X Factor finalist Amelia Lily has confirmed that she has recorded a duet with Kelly Rowland, her mentor on the show, which will appear on her debut album. The 17-year-old had previously hinted at working with the Destiny’s Child singer – but told This Morning that they had teamed up on a track.

‘Me and Kelly actually recorded in the studio not so long ago,’ she said, adding that they had kept in touch. ‘I’ve got a lovely voicemail off Kelly which she left me just before Christmas.,’ Amelia revealed. ‘She said, ‘Hello my little Lily’.’

The teenager did not reveal details of what song they had recorded, although she did previously perform River Deep Mountain High with Kelly during the X Factor final in December.

Amelia originally left the show in the first week of the live finals after each of the judges had to nominate one of their acts to send home. However she was voted back in to the show after Frankie Cocozza was axed, and went on to reach the final, finishing in third place.

Her debut single Lay It On Me is set for release next month.

Grammy Award nominee Kelly Rowland and music industry veteran Sylvia Rhone will be feted during Grammy week at the third annual Essence Black Women in Music event. Featuring an exclusive performance by Rowland and special guest Eve, the Feb. 8 invitation-only event in Los Angeles will also include guest DJ MC Lyte – the first female solo rapper nominated for a Grammy.

Rowland, who first rose to fame as a founding member of history-making girl group Destiny’s Child, is a current Grammy nominee in the best rap/sung collaboration category for “Motivation” featuring Lil Wayne. She was also a judge on the eighth season of the British reality TV talent show “The X Factor.” Rowland’s “talent, drive and remarkable creative force show what it truly means to be a young powerhouse in an ever-changing industry,” says Essence editor-in-chief Constance C.R. White in a statement.

Rhone most recently served as president of Universal Motown, where she oversaw a roster that included Drake, Nicki Minaj, Erykah Badu and Stevie Wonder. She is currently a member of the board of directors of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. “Sylvia Rhone is an iconic driving force in the music industry who has become a trailblazer for African-American women everywhere,” says Essence president Michelle Ebanks.

“To be acknowledged by [Essence] is truly a privilege,” says Rhone in an email to Billboard. “To be honored with Kelly Rowland, for whom I have the utmost respect, will make this a very special evening.”

Previous Essence Black Women in Music events have saluted Janelle Monae and Mary J. Blige. This year’s event is being sponsored by Lincoln and My Black Is Beautiful. Additional details, including venue, will be announced shortly.

Britain’s new favourite female is the face of the ‘make mine Milk’ campaign. Click on the image to view more pictures.

X-Factor judge Kelly Rowland has been unveiled as the latest celebrity to front the ‘make mine Milk’ campaign. From today, Kelly can be seen on buses across Great Britain sporting the iconic milk tash.

Carrying the headline ‘feel good factor’, the advertisements, shot by acclaimed photographer Perou, aim to communicate the health benefits of consuming low fat milk to teenage girls and families in Great Britain. The ‘make mine Milk’ campaign is designed to remind people that milk, packed full of nutrients and containing less than 2% fat, is the ideal product to keep you feeling good.

Kelly has shot to stardom since joining the X-Factor panel in August of this year. Her poise, beauty and sense of style have made her an instant hit with British women of all ages, who have been inspired by her positive nature and confidence.

Now Kelly has revealed some of her ‘feel good’ secrets: a bowl of cereal with semi-skimmed milk in the morning or a warming latte on a winter’s evening. She said:

‘I really believe that looking after your body makes you feel good on the inside and happy on the outside. When I’m feeling fit, I also feel confident and comfortable in my own skin.

‘I like to eat healthily and milk is an important part of that; I have muesli with semi-skimmed milk when I wake up in the morning and now that I am spending this winter in London, I love to pick up a lattĂŠ on my way home from the studio when it’s cold outside!’

