Ruben Studdard's affirmation that he was the right spokespersonchoice for the BeSickle Smart program came quickly and matter-of-factly. When attending hisfirst promotional event for the campaign this past June, he met a child whodrew an image that he can't get out of his head.

At each stop, Ruben has a private room to meet with attendants diagnosed with the disorder than affects 70,000 people. They are asked to drawpictures that describe how the disease makes them feel. The first person Rubenmet was a young boy who drew a photo of himself in a jail cell.

"That touched me a lot," Ruben explained via phone from his Birmingham recordingstudio. "He couldn't have been more than 8 or 9, and for him to feel like--forthe rest of his life--he is in prison because he has Sickle Cell Disease reallyaffected me, and I never forgot that. He's pretty much inspired me."

Hear Ruben's Sickle Cell benefit song "I Am A Fighter"

The season 2 American Idol winner is on a Be Sickle Smartpromotional tour

I was glad to see Whitney Houston return to the music space.I like several songs on her new album, "I Look To You," released Monday. But Iam disappointed with her live performance on Good Morning America that aired Wednesday.

Here's the bottom line, Whitney Houston was the kind ofvocalist who could sing the ABCs and make you cry. Her voice was pure, clean,and crisp. The way she approached the notes left you impressed. You always feltthat you were listening to someone in the elite class.

I did not feel that way when watching her performance onGood Morning America.

I felt like she was struggling to get through the songs.Sometimes she recited lyrics instead of singing them at all. Other times whensinging, she sounded just average.

The title track, "I Look to You," is a song about triumph,and thanking her support team for sticking by her side. When she performed it,you could feel her emotion. She appeared as if she was about to breakdown asshe dedicated the song to her mother, Cissy, who

Michael Jackson's 51^st birthday Saturday hassparked several private celebrations across the nation and world.

I've compiled a list of five worth noting.

Are you planning your own MJ party?

Event: Long Live the King! A Birthday Celebration forMichael Jackson
Host: Q-Tip, Mark Ronson, DJ Spinna
Venue: Nokia Theatre Times Square
City: New York, NY
Time: 10 p.m.
Price: $25

The legendary frontman of A Tribe Called Quest will paytribute to Michael at this event also featuring Grammy award-winningproducer/artist Mark Ronson, and DJ Spinna.

The event will feature never-before-heard remixes ofMichael's hits. Michael's former labels Motown and Sony have supplied Q-Tipwith rare video footage to play at the celebration.

"Michael Jackson was a huge influence on my music and was aninspiration to me and so many others," Q-Tip said in a statement. "I want tobring people together to celebrate the man, his music and his legacy that willun doubtedly live on forever!"

Q-Tip also honored Michael the weekend

Popular party personality DJ AM, Adam Goldstein, was founddead Friday afternoon in his New Yorkapartment, authorities told TMZ.

Reportedly, drug paraphernalia was discovered at the scene.

Sources told TMZ that a friend of the 36-year-old artistcalled police when DJ AM did not respond to their messages and visits to hishome.

The fire department ultimately found his body after enteringhis residence.

DJ AM's death is a tragic. In September 2008, he and TravisBarker were the sole survivors of a planecrash in Columbia, South Carolina that left four others dead.

I was fortunate to see DJ AM and Travis perform at a DJ Heroevent in Los Angelesin June. Performing under their act TRVSDJAM the deejay verses drummer duo openedthe event that featured headliners Eminemand Jay-Z.

DJ AM was introduced to the music world via his hip-hop/rockgroup Crazy Town thatreleased its debut album "The Gift of Game" in 1999. While the band scored aNo. 1 hit with its song "Butterfly," DJ AM achieved more notoriety