Source: PR News
Date: August 28, 2007
 

On the eve of the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall along the Mississippi and Louisiana gulf coasts, entertainment icon, mentor and humanitarian Quincy Jones and international pop sensation and humanitarian Usher have joined forces with Habitat for Humanity to call attention to the ongoing hurricane recovery efforts and are imploring Americans not to forget the victims of the storm.

In the coming weeks the pair will announce specific plans to promote continued relief efforts. They are sending out an initial call to action in Episodes Three and Four of the recently launched video podcast series The Quincy Jones Show. Quincy makes his plea in Episode Three, which debuts at 12:01 a.m. ET on Aug. 29. Usher's appeal will be featured a week later in Episode Four at 12:01 a.m. ET on Sept. 5.

"I've known Usher since he was 16 years old," said Quincy. "He's an extremely talented and remarkably respectful young man. I can't explain how much he means to me; he's almost like a son. He will forever have an apartment in my heart. "Our hope is together our voices will be heard by more people," Quincy added.

"As Americans impacted by Hurricane Katrina still suffer from lack of housing and business revitalization, poor health and poor education, I'm proud to be partnering with an icon who helped set the standard for artists to give back, my mentor and friend Quincy Jones. Together we will continue to serve and work for the youth and families impacted by Hurricane Katrina through select initiatives. Shortly there will be an announcement of our joint effort with more details and new initiatives with local partnerships," Usher added.

Source: Contact Music
Date: August 27, 2007

The co-authors of bestseller "The Nanny Diaries" have revealed Usher's failed romance with TLC star Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas was the inspiration for their new book. Nicola Kraus and Emma MCLaughlin admit they wrote "Dedication" after getting caught up in the controversy surrounding Usher's famous split with his ex. Although neither party has spoken extensively about the break-up, Usher has revealed his infidelity and her wish to marry ended the two-year romance in 2004. Reports have suggested Usher, who recently wed stylist Tameka Foster, used the relationship and it's fall-out as inspiration for his blockbuster 2004 album Confessions.

Kraus and MCLaughlin's new book follows the fortunes of a woman who confronts her high school sweetheart after he used their relationship as inspiration for a pop music career. MCLaughlin tells internet gossip columnist Marc Malkin, "That album was ubiquitous. You could not go anywhere without it pumping out of every car, every restaurant. We couldn't stop thinking about it. "We were like, 'How is Chilli not killing herself right now?'"

Source: Access Hollywood

Date: August 27, 2007

Alicia Keys and Carlos Santana will perform together at the Conde Nast Fashion Rocks concert. Other pairings are said to include Carrie Underwood & Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham; Mary J. Blige & Usher; and Fergie & Ludacris.

The concert will be broadcast on CBS Friday September 7, 2007.

You can purchase tickets by going to www.radiocity.com Prices begin at $100.00.

Source: CTV
Date: August 20, 2007

Timbaland parties in Toronto at Toronto's Level nightclub on Tuesday, August 21.

With gossip swirling that Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado will attend the after-hours bash -- and possibly jam with the happening hip-hop artist, Quan says, "At this point the only person we can officially say has a high possibility of being at the party is Usher."

Click here to read the full article

Source: NY Post
Date: August 19, 2007

Jive, which is no stranger to working mega hits, is looking at a lighter release schedule in the coming fourth quarter, with Usher's next album now not expected until 2008, sources said.

Source: Fierce 411
Date: August 14, 2007

Syracuse, NY. – In a recent poll taken by the popular women's website Fierce411.com, 78% of the respondents claim that the entertainer Usher's recent wedding drama hurt his image. Usher's relationship overcame a series of ups and downs as the 28 year old singer prepared to wed 38 year old Tameka Foster. Rumors circulated that the marriage was cancelled and that Foster had faked a pregnancy in order to get the singer to return her calls. To the surprise of Usher's audience, the two were married on the weekend of August 7th. Additional controversy came from rumors that Usher fired his mother at the urging of Foster.

Prior to the wedding, Usher was reported to have called several prominent radio show hosts to ask them to stop making jokes about his fiancé. Prominent host Tom Joyner claimed that Usher threatened to "whoop my ass" in response to his jokes. Wendy Williams of WBLS and Angela Martinez of Hot 97 were also reported to have received calls from the singer.

"Usher's drama was likely a publicity stunt to get attention for his upcoming album," says Stacey Gentles, Editor-in-Chief of Fierce411.com. "But you don't need to declare holy matrimony in order to promote your album."