Ex-Destiny’s Child member and self-proclaimed Independent Woman, Kelly Rowland is the latest in a long line of celebrities to don the famous milk tash as part of the multi-million-pound campaign. Amongst others, she follows in the footsteps of Harry Potter star Rupert Grint, F1 driver Jenson Button, supermodel Elle Macpherson, pop princess Pixie Lott and Michelin-starred chef Gordon Ramsay.

The ‘make mine Milk’ campaign launched in April 2010 and has now entered into its final year of funding. The campaign was created by the Milk Marketing Forum, which is a consortium of leading dairy companies comprised of Arla Foods UK, Dairy Crest Limited, First Milk, Milk Link and Robert Wiseman Dairies, with support provided by Dairy UK and The Dairy Council. Of the £7.5 million total spend for the three-year campaign, a third comes from European Union funding.

For news on the ‘make mine Milk’ campaign, visit the campaign website www.makemineMilk.co.uk. Alternatively, fans of the campaign can keep up to date by following @makemineMilk on Twitter, joining the vibrant Facebook community, www.facebook.com/makemineMilk, or visiting the YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/makemineMilkuk.

“Here I Am” is finally getting an international release date! Kelly’s latest album featuring such hits as “Motivation” and “Commander” is going to hit international shelves around November 25th. The album was previously officially available only for US market and fans from Europe (like myself) had to struggle to get their own copy. So remember to check your local store when you can expect “Here I Am” shipment.

It is rumoured the international album will have a slightly different cover (attached above) however in some countries you may get it also with regular picture.

We don’t know yet how the international version will be different from US edition. In a recent interview with TheGrapeJuice Kelly shared that she’s hoping to add more bonus tracks to the new release.

“I’m actually starting the recording process for the international record – which will be out in November. So yeah, that is true. And I’m going in with different producers too. There will be more bonus tracks on the international record; which is exactly what I wanted, because there’s some songs that didn’t go on to the US version of the album that will go on to the international version. There will, as said, also be newly recorded tracks included too!”

“I’ve been in tears all week,” Kelly told “The Sun.” “The infection is really low down in my throat.”

While there’s no word yet on the type of infection, Kelly’s rep confirmed that she is taking a break to tend to her health. “Kelly is devastated she won’t be here for this weekend’s show,” her rep said in a statement on Friday. “She is extremely ill with a viral throat infection and her doctors aren’t permitting her to fly.”

According to “The Sun,” Kelly began to feel ill last Sunday while traveling from the UK to LA. “I was on the plane and I got this weird scratchy feeling in my throat,” said Kelly. “By the time I landed, I couldn’t swallow.”

Kelly’s condition grew so severe that doctors had to give her intravenous fluids.

“I’ve been on a drip, had injections of antibiotics and been drinking water non-stop. I even had a cortisone shot,” Kelly said.

Hopefully Kelly is back up and at ‘em for next weekend’s show.

The exciting new show was produced by Christian Fletcher and will see Kelly and Michael singing a duet of one of the country’s most loved Christmas songs.

Gary and comedienne Dawn French will also be appearing to bring some merriment to the festivities.

Grammy award-winning singer Michael has had great success with his previous shows, An Audience With and This Is Michael Buble, and has sold over 30 million albums worldwide.

On the new one-off show he will be performing classic seasonal hits from his new album ‘Christmas’, as well as other favourites. He said:

“I’m thrilled to do this show. Christmas is my favourite time of the year and I’m looking forward to being in all your living rooms celebrating the holidays.”

John Kaye, the controller of entertainment who commissioned the programme, added:

“This major special will evoke nostalgic memories of those wonderful Christmas shows of yesteryear but with a modern twist. It’s a must-see special event for all the family.”

Michael Buble: Home for Christmas will be shown on STV in December.

Although still basking in the success of Here I Am, buddy and Motivation songwriter Rico Love says Kelly is ready to get back into the studio to start recording her next album.

“I’m starting Kelly’s new album soon,” reveals Love, who penned the smash “Motivation” and several other cuts off Rowland’s third album. “While she’s on tour, I’m gonna be writing records for her new album. We can kinda roll that out and drop her new single in late spring. Excited about that,” Rico told Rap-up.com.

