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‘Super Freak’ propelled its creator to iconic status and cemented him as the king of funk ‘n’ roll.Despite its cultural ubiquity, Rick James’ bawdy single “Super Freak” was by no means an overnight hit. By 1979, James had more than earned his due with a series of professional accomplishments under his belt. While he achieved success as a songwriter for Motown (as well as with gold and platinum solo albums) he hadn’t yet hit the heights of celebrity, when he embarked on his headlining tour for his third album, Fire It Up. All that was soon to change. James could...

Musicians Ozzy Osbourne, Stevie Nicks, Ted Nugent, Steve Winwood, Robert Plant, Kenny Loggins, Glenn Frey, Alice Cooper, Tony Iommi, Chris Squire, James Taylor, Todd Rundgren, Jackson Browne, Olivia Newton-John, Donna Summer, John Bonham (R.I.P.) & Rick James (R.I.P.)

A teen accused of posting pictures of his potted marijuana plants and drug paraphernalia on MySpace.com faces charges after police monitoring for gang activity traced the information to him. Authorities said a label on the picture of potted pot plants read: "My Mary Jane thats growin in my closet right now.'' "People think that Web sites are more private than they are,'' Sheboygan County District Attorney Joe DeCecco said. "This is just another tool for us to use.'' The criminal complaint filed in Circuit Court Wednesday against Moua Yang, 18, of Sheboygan said police were monitoring another Web site when...

MIAMI (AP) — Michael Vick reluctantly surrendered a water bottle to security at Miami International Airport that contained a residue "closely associated with marijuana." Police said Thursday that no charges immediately were filed. The 26-year-old Atlanta Falcons quarterback entered an airport concourse Wednesday morning with the 20-ounce bottle. He eventually handed it over and boarded his flight to Atlanta. But his initial reluctance to turn over the bottle aroused suspicion among airport security screeners, a police report said. Two Transportation Security Administration screeners recognized the 6-foot, 215-pound Vick. The bottle was found to have a hidden compartment that contained "a...

Rick James Had Nine Different Drugs In His System When He Died Coroner detects cocaine, meth and prescription drugs. by Alyssa Rashbaum Rick James (file) Rick James had nine different drugs in his system when he died in August, including cocaine and methamphetamine, according to a toxicology report. The coroner's findings, released Thursday, noted that prescription medications for anxiety,pain relief and heart failure, including Valium and Vicodin, were found in his body as well, according to Reuters. None of the drugs or drug combinations, however "were found to be at levels that were life-threatening in and of themselves," the report...

Funk Singer Rick James Dies in Los Angeles LOS ANGELES (AP) - Funk legend Rick James, best known for the 1981 hit ``Super Freak,'' died Friday, apparently of natural causes, police said. James died at 9:45 a.m. at a residence near Universal City, said Police Department spokeswoman Esther Reyes. ``We learned of his death after responding to a radio call,'' Reyes said. After his big hit, James' fame began to fade as he became embroiled in drugs, legal problems and health issues. James was convicted in 1993 of assaulting two women. The first attack occurred in 1991 when he restrained...

Singer Rick James, a musical icon of the 1980s who helped define the "punk funk" style of that decade, was found dead in his home Friday morning by his caretaker, a Los Angeles police Department spokesman said. He was 56

Breaking... thats all they said..