Fantasia Barrino

Former ‘‘American Idol'' champ Fantasia Barrino has extended her stay in ''The Color Purple,'' the hit musical based on Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, the show's producers announced Thursday. Fantasia, who won raves from the critics for her performance as Celie, will appear in the musical through Jan. 6, 2008. She was originally scheduled to leave in October. ''The Color Purple,'' now in its second year at the Broadway Theatre, received a boost at the box office after Fantasia joined the production last April. Rihanna's "Umbrella" begins a seventh week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, having successfully fended off Shop Boyz' "Party Like a Rockstar," which drops 2-4. Its newest competitor is Plain White T's' "Hey There Delilah," which inches up 3-2. Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry" is also climbing on the Hot 100 4-3, and with a 2-1 advance on the Pop 100, earns her the distinction of the first lead artist to notch four No. 1s on that tally. Hip-Hop and R&B superstar Lil Fizz of the multi-platinum group B2K is poised to step into the forefront as a solo artist with the release of his debut LP "Pay Day". With a digital release available through Itunes.com July 17th, this is the first album of an exclusive recording agreement with industry veteran, Cudda Love of Fo' Reel Entertainment. The highly anticipated music video for the new single "Beds" presents B2K fans with yet another unique musical opportunity. Former members Omarion, Raz-B, and J-Boog each make an appearance in his video. British soul sensation Amy Winehouse has canceled a fourth concert in a week, after axing a scheduled performance at a festival in Austria. The singer was due to appear at the event in St Polten, alongside the Beastie Boys, The Roots and The Prodigy - but has pulled out after her doctor ordered her to get rest. She blamed the cancellation of gigs at T In The Park in Scotland, the Oxegen Festival in Ireland and Summer Pops in Liverpool, England on exhaustion.