Rico adds that he  hopes to achieve the same success as Motivation, which spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

“It feels like a long time coming,” says Love. “I started her album two-and-a-half years ago, so to be able to get here and see as much success as we’ve seen on this record and album so far is amazing. You put in hard work and it pays off. It sounds cliché, but it’s always good to have that success, especially when people doubted it.”

Kelly is currently at Union Square in New York City to support education for the “Back to school” project. Kelly Rowland will ring a “wake up” bell to remind kids that school is just around the corner. Then kids will maneuver through an obstacle course that mimics day to day activities and distractions during the school year. The event is meant to promote school attendance and graduation.

After scoring a massive #1 hit on the US R&B/Hip Hop charts with ‘Motivation’ (featuring Lil Wayne), our girl is serving up another sexy urban collaboration.

‘Lay It On Me’ is the second official single from Kelly Rowland’s forthcoming studio album Here I Am and it is produced by Hit-Boy, who is signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music production team. Just like it was with ‘Motivation’, Kelly’s new single will feature a guest rapper – this time, it’s an upcoming hip hop artist Big Sean. Take a listen to ‘Lay It On Me’ here.

The sexy radio-ready track hears Ms Kelly giving orders over hard-hitting, synth-ridden beats – “tell ‘em you’ll be here in the morning, oh no. Tell your lil’ friends that you’re rolling solo. Tonight, boy make my body go, ‘oh’…” – before Big Sean spits, “the king of the California Kings, you gotta call me sire. Watch me lay it down and I ain’t even tired…”

Kelly Rowland’s forthcoming album Here I Am has been three years in the making, featuring collaborations with RedOne, Stargate, Rico Love, Dr Luke, Ester Dean and Tricky Stewart. The project has spawned several singles along the way however, it is unclear whether which – if any – of the previously released singles will appear on the final album tracklisting.

In 2010, Kelly put out two international dance singles – ‘Commander’ (featuring David Guetta) and ‘Forever And A Day’ – and two underperforming US urban releases, ‘Rose Colored Glasses’ and ‘Grown Woman’. The singer successfully recaptured the attention of the wider American urban community when she released the Jim Jonsin-produced ‘Motivation’ two months ago. The song became Kelly’s first solo #1 hit on the R&B charts since ‘Dilemma’ with Nelly back in 2002. ’Motivation’ also peaked at #21 on the US Billboard Hot 100, making this her first mainstream charting single since ‘Like This’ with Eve reached #30 four years ago.

Ms Kelly, who is also well appreciated in the international market for her dance collaborations, recently scored a UK Top 10 hit with Alex Gaudino’s ‘What A Feeling’. Apart from catching big breaks in the music world, Kelly also recently scored a lucrative gig as the new UK X Factor judge.

Kelly’s Here I Am is set to be released in America on 26 July, almost a month after ex-bandmate Beyonce releases her album 4.

Credit: KOvideo

The 30-year-old had been rumoured to be one of the new judges on the hit talent show when it returns later this year. She will be replacing Dannii Minogue, who had to quit the show after the dates clashed with her other projects.

Kelly Rowland said: “I am so excited to join The X Factor UK and be able to spend time in one of my favourite places in the world.   The music coming out of the UK right now is incredible with artists like Adele, Jessie J and James Blake, so I’m confident this season of The X Factor will give me opportunity to hear a few diamonds in the rough.   Being a judge is never easy, but I promise to be as sternly honest as I can and also encourage everyone who crosses the stage.  I can’t wait to meet the world’s next superstar!”

She will join Irish music mogul Louis Walsh and Take That singer Gary Barlow.

Today Kelly is celebrating her 30th birthday! How the time goes! Remember when she was just a teenager singing “No No No”? Happy Birthday Kelly! I wish you all your dreams to come true and that your upcoming album be a worldwide success!

Post in comments your birthday wishes to Ms. Kelly!

Your thoughts?

