Pacquiao home in L.A burglarized

L.A. County sheriff's deputies caught four people in the act as they were burglarizing the home of boxing star Manny Pacquiao, officials said.

According to a Sheriff's Department statement, deputies were in Pacquiao's neighborhood and saw the burglary go down. It occurred at 1:30 p.m. in the 500 block of Plymouth Boulevard in Hancock Park. No one was home at the time.

Los Angeles Sheriff's Capt. Mike Parker told The TImes the investigation is ongoing.

"Like any other burglaries, we are investigating to see if these burglars are involved in other crimes," Parker said.

The area is typically patrolled by the Los Angeles Police Department, but the sheriff's deputies were there following up on a crime that had occurred in the Sheriff Department's area. Parker did not elaborate on the nature of the previous crime.

Miss U may be dethroned?

LOS ANGELES, CA – The reigning Miss Universe Leila Lopes of Angola is feared to be dethroned, according to a newspaper in Argentina.

Miss Angola is once again facing another allegation following her “controversial” triumph in the recently concluded Miss Universe pageant in Brazil.

An Infobae newspaper of Argentina disclosed a report, accusing Lopes on falsification of documents.

Lopes allegedly falsified her documents just to enter the qualifying contest in England and to become the official representative of Angola.

The document said the beauty queen lived in the United Kingdom and studied business management. But contrary to this, Lopes never really left Angola.

The report further said a person named Charles Mukano helped Lopes to fake her documents in order to join the beauty contest of Angolan community in England.

Infobae also mentioned the reports of Angolan media telling that Mukano allegedly paid the pageant judges to guarantee Lopes’ victory.

The 25-year old, Leila Lopes is the very first woman to bring home the Miss Universe crown to Angola.

Prior to this, after she was crowned the Miss Universe 2011, Lopes was purportedly criticized by Miss France and supporters of Miss Universe 3rd runner-up Shamcey Supsup, telling that she (Lopes) did not deserve to win.

Miss Angola Leila Lopes is the fourth African who seized the Miss Universe crown.

Miss Philippines Shamsey Supsup, 25

Shamcey Supsup was favored by no less than a queen of talk and TV mogul OPRAH Winfrey for the 60th Miss Universe crown. Oprah gave her two cents worth regarding the outcome of the recently-concluded Miss universe pageant and it’s now circulating on Facebook and Twitter.

The Queen of Talk allegedly said in a report from NBC News:" “I have reservations with the results. If the only basis is the Q and A portion, after having been trimmed down to 5, Ms. Philippines deserved to win. What made her different from d rest is that she had no seconds to rethink of her answer as she had no interpreter to break the ice. The rest had their interpreters and having breaks on seconds to think about their answers. Hands down, Ms. Philippines answered straight to the point.”

During the question-and-answer portion of the Miss Universe pageant today, American actress ViVica FOX asked Shamcey Supsup, “Would you change your religious beliefs to marry the person that you love? Why or why not?”
Supsup answered swiftly with conviction, “If I would have to change my religious beliefs, I would not marry the person that I love. Because the first person that I love is God, who created me.I have my faith and my principles, and this is what makes me who I am. If the person loves me, he’ll love my God, too,”she added.

Shamcey Supsup was the only one among the final 5 contestants who answered the judge’s question in English and without an aid of an interpreter.
It was a tricky question which kinda reminds us of Venus Raj‘s same moment last year. But the essential thing about Shamcey’s answer was that she replied spontaneously as a Filipino and as herself and not as a beauty pageant contestant who wants to bring home the crown.
This is exactly Oprah’s point and we couldn’t agree more.

Miss Angola Leila Lopes

AP) SAO PAULO - Leila Lopes from Angola was crowned Miss Universe Monday night, smoothly handling an interview question about what physical trait she would change if she could by stating it was her inner beauty and principles that counted most.
The 25-year-old Lopes is Angola's first winner. She beat out 88 other competitors to win the title during the 60th anniversary of the world's biggest beauty pageant. She replaces last year's winner, Ximena Navarrete of Mexico.
"Thank God I'm very satisfied with the way God created me and I wouldn't change a thing," Lopes said when asked her interview question. "I consider myself a woman endowed with inner beauty. I have acquired many wonderful principles from my family and I intend to follow these for the rest of my life."