When asked if Usher should have married Tameka Foster, 67% of the respondents either said "Probably not" or "Definitely not". Additionally, 2/3 of the respondents consider themselves to be Usher fans, though most are not happy with his recent actions.

"The Fierce411 poll reveals that Usher may have become the Tom Cruise of the black community", says Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University Professor and author of "What if George Bush were a Black Man?" "Usher doesn’t want to go to war with gossip columnists and the media, because that can get ugly real fast."

Source: Jawn Murray
Date: Posted on August 13, 2007

Did you notice how initially all of Usher's exclusives (engagement announcement, pregnancy announcement and wedding information) were given to People magazine? I'm told that the reason Us Weekly is now getting all of the exclusive updates from the modern day Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown is because People magazine began researching the information being sent over by Usher's camp and realized it wasn't checking out. "Once People discovered that Foster had never checked into St. Vincent's Medical Center in New York and that wasn't the reason the wedding was called off, they questioned Usher's camp on it. Instead of responding, team Usher began offering their exclusives to Us Weekly," said a source close the situation.

Update: The Winners List is posted below

Yep! It's about that time for another

Usherforever.com Giveaway

I have received a box of samples for Usher's new perfume & cologne line, and I'm giving them away!

Here's the rules, the first 50 people to fill out the form below, will receive either a sample of the perfume, or a sample of the cologne.

Read first before you fill out the form:

This giveaway is only available to USA residents. Sorry, no overseas visitors of this site can participate in this giveaway. Only one entry per IP address will be accepted. Anybody that tries to enter more than once with the same IP address will not be accepted. Any entries with incomplete information or duplicate information will also not be accepted. The winners names will be posted on my site. If you do not want your name posted on my site, don't enter the giveaway.

Good Luck to everybody!

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~ The Giveaway Is Over! ~

Winners List

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Usher For Women

Usher For Men

Source: US Weekly
Date: August 8, 2007
 

Usher, Tameka and Obama at Obama's birthday party, the day after Usher's wedding in Atlanta, GA

Four days after Usher Raymond told Us his wedding was on again – he'd postponed a star-studded July 28 ceremony in Sagaponack, New York – the singer secretly tied the knot August 3 with his pregnant fiancée of six months, Tameka Foster, 38, in front of a judge and three witnesses in his hometown of Atlanta.

"It was beautiful and private," the R&B singer, 28, tells Us Weekly. "We didn't have a first dance – but we had a lovely, intimate dinner filled with candlelight and flowers."

The couple's plans for the future are simple: to have a larger wedding ceremony ("sometime later in the year, or after the baby is born," Usher says) and to "prepare for the birth of our first child."

Jonnetta Says: I WAS NOT THERE!

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Usher Confirms Wedding: "We Are Happily Married"

Source: US Weekly
Date: August 6, 2007

Usher Raymond married his pregnant fiancée Tameka Foster on Friday in Atlanta.

The singer confirmed the nuptials exclusively to US Magazine. "I exchanged vows with Tameka Foster in Atlanta on Friday and we are happily married," Usher tells US.

The small, private ceremony was held in the singer’s lawyer’s office, and despite reports of bad blood between Foster and Jonnetta Patton, Raymond’s mother and former manager, she was on hand Friday to witness the event, the source confirms to US.

"They did exactly what they should have done and said they were going to do. They are very happy," a friend of the couple tells Us.

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Usher Marries Tameka Foster in Private Ceremony
 

Source: People
Date: August 4, 2007

After abruptly canceling his Hamptons wedding to stylist Tameka Foster last Saturday, Usher became a married man Friday in Atlanta, a source confirms to PEOPLE.

The two reportedly exchanged vows in the office of his lawyer – a far different affair than the event planned for last weekend at music mogul L.A. Reid's Sagaponack, N.Y., home. The couple had spent $10,000 on invitations alone, and had lined up singer Robin Thicke to perform and renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, along with Sylvia's of Harlem, to cook.

"It would have looked amazing," said once source of the plans.

But Friday, in their home state of Georgia, the Chicago Sun-Times reports, it was a much simpler ceremony for the couple, who are expecting their first child together this winter. (Foster also has three children from a previous marriage.)

The marriage came after speculation that the couple had called things off because of arguments involving everything from the wedding plans to the fact that Usher's mother, Jonetta Patton, didn't approve of Foster.

The bride-to-be dismissed those rumors, but did confirm to PEOPLE that she had a pregnancy "scare."

In fact, the couple insisted that it was that hospitalization that caused the postponement, and nothing more. "I was pushing myself way too hard," the five-months pregnant Foster, 37, told PEOPLE. "But I am fine and the baby is fine."