How I spend my weekends depends entirely on my workload during the week. If on the rare occasion I’ve had a pretty relaxed schedule, I’d spend all of Saturday socialising with friends and going out near my home in Miami. I get up early, usually around 8-9am, and make lemon pancakes with fruit and turkey bacon. If I can’t find the urge to cook, I’ll head out to my favourite restaurant, Big Pink, a stone’s throw from my house. They make the best Belgian waffles. Naughty me!

I’m very fortunate to live so close to the sea, so after breakfast I’ll head to the beach to soak up some rays and go for a dip. I can spend hours there, taking in the scenery and letting go of my thoughts. I live by myself, which can get lonely sometimes, so I’m on the search for a canine companion – preferably a poodle. I’m a sucker for small dogs.

I can still be a bit of a party girl when I want to be. I keep in touch with the others from Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé [Knowles] and Michelle [Williams]. Last week we went out for dinner and talked till the restaurant closed. I love being surrounded by close friends and relatives, catching up on the latest gossip and eating good food.

When me and the girls feel like a night out, we usually kick off with a round of cocktails at a bar near my house before migrating to one of the nearby clubs for a major dance-floor workout.

Miami is a very sexy environment and people from all over the world come to party here.

When I’m touring, my schedule is packed with lots of glitzy celebrity events, performances and press interviews. I work ridiculously long hours and don’t really get much sleep. I’d probably get up at around 5am on a Saturday, spend a couple of hours in hair and make-up and have appointments for the rest of the day. It can be a very stressful situation.

If I’ve had a busy day like this, I would need to spend the next day lying in bed and relaxing, which is why I love Sundays.

Sundays are an opportunity to unwind and enjoy some time to myself. I usually get up late and spend the entire day lying in bed and watching movies. I saw Avatar for the 10th time last week, which is quite funny seeing as I was only introduced to it three weeks ago.

I only get out of bed to make a quick trip to the loo or to grab something to eat which is usually a takeaway.

It is quite similar to how I spent my weekends as a young teen, when Destiny’s Child was in its early days. We were busy rehearsing new songs and learning dance routines, which helped me channel any excess energy.

But afterwards we’d have slumber parties where we’d watch movies and gorge on pizza till we fell asleep. Bliss.

I’m working this weekend and the next, so it might be a while before I can enjoy a day in bed, sadly.

Kelly Rowland, newly signed Universal Motown, is bringing a revamped and grandiose sound for her self-titled album, Kelly Rowland. Being her third studio album as a solo artist, Kelly Rowland exhibits Rowland’s maturation with emotionally charged lyrics and a range of musical elements from techy dance tracks to slow ballads. Ms. Rowland’s listening party at Hudson Hall in New York City’s Upper West Side, yesterday, was an intimate celebration of the new direction that Rowland is taking with her art and career.

While perched elegantly atop the mahogany finished bar table, Kelly Rowland, looking stunning in a flowing tan mini dress and chunky taupe suede heels, was interviewed by the equally fabulous Gayle King. King questioned the artist about her initial fear of failure after leaving the musical powerhouse that is Destiny’s Child, personal development as an artist and how real life serves as a constant inspiration for music.

The first song played from Kelly Rowland was “Rose Colored Glasses,” a Dr. Luke produced track that speaks to the issues that arise when one plays the fool in a relationship. After the audience’s appetite was wet, the fun up-tempo song written by Ne-Yo, “Shake The Haters Off” came through the speakers while Rowland screamed “Blast that!”

“Its like a job I that I never get a break from/because haters never take a vacation,” cranked thorough the room enveloping the listeners and compelling everyone to bob their heads. “Grown Ass Woman,” also written by Ne-yo, had her digging through old pictures from the Destiny’s Child days reflecting on how far she has come yet how “Grown and silly” she still is. The ante was upped with “Forever and A Day” where Rowland displays her vocal skill by wailing on the track with long-winded riffs and hitting sky-high notes. The listening section ended with “Heaven and Earth,” a beautiful sonic portrait, painted with flecks of sentiment; a picture of what the singer believes is what “we deserve as a people.”

