Florida Sentinel Bulletin

Earth, Wind and Fire initially wanted to release its new album around the 2012 presidential election, but the band realized it wasn’t satisfied with the songs it created.

“We have a lot more bells and whistles in place now and the record is better,” singer Philip Bailey said in a recent interview. “Now, Then & Forever,” the group’s first album in eight years, will be released Sept. 10. Bailey said the band called co-founding member Larry Dunn and others to help produce its latest sound.

“I said, ‘Let’s go back to the drawing board,’” he recalled. “It doesn’t sound like we’re trying to be anyone other than Earth, Wind and Fire,” added bassist Verdine White. The band — which includes founder Maurice White and Ralph Johnson — has worked on the album for two years.

Its new single, “My Promise,” was released Monday and was co-written by Academy Award nominee and Grammy winner Siedah Garrett.

The long arm of Uncle Sam has caught up with yet another rapper.

Fat Joe was sentenced to four months in prison stemming from his failure to pay federal income taxes. The platinum-selling artist, whose real name is Joseph Cartagena, apologized to his family and supporters before being sentenced Monday in federal court in Newark. He pleaded guilty in December 2012 to failing to pay taxes on more than $1 million of income in 2007 and in 2008.

U.S. Magistrate Cathy Waldor said she took into consideration the government’s allegation that Cartagena failed to taxes on some $3 million in income for years 2007 through 2010, an estimated tax loss to the government of $718,038. Fat Joe is a Miami Beach resident, but was prosecuted in New Jersey because some of his businesses are based in the state.

Chris Brown’s representatives have responded to the allegations, calling them “totally false.”

In a statement to USA Today, Brown rep Nicole Perna says, “Upon speaking with witnesses, security and the owner of the club, it has been proven that said patron caused the physical harm to herself in her belligerent state.”

A 24-year-old woman is accusing singer Chris Brown of allegedly assaulting her on Saturday after his show in an Orange County nightclub. The woman, Deanna Gines, says as the Heat Ultra Lounge was closing, Brown reportedly knocked her to the ground, badly injuring her knee.

According to Gines, doctors have told her there are torn ligaments in her knee and that she may need to have an operation.

They just don’t make singers like him anymore.

With vocals that were both guttural and gritty, yet sensual and sweet — Bobby “Blue” Bland had pipes, and his distinct growl made him an icon in the blues genre.

His storied career came to an end last weekend, when he passed away at the age of 83 due to complications from an ongoing illness.

Bland was known as the “Sinatra of the Blues” because of his super-suave persona and his flawless 1961 album Two Steps From the Blues is required listening for anyone who appreciates soul.

The Rosemark, Tennessee-born singer was often overshadowed by his more famous contemporary, B.B. King. In fact when he was inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, he was described as “second in stature only to B.B. King as a product of Memphis’ Beale Street blues scene.”

RABAT, Morocco  — Stevie Wonder has offered to sing live for international negotiators who are in Morocco trying to forge a deal to give the visually impaired greater access to reading material.

In a video message Friday, the blind singer-songwriter, channeling one of his hits, urged delegates to, “So do it, we get it signed, sealed, delivered, I’m yours.”

Wonder said he’d fly to Marrakech to celebrate with delegates if they strike a deal.

Some 600 negotiators from the 186 member-states of the World Intellectual Property Organization are meeting until June 28 to find a way to make it easier to produce Braille books for the visually impaired.

The man better known as Diddy has secured a deal with cable giant Time Warner to broadcast his upcoming TV channel, the music-themed Revolt TV.

After inking the deal the Bad Boy executive shared the great news via social media.

In a brief statement, Combs said, “This is a landmark distribution deal that demonstrates Time Warner Cable’s commitment to bringing a platform for music artists and fans to their subscribers. It positions Revolt to come out of the gate strong, and we look forward to igniting the passion of initial audiences across the U.S.”

Last year they were rumors that the music mogul was expressing interest in the TV business and since then, the talk has slowly become a reality. During the month of April, Comcast agreed to partner with Diddy first as distributor of Revolt.

NEW YORK  — Was Kanye West inspired by One Direction?

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West named their daughter North West, according to their Los Angeles County birth certificate.

North is certainly not the first celebrity baby with an unorthodox name — and plenty of those names have set trends.

James Gandolfini’s teenage son, Michael, found the actor collapsed in their Italy hotel room and called for help. The two were on a father-son vacation.

The manager of the hotel in Rome where Gandolfini and his son were staying told the “Today” show the young boy found his father collapsed in the bathroom around 10 p.m. local time Wednesday. The 51-year-old actor was still alive when the ambulance arrived, but was later pronounced dead at the Policlinico Umberto I, a hospital just a three-minute drive from the hotel.

Gandolfini and his son were on a “guy’s trip.” The getaway was for both pleasure and business. They were celebrating his son’s eighth grade graduation and the actor was set to attend the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily.

Michael’s mother and the “Sopranos” star’s first wife, Marcy Wudarski, flew to Italy to be with her child.

Gandolfini is survived by his wife, Deborah Lin, his 8-month old daughter, Liliana, 8 months, and his son, Michael.

Llegendary comedian Bill Cosby posted a photo tribute to his late son, Ennis Cosby, on Facebook.

The 75-year-old icon posted a photograph of himself with his late son and the quote, “‘Ennis William Cosby was our gift. And his gift is for you.’ – Camille O. and William H. Cosby.”

Ennis Cosby overcame dyslexia to become a Morehouse College graduate and a Columbia University graduate student.

The aspiring teacher and loving brother to his four sisters was murdered on a Los Angeles freeway in January 1997.  The 27-year-old was changing a flat tire when he was killed during an attempted robbery.

Cosby’s only son was the inspiration for several episodes of the 1980s comedy series The Cosby Show.