A source also told PEOPLE that it was never a question that they would marry at some point and that Usher, 28, "wants to be there for a baby."

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Source: Chicago Sun-Times
Date: August 4, 2007

Usher and fiancée get married after all

Despite canceling their nuptials scheduled to occur earlier this week, the on-again, off-again wedding of Usher and his pregnant fiancée was finally on -- and held quietly Friday.

The multiplatinum singer married his longtime girlfriend, Tameka Foster, who is several years older than he, during a private ceremony in his lawyer's office in Atlanta on Friday, sources said.

Among those present was Usher's mother, Jonetta Patton, who, it has been widely reported, staunchly disapproved of the marriage. Foster was reportedly largely responsible for Usher firing his mom as his manager last May.

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Source: S2S Site Admin
Date: August 3, 2007

One of our sources has told us that Usher and Tameka Foster got married today in the singer's office. We'll send more details as we get 'em.

...:: On Again, Off Again: Who Knows? ::...

Updates will be posted as I get them. Newer updates are posted first. Scroll down to see previous update.

Click here to see more photos

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Unbridled Attacks From Usher Camp
 

Source: NY Daily News

Date: August 1, 2007

The knives are out for Tameka Foster following the canceled weekend wedding to Usher, although the singer himself insists all is well.

Just after the wedding was scuttled, Usher flew alone to his estranged mother Jonetta Patton's house in Atlanta, amid rumors that he couldn't go through with the ceremony without her. Foster, four months pregnant, followed him to Atlanta, telling People magazine she had a baby scare during the tumultuous weekend.

But sources close to Usher's family say she used the baby as a "ploy to get Usher to talk to her," and they are unsure whether there was a baby scare at all.

"Tameka is using a publicist and is trying to smooth this whole thing over in her favor," a friend told The News' Jo Piazza.

Says another source in the anti-Foster faction: "Usher wouldn't speak to Foster — and that's when she told him there were problems with the baby. She just wanted to get him to talk to her again."

The couple flew back to New York together this week.

"She made sure those magazines got their photo op with her and Usher after they left the Mandarin Oriental" yesterday, said the source.

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Usher Tells Us the Wedding is Still On!

Usher & Tameka arriving at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in NYC on July 31. Click on photo to enlarge.

Source: US Magazine

Date: July 31, 2007

Usher Raymond and his pregnant fiancée Tameka Foster cancelled their nuptials last Saturday, but don't count the couple out yet.

The singer exclusively tells Usmagazine.com that it's only a matter of time before they walk down the aisle. "As of right now we don't have a date but we will let you know when we do."

The couple, who had scheduled their July 28 wedding at the Long Island home of music executive L.A. Reid, called off the ceremony at the last minute without explanation.

Multiple newspaper and online outlets speculated that the cancellation was due to bad blood between Foster and Usher's mother, recent reports about Foster's criminal past, and Foster's resistance to signing a prenuptial agreement.

However, a source close to the couple dismisses the rumors.

"People are just hating," says the insider, who reveals the real reason they postponed the wedding was due to a pre-term labor scare.

According to the Usher source, at noon on Friday, the four-months pregnant Foster was admitted to St. Vincent's Medical Center in New York City after suffering cramping. But upon examination, says the source, "she learned it was just uneasiness brought on by the stress of the wedding."

At that point, the singer decided to postpone the ceremony. But no worries.

"Everbody's fine. Tameka and the baby are fine," Usher himself told Usmagazine.com on July 31, after the couple arrived via private plane in NYC (and Us got the exclusive photo!).

Foster chimed: "We're good. We're all doing great now."

Meanwhile, another friend of the couple assures Us that there will be an "I do" do-over in the future.

"There will be a second wedding ceremony," the pal tells Us. "This is just a postponement. They are very much in love."
 

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Source: People
Date: July 30, 2007

Tameka Speaks Out About Canceled Wedding

Tameka Foster is finally speaking out about the swirl of rumors surrounding her canceled nuptials to Usher this past Saturday.

"No one knows why we canceled the wedding, but I can tell you that all of the reasons that everyone is speculating and writing about are completely untrue," Foster told PEOPLE Monday, but she declined to reveal more about why the nuptials were called off.

Sources tell PEOPLE at issue were family matters (Usher's mother and former manager Jonetta Patton was against the wedding) and disagreements between the would-be-bride and groom over wedding details.

