THE COUNT: R&B MEGAFESTS HEAT UP VEGAS AND L.A.

It's almost Coachella season out in the California desert, but urban-leaning festivalgoers have a number of other tasty events from which to choose this spring and summer. Among them: Ron Laffitte client USHER (WME) will return to Las Vegas on 5/4 to headline the third edition of Lovers & Friends with Janet Jackson (CAA), Mary J. Blige (IAG), Snoop Dogg (WME) and Backstreet Boys (WME).

After the in-progress European leg of his Live Nation-promoted Coming Home Tour, which includes eight sellouts at the O2 in London, USHER will perform Confessions in celebration of the album’s 20th anniversary as part of Lovers & Friends, which will transpire at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds.

Other acts on the Live Nation/Redrock Entertainment-produced gathering's bill include Lil Wayne (UTA), who will perform Tha Carter III in its entirety, Gwen Stefani, Nas (WME), Alicia Keys (WME), TLC (Nick Meinema, Action Entertainment Collaborative) and Timbaland (UTA).

As summer winds down, C3's inaugural Fool in Love festival (8/31 at Hollywood Park, adjacent to Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium) will host a preposterous bill stuffed with nearly every living legend of pop, soul and R&B.

Lionel Ritchie (CAA), Diana Ross (CAA), Al Green, Smokey Robinson (Bruce Solar for Paladin Artists), Santana (CAA), Gladys Knight (CAA), Chaka Khan (David Zedeck for UTA), The Isley Brothers (Primary Wave), The O'Jays (Toby Ludwig for IAG), The Jacksons (Seth Cohen for Pyramid Entertainment Group), Dionne Warwick (Solar for Paladin), George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic (Jon Pleeter, Sound Talent Group) and Kool & The Gang (Sal Michaels, Pyramid), to name just a few, will all be celebrating the proverbial good times.

The significance of the occasion isn't lost on Ross, who just turned 80 and has a host of other headlining performances in North America and Europe on tap before Fool in Love. "To be included with so much talent and history..." she marveled. "This performance that I do is a gift. I appreciate and am thankful to share and give back to so many hearts. I keep counting my blessings."

David Zedeck, Diana Ross, Lil Wayne