The first family — President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle, the first daughters Sasha and Malia, as well as Grandma Marion –  attended the official unveiling of the brand new Dr. Martin Luther King  National Memorial in Washington, D.C. Sunday (Oct 16).

The dedication ceremony, held at the Washington Mall, was also attended by notable figures like Al Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Cicely Tyson, Diahann Carroll, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and others.

The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place on August 28th, but was postponed due to Hurricane Irene.

“Nearly 50 years after the March on Washington, our work — Dr. King’s work — is not yet complete,” President Barack Obama noted in his speach. “Progress was purchased through enduring the smack of billy clubs and the blast of fire hoses. It was bought with days in jail cells and nights of bomb threats.”

President Obama continued, “Let us not be trapped by what is. We can’t be discouraged by what is. We’ve got to keep pushing for what ought to be. [Dr. King] will stand for all time, among monuments to those who fathered this nation and those who defended it. A black preacher, no official rank or title, somehow gave voice to our deepest dreams and our most lasting ideas.[...]I know we will overcome. I know there are better days ahead. I know this because of the man towering over us.”

Justin Bieber scored his first ever country music award earlier this week!

At the 2011 CMT Music Awards in Nashville Wednesday (Jun 8), the 17-year-old Pop sensation won the award for “Collaborative Video of the Year” for “That Should Be,” his collaboration with country group Rascal Flatts that also appeared on his Never Say Never: The Remixes album.

Other winners during the ceremony were Taylor Swift, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert and more. Click Here full the full list, and look below for pics of Justin at the CMT Music Awards!

“He changed my life completely. I’ve really put roots down with him. His happiness is my priority. One thing I’ve learned about children and antiques is that you just have to let go. …I try to re-create and reuse everything, no matter how tattered. I think that’s definitely part of my love for acquiring and appreciating other people’s cast-off stuff. If I can reuse something or give it a new life, that’s definitely better than throwing it out.”

Crow also says that even though she’s not the greatest cook, she loves to entertain guests and have friends over.

When the door buzzer rings and in strides Crow’s good friend (and star of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) Mariska Hargitay with her young son, August, there’s an effusion of hugs and laughter and introductions before Crow ushers them down to the long farmhouse table in the kitchen, which has been laid out with an impromptu lunch. “I’m not much of a cook,” Crow admits, “but I love to entertain. If I’m in town with my band and we’re doing gigs, I’ll always have people over to my house afterward. If I’m here on my own, I’ll have girlfriends come over and we’ll walk to one of the restaurants in the neighborhood.” A glimpse inside her fridge reveals a plentiful supply of champagne as well as a profusion of Gatorade and fresh fruit.

Though Crow’s primary residence is now her Nashville farm (pointing at Wyatt, she says, “Look at him, he’s like a Labrador— he needs to be outside, running around”), this loft is still terra firma for her. “This was the first place I ever bought,” she says, “and it has always been special for me. I loved the years when I lived here fulltime. Everybody in this building either grew up here or raised their kids here, and you can just tell that this is a place that has held a lot of life and a lot of good memories.” She pauses to call Wyatt into the kitchen as she distributes bowls of pasta and salad to her guests. “I love being on the road. But having a home, both as a place and a state of being, is paramount.”

Source: ELLE Magazine

Big name stars like Beyonce, Madonna, Jay-Z, Rihanna and more are scheduled to perform in what’s beginning to look like a dress rehearsal for the upcoming 2010 Grammy Awards.

The stars mentioned, among others, will take part in a two-hour televised telethon today (Fri. Jan 22) called “Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief.” The show will air on all major cable networks beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern and will feature musical performances from all over the world from folks like Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Shakira, Taylor Swift, Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake and proud Haiti native Wyclef Jean.

The show, which in the United States will begin at 8 p.m. Eastern time on all the major networks and on cable channels, is to feature musical performances from multiple locations: Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Shakira and Wyclef Jean will play in New York, while in London Bono and the Edge of U2 will collaborate with Jay-Z and Rihanna, with Coldplay also slated to perform. The program in Los Angeles is to include performances by Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake and a collaboration among Keith Urban, Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow. Songs from the telethon will be for sale on iTunes for 99 cents beginning Saturday, will all proceeds going to a number of relief organizations.

SOURCE: NY TIMES

All of the big celebrities came out for the launch party celebrating the official opening of Vevo, a brand new new music video website owned by Sony Music, Universal, EMI and Abu Dhabi Music Company. The site itself is hosted by Youtube, Sony and Google and currently features video content from artists on Universal. Folks like Rihanna, Ciara, 50 Cent, Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga, Adam Lambert, a number of record label executives and more all showed up for the big launch party for the new site Tuesday night (Dec 8) at the Skylight Studio in New York City.

Continue reading for more pics!

PHOTOS: GETTY / WIRE

VH1′s Divas 2009 aired live from the Brooklyn Academy of Music Thursday night (Sep 17) in New York City and was hosted by former American Idol judge Paula Abdul. The “divas” for this year’s concert were Jennifer Hudson, Miley Cyrus, Leona Lewis, Adele, Jordin Sparks and Kelly Clarkson.

Other celebrities at the show who either performed or presented included India.Arie, Stevie Wonder, Toni Braxton, Sheryl Crow and more.

For a full recap of the ceremony, check out our friends over at Tha Feedback! And continue reading for the rest of the pictures from the Red Carpet and inside of the show.

With all of the craziness that’s been going on with the hip-hop beefs and Chrianna-gate ’09, we almost forgot about Beyonce! Well her name did come up when Etta James was talking out the side of her neck, but it’s been a while since we’ve seen Mrs. Carter at an event. Here she is on the red carpet of an event hosted by Saks Fifth Avenue. Continue reading for more pics!

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES