.

Ledger began to gravitate more toward independent fare, including Lasse Hallstrom's "Casanova" and Terry Gilliam's "The Brothers Grimm," both released in 2005. His 2006 film "Candy" now seems destined to have an especially haunting quality: In a particularly realistic performance, Ledger played a poet wrestling with a heroin addiction along with his girlfriend, played by Abbie Cornish.

But Ledger's most recent choices were arguably the boldest yet: He costarred in "I'm Not There," in which he played one of the many incarnations of Bob Dylan ƒƒ‚‚ as did Cate Blanchett, whose performance in that film earned an Oscar nomination Tuesday for best supporting actress.

And in what may be his final finished performance, Ledger proved that he wouldn't be intimidated by taking on a character as iconic as Jack Nicholson's Joker. Ledger's version of the "Batman" villain, glimpsed in early teaser trailers, made it clear that his Joker would be more depraved and dark.

Curiosity about Ledger's final performance will likely stoke further interest in the summer blockbuster. "Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan said earlier this month that Ledger's Joker would be wildly different from Nicholson's.

"It was a very great challenge for Heath," Nolan said. "He's extremely original, extremely frightening, tremendously edgy. A very young character, a very anarchic presence that taps into a lot of our basic fears and panic."

Ledger told The New York Times in a November interview that he "stressed out a little too much" during the Dylan film, and had trouble sleeping while portraying the Joker, whom he called a "psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy."

"Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night," Ledger told the newspaper. "I couldn't stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going." He said he took two Ambien pills, which only worked for an hour, the paper said.

Ledger was a widely recognized figure in his Manhattan neighborhood, where he used to shop at a home and children's store. Michelle Vella, an employee there, said she had frequently seen Ledger with his daughter ƒƒ‚‚ carrying the toddler on his shoulders, or having ice cream with her.

"It's so sad. They were really close," said Vella. "He's a very down-to-earth guy and an amazing father."

Before settling down with Williams, Ledger had relationships with actresses Heather Graham and Naomi Watts. He met Watts while working on "The Lords of Dogtown," a fictionalized version of a cult classic skateboarding documentary, in 2004.

Ledger was born in 1979 in Perth, in western Australia, to a mining engineer and a French teacher, and got his first acting role playing Peter Pan at age 10 at a local theater company. He began acting in independent films as a 16-year-old in Sydney and played a cyclist hoping to land a spot on an Olympic team in a 1996 television show, "Seat."

After several independent films, Ledger moved to Los Angeles at age 19 and costarred opposite Julia Stiles in "10 Things I Hate About You." Offers for other teen flicks soon came his way, but Ledger turned them down, preferring to remain idle than sign on for projects he didn't like.

"It wasn't a hard decision for me," Ledger told the Associated Press in 2001. "It was hard for everyone else around me to understand. Agents were like, 'You're crazy,' my parents were like, 'Come on, you have to eat.'"

___

Associated Press Writer Sara Kugler contributed to this report.

Mcconaughey is going to be a Dad!

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - Matthew McConaughey is going to be a dad. The actor and his girlfriend, Brazilian model Camila Alves, are expecting a baby, publicist Alan Nierob said Tuesday.

McConaughey made the announcement on his Web site.

"Got some blessed news ... a celebration of life and bounty ... a newborn concieved (sic) ... yes, my girlfriend Camila and I made a baby together," McConaughey wrote.

Alves, who is three months along, is doing well, the actor wrote.

"We are stoked and wowed by this miracle of creation and this gift from God, and so excited for the adventure that will come in raising this child, being a mother and a father," he said.

McConaughey goes on to say, "Wish us the best, keep us in your prayers, and God bless evolution."

McConaughey, a Texas native, has appeared in films including "The Wedding Planner" and "Sahara" and was named People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" in 2005.

His latest film, "Fool's Gold," is to be released next month.

jason lewis is hot!

We’ve been hearing about Jennifer Aniston’s Los Cabos mystery man. Now OK Magazine is saying the man wearing the fedora and sporting a goatee is likely model turned actor Jason Lewis.

The rumors have been flying for weeks that the Sex in the City friend of Courteney Cox and David Arquette, 36 year old Lewis, is dating Aniston, He likely spent holiday time between Christmas and New Year’s with the Arquette’s and Aniston in Mexico.

Bitten and Bound reported previously that the National Inquirer believes Aniston is living with and pregnant by the actor. These latest reports have us hungering for some sightings of the couple. In the meantime we’ll have to be satisfied with gazing at photos of these extremely attractive celebrities.

Congrat!

she's giving birth anytime soon....and glad that Joel treated her so well.

Is she or Isn't?

Although Jennifer Aniston’s rep adamantly denied Jennifer was pregnant with her first child, photos of the actress vacationing in Mexico over the weekend seem to tell a different story.



I normally don’t believe pregnancy rumors like these, but I must admit, homegirl is sporting a definite pooch in these photos. A tiny pooch probably wouldn’t mean much on any other woman, but Jennifer is almost always completely lean, so a little bloat sticks out quite a bit on her tiny frame.

Happy New Year 2008

a very very happy new year to all of u guys out there....all the best and may God blessing be with you guys.