The first runner-up was 23-year-old Olesia Stefanko of Ukraine and the second runner-up was Priscila Machado of Brazil. The third was Miss Philippines and the fourth Miss China.

Contestants from 89 nations on six continents spent the past three weeks in Sao Paulo, trying to learn samba dance steps, visiting impoverished children and kicking a football around for cameras as the globe's biggest beauty contest is held in Brazil for the first time.

"It was well deserved, we were cheering for her all along," said 36-year-old Sao Paulo resident Carolina Rocha, a fan who attended the event. "Her smile and her friendliness was what set her apart from the others. She also answered her question very well, that likely helped her a lot."

Before the contest began, judges offered little insight into who they thought might win.

"I know my job and I'll be tough, but fair," said pageant judge and journalist Connie Chung. "You have to keep in mind that these women are not objects just to be looked at. They're to be taken seriously. I want to choose somebody I take seriously and the world takes seriously, too."

Paula Shugart, president of the Miss Universe organization, was hyped for the night.

"It's our 60th anniversary, it's a very big show," she said. "We're anticipating close to a billion viewers from around the world."

Shugart said it was fitting the globe's biggest beauty pageant be held in Brazil at this time, as the nation prepares to host some major events in the coming years.

"I don't think there is any doubt in the rest of the world's mind that Brazil is the place, between hosting the Olympics and hosting the World Cup," she said. "I love the fact we're going to kick it off. I always say we're the 'World Cup' of beauty."

The contestants, who must never have been married or had children and who must be at least 18 years of age and under 27 years of age by Feb. 1 of the competition year.

The pageant, hosted by NBC "Today" anchor Natalie Morales and the Bravo network's Andy Cohen, was broadcast live on NBC and distributed to about 170 countries. The contest is co-owned by Donald Trump and NBC, and the celebrity judges included Chung and two prominent Brazilians, supermodel Isabeli Fontana and Indy race car driver Helio Castroneves.

Morales, who is half Brazilian, said that "what's most important is for the women to be beautiful inside and out."

For Cohen, the task of hosting is an easy one.

"It's a fun job. All I have to do is stand there, smile and scream the names of countries," he said.

Sharply dressed women and men were jostling for chances to have their photos taken with stars on the red carpet. Some traveled from across the globe to support contestants.

Jehona Dreshaj, 17, arrived from Kosovo to cheer on her sister, Aferdita Dreshaj, who is representing the European country.

"It doesn't really matter the outcome, she is already a winner in our eye and we are so proud of her," she said. "This has been an incredible experience for her and for all of us. It's great for her to be representing our country in an event like this"

There have been no headline-grabbing gaffes going into this year's competition, as opposed to past years that have seen controversies of various stripes. The show itself went off without a hitch.

Some of the contestants have complained to the local news media about the size of bikinis used in some photo shoots, with Miss Mexico Karin Ontiveros saying they were "very small."

That was enough to draw chuckles in Brazil, where women from all walks of life, not just beauty queens, sport barely there swimwear on beaches throughout the country.

Miss USA Alyssa Campanella, from California, failed to end a long losing spell for the U.S. in the competition. An American has not been named Miss Universe since Brook Lee won the title in 1997.

Story of Jonas Brothers

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Within a year Jonas Brothers have successfully raised their reputation to be one of musicians worth acknowledged. If their first effort 'It's About Time' (2006) only managed to peak at #91, their self-titled sophomore album went straight to #5 in Billboard Hot 200 chart. In the first week of its release, the album was sold 69,000 copies, beating various artists' soundtrack of 'Hairspray' by hundreds. A review in USA Today read, "They've got fizzy harmonies, punchy power chords and sugary choruses that bounce off the walls." Prior and post the album's release, the trio have sold out tickets of their shows, graced covers of teen magazines and been signed for special appearances. As young icons, they have been booked to make a cameo in Disney Channel's ' Hanna Monthana TV series on August 17 where they will perform a duet with the main star Miley Cyrus . The brothers also jumped on their first major tour as the supporting act of Cyrus on that fall starting from October 18 in St. Louis, Missouri.

