Mary J. Blige to Star in Nina Simone Biopic

Thanks to the movie For Colored Girls and the countless TV commercials and Films using her music, Nina Simone fever has been building over the past few years. So when is her story coming to the silver screen? That’s right folks in 2012. The moody, forceful soul diva Mary J. Blige has signed on play the moody, forceful soul diva Nina Simone, in Nina, the latter's inevitable biopic.

Blige becomes perhaps the highest-profile musician to star in another musician's biopic since Babs played Fanny Brice, though there have been a number of recent crossovers: club R&B star Jamie Foxx won an Oscar for playing Ray Charles, of course, and Joaquin Phoenix was nominated for one for Johnny Cash in Walk the Line. Beyonce played Etta James in Cadillac Records and who can forget Jennifer Lopez lip-syncing so movingly, Selena in Selena?

R&B songstress Mary J. Blige will tune up her jazz vocals after signing to star in Cynthia Mort's "Nina," a movie about legendary singer Nina Simone. Mort's script focuses on Simone's relationship with her assistant Clifton Henderson, who will be played by David Oyelowo, backers said.

William Morris Endeavor's Global Finance & Distribution Group brought the film to U.K. production, finance and studio facility operator Ealing Studios. Ealing is financing, producing and selling internationally the $10 million movie scheduled to shoot in the fall this year. WME Global is handling North American rights.

Mort's resume includes a stint as a writer-producer on TV's "Rosanne" and "Will & Grace" and as creator of "Tell Me You Love Me." Simone was a singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger and civil rights activist.

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Beyonce's Beauty School or Beyonc'e Cosmetology Center

On Friday, Beyonce spoke in downtown Brooklyn, New York, at the Phoenix House, a nonprofit rehabilitation center for drug and alcohol addiction, unveiling a project she and her mother, Tina, have worked on for years: the Beyonce Cosmetology Center.

The program is a “seven month cosmetology training course for adult men and women,” according to the press release. L’Oreal donated all of the products to be used at the facility. Beyonce is a spokewoman for the brand, and she and her mother have pledged to donate $100,000 annually to the center.

After remarks from New York’s mayor, Michael Bloomberg, Beyonce spoke at the podium about her ties to the foundation and hopes for it’s future. She first visited the Phoenix House in 2007 on preparation for her role as Etta James in Cadillac Records.

Phoenix House does provide co-ed vocational work, but Beyonce stated that she “felt that they needed something that was geared towards women — something that would teach them skills that would give them hope even after the Phoenix House," she explained.

Another influence for the Knowles women to open the beauty school is because of their background in cosmetology. Her mother owned and operated a beauty salon in her hometown of Houston, Texas.

"I saw that a salon was a place for women to socialize, share stories, cry, laugh and get advice," she added about her experiences growing up around a beauty parlor. "Most importantly, I saw the joy it brought my mother, knowing she was a part of their transformation."

After cutting the ceremonial ribbon to officially open the facility, Beyonce ended the celebration saying, "It’s a very proud day for my mother.”