Foster, 38, who is now in Atlanta – as is Usher, 28 – does address one rumor that was spread by local radio stations and some popular blog sites – that following Saturday's canceled ceremony, she checked into a local hospital and went into pre-term labor.

"We had a scare," she says. "But, I am fine and the baby is fine.”
 

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Tameka Hospitalized

MediaTakeOut.com can confirm that right now Usher's fiancé Tameka Foster is at an Atlanta area hospital suffering from pregnancy complications. While details are still sketchy, reports are that - for the time being - both Tameka and the baby are doing fine.

We can also confirm to you that Usher has visited Tameka in the hospital.

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Source: NY Post
Date: July 30, 2007

Workers yesterday dismantled two massive white tents and hauled off tables and decorations set up for R&B star Usher's lavish wedding to stylist Tameka Foster that was abruptly canceled on Saturday.

The crews drove up the winding driveway of L.A. Reid's 10,000-square-foot Sagaponack, L.I., mansion, ready to break down preparations, including giant generators set to cool the tents for guests.

The would-be newlyweds had no comment on why the ceremony was called off, but a close friend of Foster's who answered the bride-to-be's cellphone yesterday said she is "doing fine."

"She's doing well. She's absolutely fine," the friend said. She said the duo, who began dating in November 2005, has been communicating with each other since Saturday.

"They are still best friends. Why would anyone assume otherwise? People have assumed so much that was wrong about the relationship."

Many items, including "Park Avenue" martini glasses and a four-slice toaster, remained on the couple's registry list.

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Source: NY Daily News
Date: July 30, 2007

Runaway groom Usher is headed back into his mama's arms.

A day after the last-minute cancellation of his Hamptons wedding to pregnant fiancée Tameka Foster, the Grammy winner was bound for Atlanta to make peace with his estranged mother, Jonnetta Patton, sources told the Daily News.

"The reason he called off the ceremony is that he couldn't go through with it without Jonnetta," said one insider. "He had an eleventh-hour epiphany."

The source said the 28-year-old multiplatinum R&B star was expected to fly home yesterday to Atlanta, where his mother lives. It wasn't known last night whether the 38-year-old Foster, who is expecting his child in the fall, would be traveling with him.

The nuptials appeared to be going full-steam ahead late last week. After some negotiation, Foster had signed a prenuptial agreement, according to people close to the singer.

"Usher conceded to some of her terms," said one source.

On Thursday night, he had his bachelor party. But, on Friday, "he started having second thoughts again," said a source. "He was obviously troubled that Jonnetta wasn't coming."

For weeks, it had been unclear whether there was a wedding hall big enough to hold Patton and Foster, who've long been at odds. Last week, sources said, Foster agreed that Patton could come to the wedding - but, by then, Patton had resolved to stay in Atlanta.

"Usher woke up on Saturday and said he couldn't go through with it," said a source. "Apparently, he also couldn't bring himself to call all the people who were invited. He had the wedding planner call everyone in the wedding party."

The word also went out to stunned guests who were about to board a shuttle bus from a nearby inn to the Sagaponack estate of Island Def Jam chief Antonio (L.A.) Reid.

Foster was furious: "She was marching around, cursing," said a source.

Foster, a divorced mother of three, had at one point worked as Usher's stylist only to be forced out by his manager-mother.

Later, she won a more important place in Usher's life, as his girlfriend, and started crossing swords with several of his longtime friends and handlers.

Shortly before Mother's Day, Usher announced that Patton, who had guided him toward superstardom, would no longer be his manager. Usher denied that Foster planned to take over the role Patton once held.

This month, Usher wrote an open letter in People magazine, declaring "I am not being led" by Foster. That letter prompted AOL Black Voices columnist Jawn Murray to call upon Usher to make up with Patton, or risk alienating his fan base of women. "You only have one mother," wrote Murray, whose letter Usher is said to have read last week.

Also factoring into the crisis was a National Enquirer story alleging that Foster had served time for petty crimes and had once dated a drug dealer killed in an ambush.

The story quoted Foster's half-sister, Valencia Foster, as saying, "Poor Usher has no idea who he's marrying."

Usher's rep, Patti Webster, did not immediately return a request for comment.

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Tid Bits from Access Hollywood

::::::::::::::::::::::
A source, close to the wedding, said they started making calls (that the event was being canceled) around 1PM ET, on Saturday, two hours before the ceremony was due to begin.

Usher and his groomsmen were to be dressed in Armani for the event. His brother, James, was going to be his best man.
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Source: NY Daily News
Date: July 29, 2007

Always an Usher, never a groom.