Unlike Hanson or other teen bands where the siblings have been bond as a group, Jonas Brothers did not start as a band but a solo. It started with ...a single project of youngest brother Nicholas Jerry Jonas who was born September 16, 1992. He was spotted by Columbia Records that immediately also noticed the talent of his two older brothers Joseph Adam Jonas (born August 15, 1989) and Paul Kevin Jonas II (born November 5, 1987). The three of them started performing as a trio called Sons of Jonas before eventually landing the more commercial name, Jonas Brothers. All this while their father would book them gigs and give finance to reach their dream.

Their first Columbia album 'It's About Time' was released on August 8, 2006 and its first single 'Mandy' quickly gained success although still mild. 'Mandy' was placed at #4 in MTV's TRL, a considerably good start for a young newcomer. Meanwhile in Disney's radio, 'Mandy' and another track 'Year 3000' were very well received that they both topped the chart along with other off album singles that they recorded such as 'Kids of the Future', and 'Poor Unfortunate Souls'. Despite all the attainment, the debut album failed to reach wide success and only peaked at #91 in the Billboard Albums chart. The brothers were soon dropped from Columbia. then was a new label, different approach in music and determination. Not long after being 'label-less', they were signed to Records where they began the work of second album immediately. "When we signed to Hollywood," Kevin recalled, "we told the label, 'Hey, we have some demos of songs we've been writing for the past year and a half.' We thought it'd be so funny to just record those songs for the album to see what we could get away with. But those turned out to be the songs on the record!" 'Jonas Brothers' was released on August 7, 2007 after two singles 'Hold On' and 'SOS' were released to successful chart performance. First single 'Hold On' peaked at #70 followed by 'SOS' that debuted at #65.

Like most teen heartthrobs, the band that come from Wyckoff,NEW JERSEY, also made occasional TV appearances. In 2007, the pilot to a new fictional television series titled J.O.N.A.S! featuring the trio as a group of government hired spies was shot. Its release date on Disney Channel is expected in 2008.

Nsync Story

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What does *NSYNC mean ? -
JustiN, ChriS, JoeY, LansteN and J.C.



If it weren't true, someone would surely invent this story. Five handsome, charming and talented young men from all over America, each with a passion for singing and a dream of stardom come to Orlando, Florida. Soon after individual professional breaks, they form a vocal quintet. They take a name utilizing the last letter of each of their first names to signify the perfect unity of their harmonies. Less than a year later, the group cuts an album, which becomes a monster hit in Germany and then all over Europe. The album is released in the U.S. and almost overnight, the group attains staggering worldwide success and fame. This is the incredibly true story of *NSYNC.

Their self-titled debut in 1998 sold over ten million copies with four number one hits: "I Want Your Back," Tearin' Up My Heart," "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You," and "Drive Myself Crazy." Fans ate up their holiday album, Home For Christmas. The follow-up, No Strings Attached, broke records and sold 2.4 million albums in its first week. "Bye Bye Bye," "It's Gonna Be Me," and "This I Promise You" instantaneously became pop classics. The accompanying tour sold out arenas and stadiums. Surely, this was all a fluke.

If the stadium dates on the sold out *NSYNC 2001 PODODYSSEY Tour or the infectious anthem "Pop" and its amazing video still don't convince you, then you simply don't want to admit true artistry. With each album and each live performance, *NSYNC just gets better and better. Their latest offering, Celebrity, is a collection of great pure dance music that's made especially with their fans in mind. Just like No Strings Attached and following in the tradition of Michael Jackson and The Beatles, Celebrity is a concept album.

"We chose the title Celebrity because the term is a misconception of what people really are," says Justin. The ability to never take themselves seriously has always been the group's most endearing quality. Celebrity pokes fun at their legendary status in pop music (just check the album cover) and even addresses some of the issues that accompany fame. Even more impressive than their social commentary is the increased songwriting and production from the group's members. JC, who also contributed to No Strings Attached, co-wrote four songs and co-produced three. "Our records are just about having good energy, having fun. That's why we even did a 2-step record like 'Up Against the Wall,'" says JC.