Kelly Rowland is a testament to the new heights to which Ms. Rowland will soar. With a new lease of life, she is rooted in her strengths as an individual. It is a celebration of her career as a refined and developed singular artist, a proud declaration that she is simply Kelly Rowland. Source

Kelly Rowland, Ciara,  MTV’s Sway Calloway and New Boyz Join Effort to Help Get Out the Word about HIV and STD Testing

NEW YORK, June 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The first Be Greater Than AIDS: Get Yourself Tested Week will kick off on June 19th, calling on Americans, especially young people, to get tested for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the week leading up to National HIV Testing Day (June 27th). The campaign will spotlight 10 cities — Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York, and Washington D.C. — where free testing is available and other special events are taking place.

If interested their is more information after the break

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), one in five of the more than one million Americans living with HIV aren’t aware that they have it.  HIV and other more common STDs often show no symptoms and thus frequently go undiagnosed.  Testing and treatment can save lives and reduce the further spread of HIV and other STDs.

The special week long promotion brings together GYT: Get Yourself Tested, a year-round campaign spearheaded by MTV, the Kaiser Family Foundation, the CDC and Planned Parenthood to increase testing for STDs, including HIV, among young people, and Greater Than AIDS, a national movement launched last year by Kaiser and the Black AIDS Institute to respond to the domestic AIDS crisis, in particular the disproportionate epidemic facing Black Americans.  Gilead Sciences provided financial resources to support the promotion.  

“Testing is about community. We will never get the HIV epidemic under control until everyone understands that we are all in this together,” said Frank Oldham, Jr., President and CEO of the National Association of People With AIDS.  “Getting tested should be part of every American’s routine health care, from adolescence through senior years, and no one should be stopped from getting tested by fear or shame.”

Elements of Be Greater than AIDS: Get Yourself Tested Week include:

* Free HIV Testing and events in 10 Cities: Young people can log on to http://www.GYTNOW.org to find locations offering free HIV testing during the week.  Additionally, Planned Parenthood health centers in select cities will open their doors to offer free and low cost HIV testing on select days during the week. Counseling on other STDs will also be provided.  Select Walgreens stores in Chicago will also offer free HIV testing on June 25th and will support the effort with in-store promotions.  For more information about locations and times, visit:  http://www.GYTnow.org

* Celebs Talk Testing: Ciara, Kelly Rowland, MTV News Correspondent Sway Calloway, New Boyz and other celebrities will urge young people to take action to know their status in a series of new TV and radio public service ads (PSAs) produced by MTV and in some local market interviews and events.  

* Media Partners: A cross-section of media partners, including MTV, Clear Channel Radio, CBS Radio, and Radio One, among others are providing significant airtime for the campaign’s PSAs.  Some other ways the media partners are helping to get out the message include:

* Clear Channel Radio will debut on June 19 “I Am Greater Than AIDS,” a half hour special radio show hosted by renowned entertainer, author and radio personality Steve Harvey.

* In Atlanta, HOT 107.9 (Radio One) will kick off the week at its annual Birthday Bash, June 19th, with an on-stage call out by talent and promotions throughout the Birthday Bash arena.

* In Washington, DC, WPGC — 95.5 (CBS Radio) DJ, Anji Corely will get tested on air as part of the promotion.

* New Mobile App:  MTV will unveil a new iPhone application based on Pos or Not, an interactive game initially launched online with the Kaiser Family Foundation that challenges stereotypes and breaks down the barriers that may prevent people from talking openly about HIV/AIDS, getting tested, and using protection.  People from across the U.S. — half of whom are living with HIV and half who are not — share parts of their lives for “Pos or Not” by divulging their HIV status to help dispel myths and misconceptions about HIV and AIDS.  Players confront their own HIV stereotypes as they guess whether a profiled participant is positive or negative based only on a photo and a few personal details, such as what they do on the weekends or their favorite kind of music.  To date, the game has been played 10.1 million times online.