R&B star Usher and his pregnant girlfriend hastily called off their glitzy Hamptons wedding yesterday just hours before guests were scheduled to arrive.

"We're all speechless," one guest said.

The last-minute announcement triggered a swirl of rumors.

Some guests speculated Usher was furious after discovering his intended had concealed details of her past. Late last week, the National Enquirer reported that Foster was an ex-con whose drug-dealing ex-lover had been gunned down.

Others suggested the bride, who has three children from a pervious marriage, may have balked at signing a prenup.

Still others wondered whether the long-standing enmity between Foster and Usher's mother was to blame. In May, the singer fired his mom, Jonetta Patton, from her job as his manager, allegedly at Foster's prompting.

"Jonetta was invited to the wedding at the last minute, but she didn't want to go," a source told the Daily News.

"She's not a hypocrite. As much as she loves her son, she's not going to pretend that everything's fine," the source said.
 

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Source: NY Post
Date: July 29, 2007

Lavish wedding preparations at Reid's 10,000-square- foot home in Sagaponack, Southampton, were in full swing yesterday morning, with refrigerated trucks delivering food and decorators putting the final touches to the sprawling reception tent on the lush lawn.

Staff at Sylvia's Restaurant in Harlem, which was catering the wedding, refused to comment when asked why the ceremony had been scrapped.

Although no official explanation was given, it is believed Usher's mother and former manager, Jonnetta Patton, did not approve of the 36-year-old Foster, a divorced mother of three, and had not been invited to the wedding.

A National Enquirer story, leaked just days before the planned nuptials, may not have helped Tameka's reputation.
 

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Source: TMZ
Date: July 29,2007

The nuptials for R&B smoothie Usher and girlfriend Tameka Foster were called off, but that hasn't stopped would-be wedding guests from grumbling about gifts.

The millionaire couple registered for their wedding at Crate & Barrel and Williams-Sonoma (Click on the links to see their registry). Among the items on their wedding wish list, $8 asparagus tongs and a $4,000 espresso maker. Some guests thought the registry was tacky.

"You'd think that he'd invite people to give to a favorite charity," the source said. "Does he really need another toaster?"

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Source: People
Date: July 29, 2007
 

Posted at 8:10 AM | Edit Update at 12:15 PM

Usher's Canceled Wedding: What Happened?

Saturday's canceled wedding of Usher and Tameka Foster – who is due to have the couple's baby this fall – was the result of the past few bumpy days for the couple, a source tells PEOPLE.

At issue were family matters and the event itself.

"Usher's mother [and former manager, Jonetta Patton, whom he fired in May] is against the wedding. That is one of the main obstacles," according to the source, who also said of the bride, 37, and groom, 28: "They only decided two weeks ago to have a wedding. They wanted to have it take place before the baby bump started showing."

But as another source tells PEOPLE: "Usher changed his mind."

Usher and Foster, a stylist, also "had a lot of differences about the details. For example, the bride wanted barbeque, [and] he wanted to have [renowned chef] Jean Georges cook," said the source.

As a result of the differences, the wedding "was on again off again for the past few days. [Foster] was calling it off because she wasn't getting the things that she wanted. The mother was calling it off. ... Usher was calling it off."

On Saturday, only hours before the afternoon ceremony was to take place at the Southampton, N.Y., estate of music mogul L.A. Reid, Usher's publicist Patti Webster issued the following statement: "It was announced today that the wedding ceremony for Usher Raymond IV and Tameka Foster was canceled. No additional information will be given regarding the circumstances of the cancellation, but we hope the privacy of this matter will be respected."

According to the New York Post, the 70 to 100 guests who needed to be informed there was to be no wedding included couples Beyoncé and Jay Z, as well as Janet Jackson and Jermaine Dupri.

The paper also said Usher's godfather, Broadway star Ben Vereen, had been removed from the guest list because of his view toward Foster, and that Usher's mother had not been invited to begin with.

New York's Daily News reports that Usher's mother was invited at the last minute, though an unnamed source tells the paper she did not want to go.

"The tents were up," an insider tells PEOPLE. "And they paid all of the people, the vendors, so that wasn't an issue. ... Hotel rooms were an issue. Janet [Jackson] was coming, but she had eight security people. Ashanti and Nelly were coming."

The source added that it was a possibility that the wedding may still come off. On Saturday, however, Webster would not comment on whether Usher and Foster were still engaged or even remained a couple.