Celebrity also introduces Justin as a songwriter and producer. He co-wrote seven tracks and co-produced five on the new album, most with *NSYNC's choreographer Wade J. Robson. Believing they would be a great team, Justin approached Wade about collaborating musically. "We got together right after the last tour and wrote for a week, that's it, and came up with 'Pop,' 'Celebrity,' 'See Right Through You,' and 'Gone.' It's crazy. We've got a chemistry that's second to none," Justin says.

With so many songs on Celebrity with the Justin stamp, fans will get to see a new side of the charismatic singer. "If you write the things that you perform, you're putting your heart out there for everybody to either hold and nurture; or throw to the ground and step on it," he says. However, he need not worry. If there was any album that fully communicated the *NSYNC sound, this is it. "It's great to hear everybody developing musically. We're all going down the same road and it's cool to see what they've picked up," says Chris. The other guys in the group are also learning their way around the studio and eventually they too will help define the *NSYNC sound on upcoming projects.

"We enjoy all music-rock, R&B, hip-hop, blues, country, show tunes, etc. We've always had very musical ears even though people say whatever about us, but we know music and how it's structured," Chris says. "We know how we are vocally and when we go into the studio, we use what we know to make our sound different."

Celebrity is a unique collection of amazing pop songs that will undoubtedly reach a wide range of audiences. The mesmerizing ballad "Gone" (Justin beatboxes the beat!), the playful "The Game is Over" with its sample from the Pac-Man video game, and the dreamy uptempo-lullaby "Girlfriend" are just a few of the album's standout cuts. Other producers on Celebrity include Rodney Jerkins, The Neptunes, Brian McKnight, and Sweden's Cheiron production team Max Martin and Rami. "We'd already established our sound and coined the term 'dirty pop,' but you really can't classify our music. It's a great mixture of a lot of different genres that include the group's diverse tastes," says Lance. "Our formula has always been about five people coming together to brainstorm," Joey says. "Each person adds their own flavor and the combination is what defines *NSYNC.

Justin Timberlake might go solo, and his album might come out in the fall of 2002. Lance Bass is going to space sometime in November 2002. joey Fatone is in a movie called "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." Lance and Joey's movie "On The Line" is on VHS and DVD. Justin Timberlake has broken up with Britney Spears. He said he was "cool" about the break-up on the "Rosie O'Donnell Show."

