By TARIQ PANJA, Associated Press Writer 14 minutes ago

LONDON - Joan Ingpen, an influential classical music manager who played a major role in the career of Luciano Pavarotti, has died at age 91.

Ingpen died Dec. 29 after a short illness in her home town Hove, near Brighton, funeral director Eric de Chalon said Wednesday.

Ingpen represented Sir Georg Solti, the charismatic conductor, during the 1950s before she became artistic administrator of London’s Royal Opera House in 1961. But she likely will be best remembered for bringing Pavarotti onto the world stage.

The sharp-thinking — and occasionally sharp-tongued — Ingpen hired Pavarotti in 1963 to stand in for Giuseppe Di Stefano in the role of Rodolfo in Puccini’s “La Boheme” at Covent Garden. Earning great acclaim for his performances, Pavarotti, who died last year, went on to become the world’s most popular tenor.

“She was a tough lady and somebody who commanded a lot of respect,” said Jonathan Groves, director of Ingpen & Williams, the management agency she founded in 1946 and named after herself and her dachshund.

Born in London in 1916, Ingpen studied piano and joined the Royal Academy of Music but decided to train as an insurance clerk.

Passionate about classical music, she was a regular at London concerts and it was through her musical contacts that Ingpen joined the “good music” section of the Entertainments National Service Association, the wartime office that provided entertainment to British servicemen.

After 15 years of representing the likes of Solti, conductor Rudolf Kempe and soprano Joan Sutherland, Ingpen sold her business in 1961 and joined the Royal Opera House.

“I thought I’d much rather do something constructive,” The Times of London quoted her as saying. “I’m not a saleswoman really, which, let’s face it, is what you are as an agent.”

Though sometimes criticized for being cold and difficult to deal with, Ingpen was popular with performers. Solti told officials at the Paris Opera that his joining as musical adviser was contingent upon Ingpen being found a role, too.

Ingpen went on to work at New York’s Metropolitan Opera before retiring in 1987.

Ingpen was twice married and leaves no children.

12 minutes ago

FOLSOM, Calif. (AP) — A concert marking the 40th anniversary of Johnny Cash’s famous concert at Folsom State Prison has been scraped, with the prison and the promoter blaming each other for the cancellation.

The tribute concert, scheduled for Sunday, was to have been staged in the same prison cafeteria where Cash performed before inmates on Jan. 13, 1968. That breakthrough performance became a popular live album.

Prison officials called off the show late Monday, citing problems over filming rights, media access and security concerns.

Promoter Jonathan Holiff claims the cancellation was just another broken promise by prison officials. “I was in tears when I found out,” Holiff said.

The show, which would have been streamed worldwide over the Internet, was to have been underwritten by four nonprofit groups that were to share the venture’s profit.

The executive director of Prison Fellowship Ministries, which had helped underwrite the event, said Cash fans and the inmates are the losers in this conflict.

“Johnny was wild at heart, just like these men,” Joe Avila said. “But just like him, they can change. They can walk the line.”

Cash died in 2003.

33 minutes ago

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - “The Great Debaters,” a film based on the real-life victories of a black debating team in the 1930s, topped the list of nominees announced Tuesday for the 39th NAACP Image Awards.

“Girlfriends” and “Everybody Hates Chris” led TV nominees.

“The Great Debaters” collected eight nominations, including outstanding motion picture and both outstanding actor and outstanding director for Denzel Washington. The movie also garnered three supporting-actor nominations for Forest Whitaker, Nate Parker and Denzel Whitaker.

Other best-picture nominees: “American Gangster,” “I Am Legend,” “Talk to Me” and “Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married?”

Other outstanding-actor nominees were Columbus Short for “Stomp the Yard,” Don Cheadle for “Talk to Me,” Terrence Howard for “Pride” and Will Smith for “I Am Legend.”

Nominated for outstanding actress: Jurnee Smollett for “The Great Debaters,” Angelina Jolie for “A Mighty Heart,” Halle Berry for “Things We Lost In the Fire,” Jill Scott for “Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married?” and Taraji P. Henson for “Talk To Me.”

In TV categories, “Everybody Hates Chris” and “Girlfriends” had seven nominations each, including best TV comedy.

In music categories, the nominees for outstanding album were Alicia Keys’ “As I Am,” Chris Brown’s “Exclusive,” Kanye West’s “Graduation,” “Growing Pains” by Mary J. Blige and “System” by Seal.

The Image Awards honor those who promote diversity in the arts. Awards in 44 categories, including literature, will be presented Feb. 14 in a Los Angeles ceremony broadcast live on Fox.

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On the Net:

Image Awards:

http://naacpimageawards.net

14 minutes ago

PARIS - President Nicolas Sarkozy used to take on foul-mouthed rappers. Now, his eldest son appears to be embracing them.

French rapper Poison, known for his expletive-laden lyrics and his fierce criticism of the conservative leader, said Pierre Sarkozy helped produce some of his upcoming album — and even contributed the lyrics for one of its tracks.

In an interview last week with hip-hop radio station Generations 88.2, Poison said he didn’t realize who Pierre Sarkozy — who goes by the pen name “Mosey” — was until after he agreed to work with him.

“When I found out, I swear I went ballistic,” Poison said. “The worst thing is that … I found out maybe six, seven months ago, and I’ve known the guy for the last five years. He’s a friend.”

Poison made clear that his relationship with Pierre Sarkozy hadn’t changed his opinion of the president, whose 2003 pledge to crack down on offensive rap lyrics angered many people.

“I’m not a fan of Sarkozy,” Poison said, concluding with an expletive.

During his tenure as interior minister, Sarkozy complained about what he called the racist and anti-Semitic content in songs by the French hip-hop group Sniper.

Pierre Sarkozy, who is in his early 20s, is one of the French leader’s three sons. He lists the Poison track “La Rue” as one of his credits on a My Space Web site with what appears to be a picture of the president’s son. On the page, “Mosey” describes himself as a “young Parisian producer.”

Sarkozy’s office would not comment on the radio interview, saying it involved the private life of his family.