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The wedding set-up at LA Reid's Hampton home

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Source: Sandra Rose

Industry Insider: 'The National Enquirer Story Did It'

An industry insider who is close to usher's camp revealed the real reason behind usher's surprise cancellation of his wedding to his former stylist Tameka Foster. "My sources are saying The National Enquirer Story did it, and the wedding was called off last night," said the insider in a text message to me.

Another source debunked the theory that usher found out Tameka was behind the National Enquirer story and shared a part of the payment with her sister Valencia Foster. "The National Enquirer story is real," said my source. "Tameka wouldn't settle for [less than $1,000] for a story when she's set to make millions being married to usher."

Tameka Foster is said to be "furious" at last night's surprise cancellation of her wedding.

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MTO Update 1: Every member of the staff has been asked to leave L.A. Reid's mansion. It's still not clear exactly what happened!!!

MTO Update 2: One member of the staff spotted Tameka Foster crying!!!!

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Update: 12:40pm (eastern)

NEW YORK - The wedding between Usher and his pregnant fiancé has been canceled, his publicist told The Associated Press on Saturday.

It was expected the multiplatinum singer would marry his longtime girlfriend, Tameka Foster, this weekend. The pair are expecting their first child together sometime this fall.

However, a statement released by publicist Patti Webster read: "It was announced today that the wedding ceremony for Usher Raymond, IV and Tameka Foster was canceled. No additional information will be given regarding the circumstances of the cancellation, but we hope the privacy of this matter will be respected."

Foster and Usher announced their engagement earlier this year, and later, that she was expecting his first child. She has three other children from a previous marriage.

It was not immediately clear whether the pair was still engaged or even a couple.

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Update from MTO:

The Tameka Foster Usher Raymond wedding day has finally arrived. And already MediaTakeOut.com has got its first report of Tameka acting like a Bridezilla. According to one of our very well placed sources, Tameka was on the phone this morning screaming (yes, she was actually screaming) at her wedding planner.

And that's not all. According to our insider, Tameka is even talking slick to L.A. Reid's wife Erica. The source tells MediaTakeOut.com, "Tameka snapped at [L.A. Reid's wife] Erica about something ... Erica is such a sweetheart, but she's no pushover. We're going to have to try and keep those two apart."

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Source: Life & Style

"The guests are already on their way. It's on!" says one insider. "They want to keep it top secret, so the guests will take a bus from a decoy location and then they will be taken to the wedding."

Usher’s estranged father, Usher Raymond III, will be attending. “Usher and his father have recently mended fences,” says the second insider. Usher’s godfather, actor Ben Vereen, will also attend. Usher’s mother, Jonnetta Patton, who disapproves of his relationship with Tameka, was not invited, says the insider.

R&B singer Robin Thicke will perform at the nuptials; wedding planner Diann Valentine is handling all the arrangements; and Sylvia’s of Harlem, New York, is catering the affair.

Says the insider, “It’ll be a fabulous wedding!”

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Usher called S2S before heading down the aisle

Tameka, Usher, Tameka's youngest son & S2S Publisher Jamie Foster Brown

S2S Publisher Jamie Foster Brown got an unexpected call not too long ago and had this to say about it:

"Usher called me the other day and expressed how happy and proud he is about becoming a father to his baby boy. He was having a breakfast of grits and hash-brown potatoes when we spoke. I wished him and his family well. He said that he never knew he would lose his anonymity when he became a celebrity. He wanted his wedding to have no more than 20 people and it has gotten out of hand.

This weekend at music mogul L.A. Reid's home, Usher is scheduled to wed Tameka Foster in front of his father and family, as well as Tameka's family. He emphasized that this is the woman he chose to love and obey and marry. He just wants to be happy and keep his private life private, but realizes that's not possible. He said didn't want any negativity around him on his special day."

Photo by JimiFlix

Source: E! Online
Date: July 26, 2007

Usher had a slight fashion emergency when he showed up to shoot a segment earlier this week in which he decorates a Christmas tree. Singer's fiancé and stylist, Tameka Foster, was supposed to deliver the clothing he was going to wear, but she missed her flight from Atlanta to New York.

Staffers scrambled, hoping Usher would wear some of the clothing they already had on set from previous shoots. Nope, that didn't happen.

The shoot finally took place after someone was sent to fetch some clothing from—where else?—an actual Macy's nearby.

Let's hope things run more smoothly this weekend for Usher and Foster, who is pregnant with their first baby, when they're said to be getting married in the Hamptons.

The previous story I had listed is the same story as in the article, so I deleted the text version. Click on the photo above to read the story.