Story of Backstreet boys

Born: 1992

1. The Backstreet Boys were, in many ways, a contradictory band. Comprised entirely of white middle-class Americans, the group sang a hybrid of new jack balladry, hip-hop, R&B, and dance club pop that originally found its greatest success in Canada and Europe, with their 1996 debut album charting in the Top Ten in nearly every country on the Continent. Ironically, success in their native land did not follow until nearly two years later, when teen pop enjoyed a commercial explosion in America. Along with such artists as *NSYNC and Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys rose to the forefront of popular music during the turn of the 21st century, with albums like Backstreet's Back, Millennium, and Black & Blue enjoying worldwide success.The core of the Backstreet Boys was comprised of cousins Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell, both of whom hailed from Lexington, KY. The two began singing in local church choirs and festivals while they were children, performing doo wop and R&B songs in the style of Boyz II Men. Two of the group's other members, Howie Dorough and A.J. McLean, were natives of Orlando, FL, who met each other -- as well as transplanted New Yorker Nick Carter -- through auditions for local commercials, theater, and television. At one audition, the three discovered that they shared an affection for classic soul and could harmonize well together. Inspired, they formed a vocal trio. Shortly thereafter, Richardson moved to Orlando, where he became a tour guide at Disney World and concentrated on music at night. Eventually, he met Dorough, Carter, and McLean through a co-worker, and the four decided to form a group, naming themselves after an Orlando flea market. Littrell was later invited to join, thus turning the group into a quintet. With the help of Louis J. Pearlman (who would later rise to mogul status on the strength of his teen pop acts), the Backstreet Boys secured management from Donna and Johnny Wright, the latter of whom had managed New Kids on the Block during the 1980s. The Wrights put the group out on the road and enlisted several A&R reps to attend the performances, which eventually resulted in a contract with Jive Records in 1994. Jive set the Backstreet Boys up with producers Veit Renn and Tim Allen, who helped shape the group's eponymous album. Released throughout Europe in late 1995, the record enjoyed considerable success, spending several weeks in the Top Ten in most Continental countries where it charted. In the U.K., the Backstreet Boys were named Best Newcomers of 1995 at the Smash Hits Awards thanks to their international hit single "We've Got It Goin' On." After scoring another European hit with "I'll Never Break Your Heart," the group released its album in Canada. Despite the Backstreet Boys' popularity in Europe and Canada, "We've Got It Goin' On" stalled in the lower reaches of the U.S. charts in 1995.Combining their international singles with new tracks (which also formed the centerpiece of that year's European-only album Backstreet's Back), the American version of Backstreet Boys finally jump-started the group's success at home. "Quit Playin' Games (With My Heart)" and "As Long as You Love Me" proved to be popular singles, with the former track climbing to platinum status. The album continued to spin off hits well into 1999, with "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)," "I'll Never Break Your Heart," and "All I Have to Give" all landing on the charts. Both the former and the latter were platinum Top Five hits, and the album eventually sold an astounding 14 million copies in America alone. In the meantime, the group saw its share of turmoil as Littrell underwent surgery in early 1998 to correct a congenital heart defect. Additionally, the Boys became embroiled in lawsuits against Pearlman and the rest of their management over royalties. When the dust settled, Pearlman remained the group's manager -- though the rest of the team was fired -- and the Boys began work on their follow-up album. Millennium was released in the summer of 1999 and debuted at number one, with first-week sales topping one million copies. Buoyed by songs like "I Want It That Way," "Larger Than Life," "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely," and "The One," Millennium shattered a number of records, including the highest amount of shipments in one year and the most copies sold during an album's inaugural week. The group released its Christmas Album before the end of the year, by which time Millennium was well on its way to sales of 12 million copies in the U.S. On an international level, the album eventually sold more than 40 million units.Once again, the group struck immediately after its previous album stopped producing hits, issuing Black & Blue in fall 2000. More Top 40 singles followed, including "The Call" and "Shape of My Heart," and Black & Blue followed its predecessor by selling over one million copies during its first week. A popular tour supported the album, but after seven years of nonstop touring and recording, the band agreed it was time for a break. Brian Littrell became a father while Kevin Richardson tried his hand at Broadway and took a starring role in the musical +Chicago. Nick Carter released his solo album Now or Never in 2002, Howie Dorough did charity work for the Dorough Lupus Foundation in honor of the sister he had lost to the disease, and A.J. McLean made headlines with his stint in rehab. In 2004, the Backstreet Boys re-formed and began work on a new album. The result, Never Gone, was released in June 2005 to platinum sales, followed by Unbreakable in 2007. The latter was the first album not to feature all five original members, as Kevin Richardson had quietly exited the group in 2006. It was also the group's first album not to go platinum, a fact that seemingly cemented the end of the Backstreet Boys' heyday. Accordingly, the singers enlisted some serious star power for their next album, soliciting help from the likes of Ryan Tedder, Max Martin (who had penned "I Want It That Way" ten years prior), Dr. Luke, and T-Pain. When songs from their recording sessions were leaked online, the group took the setback in stride, using their fans' feedback to help steer the remainder of the recording process. This Is Us was ultimately finished in mid-2009 and scheduled for release later that year.

