Divinyls' 'I Touch Myself' Singer Chrissy Amphlett Beats Breast Cancer

Chrissy Amphlett, the former singer for Australian rock group Divinyls, made an announcement Jan. 23 on her official Facebook page that she is officially cancer-free.

Divinyls was best known for their 1991 hit 'I Touch Myself.' The band called it quits in 1996, and shortly thereafter Amphlett found herself deep in debt, Spinner reports. The singer then took to the stage in Australia playing actress Judy Garland. Amphlett's portrayal of the troubled star was widely acclaimed by critics and led to a successful acting career for the Aussie.

Amphlett's band reunited very briefly in 2007. It was also in 2007 that the singer was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Then, more bad news followed when just last year doctors discovered Amphlett's breast cancer.

"Today I have no answers," the 51-year-old wrote to her fans a few days after her initial announcement of being cancer-free. "I only know that I was given a chance to reflect on my own mortality; given a chance to choose life over the fear of death."

Fans chimed in, congratulating the singer on her good news, and coming forth with their own stories of sickness and loss, hope and survival.

"Thank you to those who have given their support and love," Amphlett responded. "Now let's celebrate Life!!!!!!"

Amphlett now lives in New York, and as of 2009 was a member of a new band. She's yet to comment on any future musical plans.

Indian Classical Singer Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Dies

Vocalist Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, a leading figure of Indian classical music, has died after a prolonged illness. He was 89.

Joshi was hospitalized three weeks ago in the western city of Pune complaining of shortness of breath, a Sahyadri hospital official said. He later underwent dialysis following kidney failure. He died Monday.

The son of a school teacher in the southern state of Karnataka, Joshi moved to the entertainment capital Mumbai in 1943 to work as a radio singer and released his debut album by age 22.

He received India's higest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, in 2008.

pandit Jasraj, another top vocalist, said: "His death is a great loss to Indian classical music."

Joshi is survived by three sons and a daughter.

Singer Monica Secretly Weds Lakers Guard Shannon Brown

LA Lakers Guard Shannon Brown has confirmed reports that he secretly married R&B singer Monica. The rumor mill had been swirling with reports that the lovebirds tied the knot, despite denials from both sides.

Brown, a shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, casually owned up to the nuptials during a post-game interview. "It's true," he said. "I really don't know what else to say about it. It's true. That's my wife. I'm her husband. We gonna continue to make positive things happen."

The couple met last year when Brown appeared in the Grammy winner's video 'Love All Over Me.' After only a few months of dating, the two became engaged in October, which she announced via her Twitter page. "We realize people will have their opinions," she wrote after receiving some opposition to her decision. "That's the way of the world. But we know who we are & who's we are."

Monica was previously engaged to longtime boyfriend Rodney "Rocko" Hill, with whom she shares two sons, 3-year-old Romelo and 5-year-old Rodney Jr. Now that she's married to Brown, the Atlanta native can add stepmother to her resume, as Brown, also has a young son from a previous relationship.

Blending families is something that 30-year-old is used to, she previously said, "I think that it's good for people to see that you can have the things that you truly want, and I don't mean that in a material way. I mean with relationships," she said. "We're very much a blended family. I have a mother and a stepfather who I love very much. I'm still very close to my own father. I have a brother, I have two small sons. I still have my career, all these different things, and it speaks volumes to your everyday person."

Singer Monica Weds L.A. Lakers' Shannon Brown

R & B singer Monica and Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Shannon Brown are finally ready to share their good news with the world.

The couple, who were secretly married in November, have finally gone public with the news of their union, reports PopEater.

Brown revealed the nuptials in a post-game interview after a recent Lakers game.

"It's true," he said. "I really don't know what else to say about it. It's true. That's my wife. I'm her husband. We're gonna continue to make positive things happen."

The couple met last year when Brown made an appearance in Monica's video for "Love All Over Me." They began dating a few months later and were engaged in October of 2010, with Monica announcing their engagement via Twitter. Though she received some pushback for the speed of the engagement, Monica stood by her decision.

"We realize people will have their opinions," she replied on the social networking site. "That's they way of the world. But we know who we are & who's we are."

Jewish Folk Singer Debbie Friedman Dies at 59

Highly influential Jewish folk singer Debbie Friedman died on Sunday, Jan. 9 due to complications surrounding pneumonia. According to the Associated Press, the singer-songwriter was admitted to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, Calif., on Jan. 3 and succumbed to an infection.

"She was a musician and a composer and traveled a great deal and fatigue is a normal course of that lifestyle," Jerry Kaye, a family spokesperson said. "She was looking for ways to better understand them herself and by doing that, she made it so much more available to anyone."

Throughout her recording career, Friedman released 20 albums, with her work receiving international attention with its incorporation into modern day synagogue traditions. The Minnesota native worked to blend folk music, a la Joan Baez, with traditional Hebrew styles, and she's best known for her musical version of 'Mi Sheberach' (the Prayer for Healing).

In 2010, Friedman released 'As You Go on Your Way: Shacharit-Morning Prayers' and worked as a teacher. She was scheduled to appear in Dallas, Texas and Charlotte, N.C. at the end of March and beginning of April.

"Twenty-five years ago, North American Jews had forgotten how to sing," said Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism. "Debbie reminded us how to sing, she taught us how to sing. She gave us the vehicles that enabled us to sing."

She is survived by her mother and two sisters. Funeral services are scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 11, in Santa Ana, Calif.