Source: NY Daily News
Date: July 24, 2007

Are Usher and Tameka Foster ready to make it legal? The buzz is that the two, who are expecting a baby this fall, may wed as soon as this weekend. An insider says they're personally calling friends like Jay-Z and Beyoncé and Janet Jackson and Jermaine Dupri to attend the nuptials, which could take place at music honcho L.A. Reid's Hamptons spread. Big question: is Usher's mom, Jonetta Patton, invited? Sources say Patton, who's also Usher's ex-manager and isn't on the best of terms with Tameka, may be traveling this week.

Tom Joyner Morning Show - July 24, 2007

Source: Jawn Murray (AOL BV)
Date: July 23, 2007

Dear Usher,

Your open letter to the media inspired me. It's quite rare for someone of your stature to communicate in that manner, so I thought I'd take a page from your book and send you a note in response.

First let me congratulate you on your pending nuptials to your fiancée, Tameka Foster this weekend in The Hamptons. I'm sure record executive L.A. Reid's home will be the perfect backdrop for your first time jumping the broom.

Though we are only seven months into the year, 2007 has shaped up to be a monumental year for you. So far, you've gotten engaged; fired your longtime manager and mother, Jonetta Patton; are expecting your first child, a son, in December; terminated your entire camp and are now slated to get hitched. It's been eventful to say the least.

I know there have been several internet stories attributed to me about you that were not true (anything I need to say about an artist will be written in my column or said on my radio show). I also know that you weren't too thrilled with some of the stories me and my morning show cohorts did about you on the 'Tom Joyner Morning Show.' As an artist who was apparently primed to be heir to the 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson, you should have expected that you'd receive the type of scrutiny that you are currently dealing with. You have to know it comes with the territory.

While none of us will deny that you are a great performer and talented singer, many of us are worried about your superstar status strictly based on decisions you have recently made. Who can tell a man not to fall in love? I sure can't! Despite the objections that your fans have with Foster and the reality of how you two became a couple, I've always said if it is good enough for Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, why shouldn't it be good enough for you? Maybe if you and the bride-to-be would adopt some young African children, the negative attention about your relationship will ease up just like it did for Brangelina.

Nonetheless, my suggestion to you is to take a break. Disappear for a while. Get married, go on your honeymoon and have your first born quietly. Stop trying to force your friends, family, fans and the media to accept Foster. You're really coming across like a parent trying to feed brussel sprouts to a child. No more letters to the media, no more phone calls to radio personalities and no more of anything that else that will make people question your current state of mind! More importantly, no more denying things that are true. That always comes back to bite you in the butt!

More importantly, you only have one mother! The worst thing you could do is to not mend your relationship with her as soon as possible. While you've made the transition from R&B star to pop sensation with the Rolling Stone cover to prove it, we all know that your core demographic is African-American females. There's nothing a Black woman hates more than a man who doesn't know how to treat his mother!

So I write this to you, without getting in any digs or making any jokes, and I hope you take my advice to heart. Take a little time during your time off to watch a few E! 'True Hollywood Stories' and some VH1 'Behind the Music' specials. The decisions you're making aren't new-somebody cue Deborah Cox and Whitney Houston's song 'Same Script, Different Cast'-but I'd hate for your story to end just like so many before you.

All the best!
~Jawn

Click on the photo to read the article

Source: Chicago Sun-Times
Date: July 19, 2007

My sources tell me that R&B artist Usher will marry Tameka Foster July 28 in the Hamptons.

Source: TMZ
Date: July 19, 2007

Usher Raymond is determined to sanitize all the Usher news around, even if he's got to strong-arm his biggest fan site with legal action in order to keep it that way. But the webmaster of the site tells TMZ she's willing to slug it out in court with her fave R&B star, just to make her point. Click Here to read more on TMZ.com

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Video from E News

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Source: TMZ
Date: July 18, 2007

Usher just loves his fans -- as long as they love him unconditionally. Gatecrasher reports that the R&B stalwart is trying to shut down Usherforever.com because he doesn't like what the site's been saying about his fiancée and new manager, Tameka Foster. "He's had his lawyer send her papers," says an insider.

After recently canning his own mom, Jonetta Patton, as his manager, Usher has also lost longtime reps Simone Smalls and Chris Chambers. It's all going a bit off the rails for Ush, who's also going to miss an August deadline for delivery of his next album, says Gatecrasher.

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Fanning Usher's Ire

Source: NY Daily News
Date: July 18, 2007

Sources say Usher is trying to shut down Usherforever.com because the woman behind the site, Erika Jackson, doesn't care for his fiancée, Tameka Foster.