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A1 story

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A1 Band Story

One of the best bands at the moment is a band called A1. The band consists of four members. Benjamin Adams, Paul Marazzi, Christian Ingebrigtsen and Mark Read. It took 3 years for a1's management to hook the guys up with each other, but it was certainly worth the wait. Paul was discovered in an audition that contained 3,000 people and out of all those people only one member of the four members was picked....which was Paul. The second to be auditioned was Christian and he had an e-mail from school informing him of the audition. He went along to audition in front of Paul. His performance was so moving that Christian became the second member of the band. For the Third member they spotted Mark watching a band in an audience they spotted Mark and once they found out that he sings and song writes they asked him if he knew anyone else. And as Mark was in a band before he asked one of the members Ben. They both went to the audition and then the management knew their mission was complete. They had all four members of the band. All four members are even more dedicated to the band today than they were back in the days when photo shoots where a novelty and they had never been asked what colour pants they were wearing. 1999 saw a1 burst onto the pop scene with the anthemic "Be the First To Believe", which debuted at number six. They swiftly followed that up with a number five hit "Summertime Of Our Lifes", which brightened up everyone's overcast August. The stunning double a-side that was called "Everytime/Ready Or Not" came next and scored them to a number three smash. In 2000 they released a Valentine's single called "Like A Rose", which secured their fourth top six hit and the Madonna beating no.1 smash "Take On Me",a cover version of the A-ha 80's classic. More recently it was that weird titled but amazing smash hit "Same Old Brand New You" in 2000 which scored a1 their well deserved second No 1 and hitting Westlife of the top spot and also beating The Backstreet Boys. Following "Same Old Brand New You" came the No 6 Hit "No More" 2001. This making a1 never having a single outside the Top 6.

The guys have huge ambitions and have begun to spread the a1 word around the world. They're allready huge stars with platinum album sales in the Far East and Europe, and things have gone so crazy in Japan that a1 trading cards are currently changing hands for fortunes over the internet! The US is firmly in their sights and they're already building a fan base over there in advance of a 2001 album release.

A1 have established themselves as a band that are here to stay. But there's no escape of the fact that they are a boybands, cus they're all boyz and they are a band! But they write their own music and are far happier singing live than they are lip-synching. Also what makes A1 unique from your everyday boybands is that apart from the fact that they can write songs and sing live is the fact that they can dance and play all their own instruments. They wrote 10 of the 12 songs on their *fab* debut album "Here We Come" and most of the songs on the 2nd "The A List". On that album they have been working with the likes of Eric Foster-White, producers Rip Rock and Alex, and Andreas Carlson and Chris Porter.

One of the best bands at the moment is a band called A1. The band consists of four members. Benjamin Adams, Paul Marazzi, Christian Ingebrigtsen and Mark Read. It took 3 years for a1's management to hook the guys up with each other, but it was certainly worth the wait. Paul was discovered in an audition that contained 3,000 people and out of all those people only one member of the four members was picked....which was Paul. The second to be auditioned was Christian and he had an e-mail from school informing him of the audition. He went along to audition in front of Paul. His performance was so moving that Christian became the second member of the band. For the Third member they spotted Mark watching a band in an audience they spotted Mark and once they found out that he sings and song writes they asked him if he knew anyone else. And as Mark was in a band before he asked one of the members Ben. They both went to the audition and then the management knew their mission was complete. They had all four members of the band. All four members are even more dedicated to the band today than they were back in the days when photo shoots where a novelty and they had never been asked what colour pants they were wearing. 1999 saw a1 burst onto the pop scene with the anthemic "Be the First To Believe", which debuted at number six. They swiftly followed that up with a number five hit "Summertime Of Our Lifes", which brightened up everyone's overcast August. The stunning double a-side that was called "Everytime/Ready Or Not" came next and scored them to a number three smash. In 2000 they released a Valentine's single called "Like A Rose", which secured their fourth top six hit and the Madonna beating no.1 smash "Take On Me",a cover version of the A-ha 80's classic. More recently it was that weird titled but amazing smash hit "Same Old Brand New You" in 2000 which scored a1 their well deserved second No 1 and hitting Westlife of the top spot and also beating The Backstreet Boys. Following "Same Old Brand New You" came the No 6 Hit "No More" 2001. This making a1 never having a single outside the Top 6.

The guys have huge ambitions and have begun to spread the a1 word around the world. They're allready huge stars with platinum album sales in the Far East and Europe, and things have gone so crazy in Japan that a1 trading cards are currently changing hands for fortunes over the internet! The US is firmly in their sights and they're already building a fan base over there in advance of a 2001 album release.

A1 have established themselves as a band that are here to stay. But there's no escape of the fact that they are a boybands, cus they're all boyz and they are a band! But they write their own music and are far happier singing live than they are lip-synching. Also what makes A1 unique from your everyday boybands is that apart from the fact that they can write songs and sing live is the fact that they can dance and play all their own instruments. They wrote 10 of the 12 songs on their *fab* debut album "Here We Come" and most of the songs on the 2nd "The A List". On that album they have been working with the likes of Eric Foster-White, producers Rip Rock and Alex, and Andreas Carlson and Chris Porter.

