King Stitt, a pioneer in rap reggae, died Tuesday in his Caribbean homeland of Jamaica. He was 72. Stitt died at his home in the capital of Kingston after a long fight with prostate cancer and diabetes, said Jamaican musicologist Bunny Goodison, who was a close friend to the performer for more than 50 years. Stitt had recently been discharged from a public hospital. Stitt is credited as one of the earliest performers of "toasting," a vibrant form of Jamaican deejaying that directly inspired hip-hop music. He is best known for songs like "Paradise Plum" and "Fire Corner." He was a close collaborator of the late music producer Clement "Sir Coxsone" Dodd, who ran the celebrated Studio One and guided Stitt's career for years. Born with disfigured facial features, Stitt, who was also missing numerous teeth, dubbed himself "The Ugly One." "Without being disrespectful, Stitt made a mark vocally and visually. Because of his image, everyone knew him," Goodison said. Stitt is survived by a daughter.

Paula Abdul: I'm Not Returning to X Factor

The headline-making shake-up at The X Factor has stripped the show down to its very foundation, with Paula Abdul confirming on Tuesday that she is leaving the Fox talent show. "Yes, it's true; I won't be returning to The X Factor next season," Abdul, 49, said in a statement released by her rep. "She was fired, but everything is amicable," a source said. Based on her statement, Abdul isn't taking the news personally. "I've learned through my longevity in this industry that business decisions often times override personal considerations," she said. "Simon and I, along with Fox and Fremantle, have been communicating about this for a while now, and I have absolute understanding of the situation." Host Steve Jones and Abdul's fellow panelist Nicole Scherzinger are also departing the show, leaving L.A. Reid and Simon Cowell to judge and mentor contestants on season 2. "I want to say a massive thank you to Paula, Nicole and Steve for being part of The X Factor last year," Cowell said in a statement Tuesday. "You do develop friendships with the people you work with and Paula, in particular, is a very close friend and I expect to be working with her on another project in the near future." Apparently, the feeling is mutual. "Simon is, and will remain, a dear friend of mine, and I've treasured my experience working this past season with my extended family at Fox and Fremantle," Abdul also said. "I want nothing more than for The X Factor to exceed ALL of their wildest dreams."

Garth Brooks Wins Lawsuit Against Oklahoma Hospital

An Oklahoma hospital owes Garth Brooks a million dollars for failing to build a wing in honor of his late mother. Brooks sued the hospital in 2009, and jurors ruled in his favor. Integris Canadian Valley Regional Hospital in Yukon, Okla., must return the $500,000 Brooks donated for the project in 2005, plus pay another $500,000 in punitive damages. The hospital claimed in its defense that Brooks’ gift did not have any conditions attached, and he only later asked that it build a women’s center and name it after his mother, Colleen Brooks, who died of cancer in 1999. Brooks called the jurors “heroes” and said he felt vindicated by their verdict. “I no longer feel like I'm crazy,” he said. During the trial, Brooks testified that he thought he had a solid agreement with the hospital president, who initially suggested putting his mother's name on an intensive care unit. When Brooks said that wouldn't fit her image, the hospital president suggested a women’s center. “I jumped all over it,” Brooks told jurors in tearful testimony. “It’s my mom. My mom was pregnant as a teenager. She had a rough start. She wanted to help every kid out there.”


Green Arrow
Stephen Amell has been cast as the DC Comics character Green Arrow in the CW drama pilot "Arrow" for Warner Bros. TV.  Amell will play Oliver Queen, a wealthy playboy and billionaire industrialist-turned-outspoken politician who fights crime using archery, martial arts and technology. The buff Amell has served as a recurring actor on numerous shows including "Hung," "Private Practive," "The Vampire Diaries" and "90210" as well as being one of the finalists for the lead on "Spartacus".


Drake on Beef with Common
It looks like Drake has taken another dig at Common in an interview he recently did from the set of his video for “The Zone” with The Weeknd. Drake said that he will not be responding to Common because he feels like Common targeted him as a  “a ploy for attention” around the release of his new album, The Dreamer, The Believer.

Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert To Open Super Bowl

Husband and wife team Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert have been tapped to open this weekend’s Super Bowl XLVI by singing a duet version of “America the Beautiful.” The Feb. 5 performance will be their first TV performance together since their wedding last May. Their duet version of “America the Beautiful” is already available on iTunes as of today. After the Super Bowl airs, Shelton will be front and center once again with the 10 p.m. (ET) premiere of the second season of NBC’s “The Voice,” for which he serves as one of four celebrity coaches. Lambert will also make a return appearance on the show this season.



TV NEWS
Even though FX renewed Sons of Anarchy for season 5 in October 2011, they had yet to officially sign series creator Kurt Sutter for the upcoming season. Fortunately, not only has FX signed Sutter for a fifth season, but they also have him locked in for season 6 and 7 – if the network chooses to continue the series. Announcing his new deal for Sons of Anarchy on Twitter, Sutter made sure to include a quip about how much easier it is to deal with FX than AMC: “closed my deal for 3 more years on SOA. no headlines, no pushed schedule, no stealing from paul. thank you FX and 20th for your generosity.” Sutter’s remarks about “no headlines, no pushed schedule, no stealing…” refers to Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner’s complicated negotiations.


Vivica A. Fox has landed a guest spot on Raising Hope, playing a fiery church-goer who runs against Garret Dillahunt’s Burt in a local congregation election.


TLC has picked up Preacher Wives, a docu-series from the producers of the Real Housewives of Atlanta. The show centers on strong-willed southern women in religious leadership positions.


Whether NBC likes it or not, the end may be near for The Office, as Fox orders a half-hour comedy pilot from series star Mindy Kaling – which, if picked up, will force her to leave the series at the end of The Office season 8. The currently untitled project will star Kaling as an OB/GYN, who is described as a “young Bridget Jones type doctor trying to navigate both her personal and professional lives.” Kaling will also serve as an executive producer and writer, and will be joined by The Office producer Howard Klein.


Susan Sarandon has signed on to guest star in The Big C.  The actress will be the center of a multi-episode story arc involving Cathy (Laura Linney), a cancer patient insistent upon making the most of her life after being diagnosed. Sarandon will take on the role of Joy, a cancer survivor who uses her own experience with the illness to motivate and inspire others currently in treatment. The Big C will return to Showtime for a third season on April 8



HBO is betting big on Luck, renewing the Dustin Hoffman drama for a second season just two days after the Season 1 premiere drew lackluster ratings.


Like mother, like daughter? We’ll find out soon enough if that’s the case for the Evil Queen. The show has just cast veteran actress Barbara Hershey to play her mother — with a bit of twist. Hershey (Black Swan, Beaches) has been tapped for a guest role this season and a three-episode arc in the show’s NEXT season. That’s right, season 2.  While ABC has yet to announce a second season, the move is a bit of a no-brainer. The show was the highest rated new drama of the season and has maintained steady numbers, with the last new episode garnering over 10 million viewers.