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GALLERY: Music's Red & Blue State Patriots
Protest is patriotic. Since the beginning of musical time, American singers and songwriters have used their talent and bully pulpits to show us America's strengths and shortcomings.
At its best, American music is the soundtrack of our long - and often painful - march toward a more perfect union. From chain gangs to folk songs to intelligent soul, America has created musicians dedicated to truth, justice, and a better American Way. Of course, the "American Way" has proven to mean very different things to different people, and as of late, those differing beliefs fall largely on party lines.
There are two camps of patriotic musicians. On the blue-state side there are the bleeding-heart-liberal singer-songwriters, aging folkies, and overly earnest rock stars who stump for the latest Democratic candidate and sing of the plight of the common man. On the red-state side are the gun-toting, American-truck-driving, union-busting country (and occasional hard-rock) artists who want their audience to love America or leave it.
The blue-state patriots may have more star power than their red-state counterparts, but there's no doubt they equally love their country. These musicians donate countless hours - and risk alienating their fan base - in order to speak out on the issues and leaders they believe in most.
Here's a Fourth of July tale of red- and blue-state rockers fighting for Old Glory. Only in America...
Michael Jackson Fans Gather at Neverland Ranch
On July 1, one week after Michael Jackson's death, hundreds of his fans gathered at his Neverland Ranch to pay their respects. From a 16 year old with her cat "Billie Jean" to an 86-year old grandmother, Jackson devotees from around the the world moonwalked and wept for their fallen King of Pop. GetBack was there to meet Jackson's army. Here are some images from the day. Also, click here to watch our GetBack doc "Michael Jackson: FANStories."
GALLERY: Death Hoaxes
Rest assured pop fans, Britney Spears is NOT dead, she's just one of the latest on a long list of celebrity death hoaxes. The same day that Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett died, Internet rumors were flying that Jeff Goldblum fell to his death during an on-set accident in New Zealand (the same rumor had been spread about Tom Hanks in 2006 and Tom Cruise in 2008) and that Harrison Ford was lost at sea when his yacht capsized. Luckily neither proved to be true.
Over the weekend, somebody hacked into Britney's Twitter account and posted this message, "Britney has passed today. It is a sad day for everyone. More news to come." The news is this - not only is Britney alive, so are Ellen DeGeneres and P. Diddy (whose accounts were also hacked). So are George Clooney and Rick Astley who were reported dead this week, too. All of these stars join a long list of celebrities who have lived through rumors of their untimely demise � here are some of the most legendary.
PLAY TETRIS: From Russia, With Love
Developed by Alexey Patnijov, this game has proven to be more intoxicating than that other great Russian export: vodka. You know the drill. Use the falling pieces to complete rows of blocks. Repeat 'til sleep claims you. Tetris is waiting for you in the GetBack Arcade.
GALLERY: Celebrity Nicknames and Aliases
Conan O'Brien was just getting settled behind his brand-new desk on his second "Tonight Show" when very special guest Tom Hanks dubbed him "Coco Christopher," a play on O'Brien's first and middle name. Much to the host's chagrin, the nickname has stuck and audiences chant the moniker on a regular basis.
Hoping to ditch the handle, Conan recently asked the king of nicknames, Snoop Dogg, to help him come up with something cooler. Snoop suggested that Coco simply add Loc at the end, but only after going on a confusing digression about the Cocoa Puffs cuckoo-bird pitchman (who, it seems, the rapper didn't realize was named Sonny) and something about Conan being crazy, or "Loc." So, Coco (with Loc, if you prefer) it is.
We wonder if O'Brien will eventually come to embrace the name. After all, it seems like the biggest stars always have nicknames, and some even come up with their own alternate identities they use when making reservations and checking into hotels. A lot of these names are pretty clever and funny, so we present to you - and Coco - some of our favorite celebrity nicknames and alleged aliases.
