Justin Bieber Preps 'Never Say Never' Soundtrack, Hits Studio With 'Firework' Songwriter Ester Dean

With his much-anticipated film debut, 'Never Say Never,' due to hit the big screen on Feb. 11, multiplatinum music phenom Justin Bieber is putting the finishing touches on the movie's soundtrack. One high-profile songwriter who has wrapped up studio time with the teen superstar is Ester Dean, the Grammy-nominated talent behind hits by Rihanna ('Rude Boy,' 'What's My Name?'), Usher ('Hot Tottie') and Katy Perry ('Firework').

According to Dean, the in-demand Bieber -- who has become a pop culture behemoth, selling over 3 million copies of his debut album 'My World' and over 1 million of the release's extended edition, 'My World 2.0' -- took her by surprise with his humble demeanor. "I first met Justin with Usher at an 'American Idol' event," Dean told PopEater. "He was like, 'Oh my God ... I'm such a fan of your songwriting!' And I'm like, 'You're a fan? [laughs] I'm a fan of your music!'"

While some of Dean's longtime followers may be surprised at the pairing, the genre-jumping artist, who has also become a force in the R&B world drafting hits for Chris Brown, Robin Thicke and Tre Songz, sees no cultural differences when it comes to creating songs. "He's a very talented guy. He was very easy to work with and was very nice," she said. "We just finished up some music for the new movie he has coming out. I can't get too much into it. I don't want to give too much away. [Laughs] But it's going to be great."

"I've worked on all different types of music," Dean said of her diverse resume. "Take Katy Perry ... I've been wanting to collaborate with her since I heard 'I Kissed A Girl.' And I found out later that Katy wanted to work with me! So we did 'Firework' and 'Peacock' and wrote the lyrics together on both songs."

"Katy knew what she wanted. She already had the ideas in her head," Dean continued. "When an artist already has their thoughts for a song together, you only have to help them drive that car. It makes the process much easier. You are basically holding the map, but you still let them drive the car. Katy and I were coming up with some crazy lines like, 'Life is like a plastic bag, just let it go...' It was fun, but I didn't know 'Firework' would take off like it has."

Dean says her collaborations with pop acts like Bieber and Perry can only help end musical divisions. She points to her recent work with Mary J. Blige and Britney Spears, two acts that work at opposite ends of the music spectrum, yet have more in common than some would let on.

"Music is music. People need to get that into their heads," Dean said. "We should get past the segregation of music. If something makes you feel good, dance or want to make love, it could be anyone from John Mayer to R. Kelly. The music has nothing against you. It just wants to be heard."

New Allman Album Hits 7 Months after Transplant

When Gregg Allman asked his doctors for permission to start touring again just a few months after a liver transplant, he got quizzical looks.

"They said, 'Well, we're going to give you a pass and sign you out — but are you crazy?'" Allman said. "I actually think that it had to do with the big step in healing up that happened after I went on the road."

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, who this week releases "Low Country Blues," his first solo recording in 14 years, has experienced the healing power of music firsthand. Allman had his transplant on June 23 after hepatitis and the rock-star life left him in a state of deteriorating health. He knew the operation and recovery would be challenging, but he found it far more painful than he imagined it would be.

"They don't tell you about a lot of it because they don't want to scare you, you know," the 63-year-old said in a phone interview.

Allman found relief in music. He was playing the guitar and piano again several weeks after the surgery and slowly worked his way back on stage.

"That's kind of like the planet of no pain, being on stage," Allman said.

Allman was left with a noticeable shake in his hands from immune system-depressing drugs meant to keep his body from rejecting the new liver. Music seems to help there, too. The shaking stops when he lays his hands on his piano or guitar.

Allman has a theory about the therapeutic power of music.

"I think it's because you're doing something that you truly love," he said. "I think it just creates a diversion from the pain itself. You've been swallowed up by something you love, you know, and you're just totally engulfed."

Another thing that helped him through was his anticipation over the release of "Low Country Blues," produced by T Bone Burnett.


Allman's solo career had been dormant since the '90s. He worked with The Allman Brothers, the groundbreaking group he founded with his brother Duane in the 1960s that went on to define the dirty blues branch of the Southern rock family tree.

He had been thinking about a new record when his manager set up a meeting with Burnett in Memphis, Tennessee. The two bonded over once-forgotten blues songs. Burnett recasts Allman as a Delta blues singer with covers of Muddy Waters' "I Can't Be Satisfied," Skip James' haunted "Devil Got My Woman" and Sleepy John Estes' "Floating Bridge," one of his favorites.

"I like 'Floating Bridge' a whole bunch," he said. "It's a good swampy sounding song. I mean it's just one chord all the way through, kind of like the 'Gilded Splinters.' It just lent itself to being a little swampy, a little spooky. I enjoy that kind of thing."

Allman says he feels clean now, cleansed of the toxins left by alcohol and drug abuse and disease. Liver damage robbed him of his vitality and left him dwindling and exhausted. As his health worsened, it might take 10 hours of sleep to prepare for or recover from a 3-hour show. The wait for a donor liver was an anxious one, and he found himself seeking a stronger relationship with God.

"I was pretty sure I was gonna die," he said with a rueful chuckle. "And I just said, 'Man, come help me, God, can you come and help me? I'm in a real bad way here.' I said, 'Take what you want, just don't let me die.' He didn't take anything, you know, or anything like that. He restored my faith and my sanity and all that stuff. It was very painful, but there were different places along the way that I got little signs to tell me to hold on, that everything was going to be OK."

Allman's manager, Michael Lehman, flew to Jacksonville, Florida, to be with Allman for the surgery and in the days after. He has watched Allman's energy and healthy glow return in the months since. He has witnessed a rebirth on stage where Allman's improved stamina and health have led to a rich, strong voice that has critics hailing his performances. And he has seen Allman change his habits, leading a healthier lifestyle with exercise and smarter diet choices.

Lehman said Allman recently became emotional thinking of all the things that have happened in the last 15 months.

"It's overwhelming, the whole experience, and he can't believe it. And quite honestly the last time around he was not in the same frame of mind," Lehman said of Allman's last studio album with The Allman Brothers, 2003's "Hittin' The Note," and his last solo album, 1997's "Searching For Simplicity."

"I think the clarity and being so present during this experience is overwhelming for him because he's really seeing everything unfold every day, whether it's a word from a fan, the incredible reviews from the critics, the press from a concert or walking down the street and people coming and saying they're so happy to see you're so healthy again."