First Lady Michelle Obama has been named the “Most Fascinating” person of 2009 by Barbara Walters.

Behind every good man is a great woman but behind every American mogul stands many great women. “The Russell Simmons Project” will offer an exclusive peek at the life of entrepreneur, entertainment and fashion icon, philanthropist and yogi, Russell Simmons, and the powerful team who runs his businesses. Russell’s assistants not only manage his business deals, but also his family life, party planning and love life - a commitment that is 24/7. These associates, who work from his penthouse office on Fashion Avenue in NYC, are entrenched in every aspect of his life. Their glam jobs bring them face-to-face with everyone from former presidents and international royalty to Hollywood’s elite. And with many new upcoming projects to juggle in the worlds of fashion, film and television, they certainly have their work cut out for them.  “Russell Simmons is a fascinating man and seeing his world through the eyes of his dream team comprised of strong, passionate women provides a unique experience for our viewers,” said Amy Introcaso-Davis, Senior Vice President, Original Programming and Development for Oxygen Media. “We’re excited to team up with Russell on this project and shine the spotlight on his core group that are living the dream alongside him.”

A couple of weeks ago, Beyonce was on the verge of signing a $300 million, 3 year deal with Las Vegas’ Wynn casino. Well now we hear that the deal is all but completed, and if everything goes according to plans it will be announced early next year. Under the terms of the deal, Beyonce will have to perform two to three times a week at the casino. And that means that her and Jay Z will have to set up a permanent residence in Sin City. According to our insiders, Jay and Beyonce are currently house hunting in Vegas as we speak. They even looked at one 10,000 square foot mansion just down the street from boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

Movie producer Tyler Perry announced on his Web site that his mother, Willie Maxine Perry, died Tuesday Dec. 8th 2009. On one section of his website, Tyler Perry says, ”My mother is the wisdom of Madea, She was 64. Thank you for all your prayers.” According to the FaceBook page “Please Pray for Mother Maxine Perry — Tyler’s Mom, she has been sick since late August”, although no details about an ailment was mentioned.  Maxine Perry was a pre-school teacher who worked at the New Orleans Jewish Community Center most of her life. Our prayers and condolences go out to Tyler Perry and his family for their untimely loss. Perry was reportedly planning to go on the road for another tour of live “Madea” shows, according to StraightFromTheA.com, but it is unclear how his mother’s death will impact his schedule.

Chris Brown’s “Graffiti” including the singles “I Can Transform Ya” and “Crawl“

Gucci Mane’s “The State vs. Radric Davis” with song that include Usher, Lil Wayne and Soulja Boy

Snoop Dogg’s Priority Records debut, “Malice ‘n Wonderland” also includes guest artist Lil Jon, The Dream, R.Kelly, Brandy, Jazmine Sullivan and Soulja Boy.

Hailed as the “mother of the nation” by some, reviled as a corrupt and violent adulteress by others, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela is one of South Africa’s most prominent figures. News that a film is to be made of her life, with Jennifer Hudson, the American actress, playing the leading role has not gone down well in the country’s acting community.  At a stormy weekend press conference, the Creative Workers Union of South Africa said that using foreign actors to tell the country’s stories undermined efforts to develop a national film industry. “It can’t happen that we want to develop our own Hollywood, and yet we keep bringing in imports,” said Mabutho Sithole, the union’s president.  “This decision must be reversed. It must be stopped now,” Oupa Lebogo, the union’s secretary-general, told The Times. Udo Froese, a close friend of Madikizela-Mandela, agreed: “There’s a lot of good local talent, why not use them? Winnie herself is not involved in this, and in no way has given any sort of green light. ”The film is based on Winnie Mandela: A Life, an unofficial biography by Anna Marie du Preez, a local journalist. Hudson, a former winner of American Idol, who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2007 for Dreamgirls, landed the role last month. The film will be directed by Darrell J. Roodt, a South African film-maker, whose other works include Cry, The Beloved Country and Sarafina.

The 52 annual Grammy nominations were announced last week on a Wednesday night TV special hosted by LL Cool J, and it was definitely ladies night, with Beyonce (10 nominations), Taylor Swift (eight), and Lady Gaga (five) leading the pack. But one diva who was somewhat surprisingly shut out was onetime Grammy sweetheart Whitney Houston. The Grammy committee usually loves comeback stories.  In this regard, Whitney Houston’s “comeback” album I Look To You released after the singer’s long hiatus, divorce from Bobby Brown, and infamous battles with drugs seemed a shoo-in for multiple nominations. This was a shock considering her Grammy history of 24 nominations and six wins, including winning Album Of The Year and Record Of The Year in 1994. Many industry people and fans alike are wondering why Whitney was overlooked this time. Some say it might have been all the hype. And it seemed many were rooting for her, with I Look To You debuting at #1 with more than 300,000 units sold in its first week (it has sold about 800,000 as of this writing), and has been R.I.A.A certified Platinum

Vick ran for a 5-yard touchdown in the third quarter of the Eagles’ 34-7 victory, for his first score in more than three years and tossed a 5-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter for his first significant contributions of the season. Boos mixed with cheers when Vick, who served 18 months in federal prison for his role in a dog fighting ring, came on the field for his first appearance back at the Georgia Dome where he once thrived as the highest paid player in the NFL and the face of the Atlanta franchise. By the end of the game, fans were cheering for him and chanting his name, hoping to see more of Vick on the field.

Chris Brown talked openly and honestly to Robin Roberts on 20/20 Friday.  Brown began speaking of “being in love like really for the first time…” as 20/20 showed clips of Chris Brown first breaking onto the scene being hailed as the next Michael Jackson — what with Brown’s “Run It” video moves and other spinning, flipping, amazing dancing abilities and charming persona. ”To the outside world, they were the perfect couple,” Robin Roberts said, as 20/20 showed video of Brown and girlfriend Rihanna at various MTV Awards shows and eventually at the fateful Grammy Awards dinner before their lives would change forever. Brown’s song, Changed Man, was written for Rihanna — but she said she didn’t listen to the song on her recent 20/20 interview with Diane Sawyer.

Alicia Keys says her first visit to Africa was so emotional and inspiring that she is ready to take others there to experience something similar.  The Grammy-winning singer is launching a contest through her charity, Keep a Child Alive, that will give five people an opportunity to visit the continent with her. She says her initial trip to Africa “totally changed my life.” Keys was to announce the contest Tuesday, which is World AIDS Day, when she performs at the Nokia Theatre in New York’s Time Square. The concert will air live on YouTube (8 p.m. EST).  Fans will be able to enter the contest online at the foundation’s Web site, or by sending a text. The fee for the text is $5, but it will be donated to Keep a Child Alive.  Keys said the winners, who will travel throughout Africa for five days sometime next year, will visit the people and places that were most influential to her.