* Targeted Online Resources: In addition, a customized web page at http://www.GYTNOW.org provides information about free testing and events in each city as well as other informational and community resources.  Beyond the 10 cities, users can use the site’s testing location finder to identify local resources anywhere in the country by simply entering a zip code.  The site also offers a multitude of resources including facts about STDs and talking tips on how to discuss STD testing with partners, parents, and health care providers. 

Be Greater Than AIDS: Get Yourself Tested Week is supported by the National Association of People With AIDS (NAPWA), which launched the first National HIV Testing Day in 1995, along with the National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) and the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD).  State and local health departments identified free testing locations and are helping to support the effort with additional outreach and special events. 

For more information about Be Greater Than AIDS:  Get Yourself Tested Week, visit http://www.GYTNOW.org.

An extension of MTV and the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Emmy and Peabody-winning “It’s Your (Sex) Life” partnership to promote responsible decision making about sexual health, GYT: Get Yourself Tested encourages routine STD testing.  GYT is developed together with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Planned Parenthood Federation of America.  Gilead Sciences provides additional financial support.  For more information visit http://www.GYTNOW.org.  

The Greater Than AIDS movement responds to the AIDS crisis in the United States, in particular to the severe and disproportionate epidemic among Black Americans.  Through a national media campaign and community outreach, Greater Than AIDS aims to elevate the public’s knowledge and understanding of HIV/AIDS and confront the stigma surrounding the disease.  It is developed in support of Act Against AIDS, a multi-year effort by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention to help refocus attention on HIV/AIDS in the U.S.  Major media companies are working together to distribute Greater Than AIDS public service ads and related content.  Special promotions provide more in-depth coverage.  State and local health departments and AIDS offices, AIDS service organizations and other community groups developing targeted efforts to reach priority groups and local populations.  Corporate partners are helping to cross promote and extend the reach of the media campaign.  Greater Than AIDS is overseen by the Kaiser Family Foundation with expert guidance from the Black AIDS Institute. For more information, visit: http://www.greaterthan.org

Local Contacts and Quotes:

ATLANTA

Planned Parenthood Southeast, Leola Reis, 404-688-9305 x 312; Dominique Doyle, 404-688-9305 x 339

Georgia Health Department, Ravae Graham, 404-651-7774, rgraham.DMA.GA_DMA@dhr.state.us

CHICAGO

Planned Parenthood of Illinois, Lara Philips, 312-592-6820

Chicago Department of Public Health, Michael Hunter, 312-747-9191, Hunter_Michael@cdph.org

“Chicago has been hit hard by HIV and AIDS, but we have seen a great deal of progress and success in HIV testing,” stated Christopher Brown, Assistant Commissioner for the STI/HIV Division for the Chicago Department of Public Health. “During NHTD, the Health Department will test hundreds of people in a variety traditional and non-traditional settings, such as our ‘testing villages’ during community festivals.”

CLEVELAND

Planned Parenthood of Northeast Ohio, Joanne Green, 330-535-2674 x 1304

Cleveland Department of Public Health, David Merriman, dmerriman@city.cleveland.oh.us

DALLAS

Texas Department of State Health Services, Carrie Williams, 512-458-7119, carrie.williams@dshs.state.tx.us

HOUSTON

Planned Parenthood of Houston & Southeast Texas, Rochelle Tafolla, 713-831-6573; Laura Leon 713-831-6525

Houston Department of Health and Human Services, Barry Barnes, 713-794-9129, Barry.Barnes@cityofhouston.net

LOS ANGELES

Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, Sam Wald, 213.284.3200 x3554

California Department of Health, Ken August, 916-440-7259, ken.august@cdph.ca.gov

Los Angeles Department of Public Health, True Ann Pawluk, (213) 351-8002, tpawluk@ph.lacounty.gov

MIAMI

Planned Parenthood of South Florida and the Treasure Coast, Judith A. Selzer, 561-472-9940