"He's had his lawyer send her papers," said an insider.

Foster has proved unpopular with many fans, amid rumors she was responsible for the firing of Usher's manager (and mom), Jonetta Patton.

In May, Usher parted ways with longtime publicist Simone Smalls, and recently his other longtime rep, Chris Chambers, left the team. Chambers is said to have disapproved of the "open letter" Usher released to fans last week.

The singer wrote: "It's disturbing that the media and bloggers (under the guise as 'fans') continuously speculate on the personal aspects of my life."

Usherforever.com repeated a scathing response to that letter, originally from Rolling Stone, which called the move "petty."

If that wasn't bad enough, another source tells me that Usher is likely to miss an August deadline to deliver his next album, meaning it won't be available in gift-friendly November.

However, a spokeswoman for Jive Records said a release date had never been set. Usher's new personal rep responded to a detailed e-mail, saying, "your information is not accurate," but did not elaborate.

Source: Rolling Stone
Date: July 13, 2007

For a guy named for a profession that involves lots of shushing, Usher sure doesn’t know when to just shut up. Rather than let the controversy surrounding his recent career moves (firing his manager mom, getting engaged after impregnating his fiancé, possibly threatening a radio host) dissipate in time, Usher has opted to publish an open letter justifying his actions and requesting privacy. But rather than posting the letter on his Web site, where only the most rabid Usherphiles would read and understand it, Usher went to People magazine, thus exposing his life to a far larger audience.

Usher joins a long list of artists who have penned open letters, with mixed results. So here’s our open letter to rock stars thinking about writing open letters: Don’t do it. They’re petty, they rarely accomplish their intended goal and they stick around in our memories forever. Need proof?

** Britney Spears, fresh from rehab, posted an open letter on her Web site thanking her fans for sticking with her through all her problems. This letter was supposed to signify a new, less-likely-to-shave-her-head Britney. It’s no coincidence that the open letter has since been removed from her page.

** After facing a media firestorm regarding her questionable adoption of a Malawi boy, Madonna (writing under the pseudonym Madonna Ritchie) issued a statement in the form of an open letter clarifying her intent and her method of adoption.

** Who can forget the infamous open letter by Metallica from the early stages of their battle versus Napster? The best line is a toss-up between “All of us would be perfectly happy serving fried food or mopping the floors of adult entertainment establishments except for the fact that we’d be taking jobs from our fans” and “We have millions of dollars going to convince you that we don’t suck.”

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Source: People
Date: July 12, 2007

In an open letter to PEOPLE, Usher is speaking out about the rumors surrounding his relationship with and upcoming wedding to Tameka Foster, with whom he's expecting a child in the fall.

One issue: The report by the New York Post's Page Six that the couple are planning to marry at the end of July in the Hamptons. Usher, 28, won't divulge a wedding date, saying, "Since my wedding day will be special to Tameka and I, this is information that we would like to keep private."

Another topic is radio host Tom Joyner's claim that Usher threatened him. According to the New York Daily News, Joyner said Usher threatened to "whup my a--" after he joked about rumored tension between Foster and Usher's mother. Says Usher, "I have never threatened or harassed anyone from any media format."

Finally, he wants to make it clear that Foster, 36, is not running his life, as some bloggers have speculated after Usher fired his manager mother, Jonetta Patton, and publicist. But Usher insists: "I am happy, excited, completely clear and independent on my direction, feelings, decisions and I am not being led."

The full text of Usher's letter follows:

"It has already been announced that I plan to marry this year. However, since my wedding day will be special to Tameka and I, this is information that we would like to keep private. It's disturbing that the media and bloggers (under the guise as 'fans') continuously speculate on the personal aspects of my life, therefore making assumptions and wrong insinuations that my fans are subject to believe.

"I am happy, excited, completely clear and independent on my direction, feelings, decisions and I am NOT BEING LED. Some media and bloggers have been totally intrusive, they have misconstrued aspects of my personal life and, because of this, my 'true' fans are not sure about what is fact and what is fiction. There is a difference in stating an opinion versus drawing a conclusion that is incorrect.

"As previously reported, I have NEVER threatened or harassed anyone from any media format – print, radio, television or Internet media. At this point the best thing to say to my fans is just because it sounds enticing and it MAY sound 'true,' that does not make it truth. I understand the fact that I must sacrifice some anonymity for the career I love, however some things are personal like having a child or a marriage. These aspects are not for the public and, to me, are sacred. I would hope my privacy in these areas would be respected."

– Usher

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