A1 are also writing songs for other artists and recently secured a publishing deal with Sony, wich makes them the company's biggest UK signing, so look out for their credits on many album too come. Ben and Christian have also submitted songs for one of their fav artists of all time....Michael Jackson. Christian reckons that a1's universal love of writing music is what makes them such a strong band. "We've always said that our big difference¨is that we all pride ourselves on being musicians and writers, and we have something in our heart that we want to get out. It's very unique situation where all four members of a group write and contribute equally. That's part of the reason we go so well together,we have that common interest."

A1 have already proved to the world that they can sing live, dance, write songs, and play instruments and all look good at the same time. A1 won Best British Newcomer at the Bris Awards 2001 and beating the likes of Craig David who was nominated for 6 awards and Toploader who had 4 nominations. This just goes to prove A1 have the best fans ever!!!! And I am proud to say I am one of them!!!!!

WestLife Story

The story begins a long long time ago (well, not quite, but.. y'know...!) in a town named Sligo in the West of Ireland. Three guys named Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Shane Filan had performed in the school musical Grease together, and after their success on stage, had decided to form a band, called 6 as 1, and later changing their name to IOYOU.

The group released a single "Together Girl Forever" in Ireland, and after limited success, Shane's mother, Mae, contacted the manager of Boyzone, Louis Walsh, to try and persuade him to take a look at the guys and to possibly sign them up. Although Louis was impressed he felt he didn't have the time to manage yet another band. But...luckily for us... he contacted Ronan Keating of Boyzone, who agreed to co-manage the new band with Louis. And so 'Rolo Management' was formed.

The lineup of IOYOU was changed - 3 members (Derek, Graham and Michael) being asked to leave, and auditions were then held in Dublin to find two new members for the group. Nicky Byrne and Bryan McFadden were eventually chosen...Westlife were born!

The group (who were originally known as Westside - their name having been changed by Ronan who felt that I.O.YOU was too boyband-esque) first supported the Backstreet Boys in Dublin, and then toured the UK and Ireland with Boyzone in November 1998. They stunned audiences on the Smash Hits Tour around the UK, winning "Best New Tour Act" at the Smash Hits Awards in November 1998.

However, the group were obliged to change their name from Westside to Westlife early in 1999 when it was discovered that a number of existing bands shared the same name. Undeterred, Westlife went on to release their first single Swear it Again in April 1999 which went straight to the top of the British and Irish charts, becoming the biggest-selling debut single ever in Ireland.

Westlife's eagerly-awaited debut album was released in the UK in November 1999, with double A-side single I Have a Dream and Seasons in the Sun becoming the UK Christmas number one of 1999. Westlife won Record of the Year for Flying Without Wings in 1999 and My Love in the following year.

Winning numerous awards left right and centre, it is clear that Westlife have achieved much acclaim and enjoyed a lot of success. Already in their brief career Westlife have broken records as fast as they have set them - their second album, Coast To Coast went triple platinum in Ireland after only one day of release, and their seventh single release, My Love, gave them a place in chart history as they became the only band in UK chart history to have their first seven singles debut at number one.

2002 saw the group release their first Greatest Hits album, and Westlife's subsequent album, Turnaround, released November 2003, continued Westlife's success, going straight into the charts at number one.

March 2004 saw a new chapter begin for the group as Bryan McFadden announced his departure from the band, citing his desire to spend more time with his young family. Rumours suggested that this might be the beginning of the end for the group, however Westlife have set the critics wrong once again.

Westlife - now a four-piece in the tradition of all great pop acts - remain Ireland's most well-known and biggest selling pop export and undoubtedly one of the world's biggest pop groups. As of October 2007, Westlife have released eight albums, and have achieved a massive fourteen number ones in the UK - the third-highest such total in UK history, behind Elvis Presley and The Beatles, and tied with Cliff Richard.

With soulful harmonies, angelic voices, drop-dead good looks, and the management of pop svengali Louis Walsh behind them, their much-anticipated world tour in 2008 means that Westlife look set to enjoy chart success for many years to come!