Minnie Riperton

When singer Minnie Riperton died from breast cancer on July 12, 1979, she was listening to a song Stevie Wonder had written especially for her, according to her husband, Dick Rudolph. On Sunday, Wonder will again sing for Riperton. He is the headliner of a benefit concert at the Universal Amphitheatre launching the Minnie Riperton Fund, a venture administered through the Concern Foundation for Cancer Research.

Isn't it strange how things sometimes work out? The lure of Stevie Wonder's benefit concert Sunday night at the Universal Amphitheatre was the opportunity to see the acclaimed pop figure performing here in a "small" hall with a band for the first time in a decade. Wonder, who normally plays 16,000-seat arenas, did do a 1987 benefit at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, but he was accompanied that night by only his own pre-programmed computer.

Isn't it strange how things sometimes work out? The lure of Stevie Wonder's benefit concert Sunday night at the Universal Amphitheatre was the opportunity to see the acclaimed pop figure performing here in a "small" hall with a band for the first time in a decade. Wonder, who normally plays 16,000-seat arenas, did do a 1987 benefit at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, but he was accompanied that night by only his own pre-programmed computer.

When singer Minnie Riperton died from breast cancer on July 12, 1979, she was listening to a song Stevie Wonder had written especially for her, according to her husband, Dick Rudolph. On Sunday, Wonder will again sing for Riperton. He is the headliner of a benefit concert at the Universal Amphitheatre launching the Minnie Riperton Fund, a venture administered through the Concern Foundation for Cancer Research.

Sparkle is similar to Aaliyah, R. Kelly's last protege. Her youthful, urban-angel style is innocently wistful but worldly-wise. A seething, resentful duet with Kelly on "Be Careful" is sweetly balanced by her version of Minnie Riperton's "Lovin' You." It lacks the original's sultry playfulness, but Sparkle hits those high notes in just as thrilling a fashion. She's a major '98 contender.

I was shocked at the omission of singer Karen Carpenter, who died at 32 of the diet disease anorexia, from your otherwise excellent piece on the health and premature deaths of rock and pop stars ["Final Note Comes Early for Rockers," Sept 10]. Jon Konjoyan Toluca Lake -- Great piece. It drove me, a lifelong pop/rock/folk fan, to come up with more sad names (maybe I should get a life?).

Mariah Carey seemingly makes the same best-selling album every year--radio-friendly, bubblegum-flavored dance-floor smashes and intricately arranged, over-the-top ballads, all delivered by a sweet but powerful voice sharp enough to shatter a shot-glass. But despite the stupendous sales, Carey lacks the critical respect of a Whitney Houston or a Janet Jackson.

Early in her show at the Henry Fonda Theatre on Thursday, pop-R&B singer Chante Moore was faring better as a comedian than a singer. Backed into doing comedy by sound problems that kept her from doing songs, she turned the first part of her set into a laugh riot. Unfazed by the breakdowns, Moore, a chatterbox well-versed in hip lingo, cracked joke after joke. Though it was sometimes hard to tell Thursday, Moore really can sing.

Rachelle Ferrell, an extraordinary jazz/R&B singer who's been building a strong national following in the last few months, showed off her talents to an awe-struck Roxy audience on Wednesday. Essentially she's a jazz singer who incorporates elements of pop, R&B and gospel into her style, which falls somewhere between Al Jarreau and Anita Baker.

Antonia Routt, a 43-year-old recreational runner, got up before her running mates as they sat on the bleachers of the Jackie Robinson Stadium in Southwest Los Angeles to make a special request. Routt's voice shook as she asked the members of the Renaissance Runners, a group of about 150 African Americans, to participate in a race in honor of one of the club's members who is undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. "It's one thing to run in memory" of someone, she said.

Jeffrey Osborne has long been one of the most appealing figures in black pop, but he has continually been overshadowed by other artists--Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie and the Pointer Sisters among them. As a result, he's learned a thing or two about sharing the spotlight. Still, Osborne couldn't have counted on being upstaged twice in his weekend shows at the Greek Theatre--by his opening act and by one of his backup singers.

The sun has cooked the petals brown, and the branches could stand some pruning. But otherwise, Mario Ceremano's rosebushes appear strong and healthy. Mario was pleased to hear that, because there are few things he misses quite like his roses. The flowers are a comfort. One Saturday some years back, he had clipped dozens of roses and wasn't sure what to do with them.