Miami-Dade County Health Department, Olga Connor, 786-336-1276, olga_connor@doh.state.fl.us

NEW YORK

Planned Parenthood of New York City, Erica Sackin, 212-274-7294

NYC Health Department, Celina De Leon, 212-788-5290, pressoffice@health.nyc.gov

“Nearly 4,000 New Yorkers are diagnosed with HIV each year,” said Dr. Monica Sweeney, Assistant Commissioner for HIV/AIDS at the NYC Health Department. “Nearly a quarter of them are already sick with AIDS — meaning they may have gone undiagnosed for a decade or more. Knowing your HIV status is one of the best things you can do for your health and to stop the spread of HIV. People who test negative can learn how to stay that way by practicing safer sex. People who test positive can get the treatment they need and take special precautions to avoid infecting others. We thank the Kaiser Family Foundation and MTV for bringing the GYT campaign to New York City. I’ve had my HIV test. If you haven’t, get yours today.”

NEWARK

New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, 609-984-5874

WASHINGTON DC

Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, Diane Quest, 202-973-4882

DC Department of Health, Dena Iverson, 202-724-7481, Dena.Iverson@dc.gov

SOURCE Henry J. Kaiser Foundation

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20100616/pl_usnw/DC21777_1

Kelly Rowland is a control freak.

The former Destiny’s Child singer admits she likes to plan every detail of her life but was pleased recently when her date insisted he make all her decisions.

She explained: “When I’m on a date, I’m very in charge. It’s like, ‘Hello my name is Kelly and I’m a bit of a control freak!’ Even when I go to dinner with my friends, I say, ‘OK, we’ll all order this and this and this, and I want this day to run like this’

“I’d gotten away with it on some dates until recently when this guy actually made me be the woman, and I thought that was really cool.

“He said, ‘Let me be the man; I know you know what’s great on the menu, and I know you know exactly where you like to go, but I like to be spontaneous, so tonight you’ll be the lady and I’ll be the man.’ And I was like, well alright! I liked the way he put me in my place. He’ll be getting a call back.”

Although Kelly admits to having been unlucky-in-love in the past, she always tries to learn lessons from her heartbreak following advice from her former bandmate Beyonce Knowles.

She added: “Heartbreak moulds and makes you stronger. It makes you aware of what you want and don’t want in love. I actually got that from Beyonce.

“I remember I called her crying about some guy and Michelle Williams was rubbing my back while I was talking about it and Bee said, ‘Well at least you know what you want and don’t want!’

“And I thought that was the funniest thing because I’d never thought about it like that. I stopped crying and was like, ‘Oh yeah!’ So I wrote down my list of what I wanted and didn’t want and my list is good now.” Source

1. Her talent is underrated – Kelly’s voice is a-ma-zing. When she was a part of Destiny’s Child, she didn’t get the opportunity to showcase her singing chops much (although she did sing two verses on the popular “Bootylicious” track). Once she went solo, what was always known became clearly apparent- Kelly can blow!

2. Her sense of fashion is undeniable – Kelly has remained in the spotlight, and sometimes it has simply been for her chic and classy style. She’s usually a front-row fixture at NY Fashion Week, and she even co-hosted the first season of Bravo’s Fashion Show alongside fashion icon, Issac Mizrahi.

3. Her down-to-earth attitude is unmatched – If you’ve ever listened to an interview with Kelly, or watched her on the red carpet, she’s always graceful and poised and she seems like one of the most humble of celebrities.

4. Her philanthropy is unnoticed – Kelly launched a non-profit charity, I Heart My Girlfriends, earlier this year. The foundation’s goal is to build self-esteem and empowerment among teenage girls as well as serve as an interactive support system. She also serves as an ambassador for MTV’s Staying Alive Foundation, which seeks to reduce discrimination against those affected by HIV and AIDS.

5. To show the world she’s unintimidated – She’s not going anywhere, and we want her to fearlessly show this at her new label, and in her next album. (And of course, we’d love to see her give the almighty Beyonce a run for her money!) Source