If only they allowed mixing boards in prison. |

R&B prodigy Mark Morrison is no doubt praying for a recording studio and a good producer behind bars this week following a British court order that has extended his current jail sentence by 18 months. Last week, Morrison was socked with another year and a half in prison for an altercation with bouncers at a British nightclub.

Nominated for four Brit Awards in 1997, Morrison is currently serving a sentence that was due to end in September. Now, the young superstar may remain in a London cell until March of the year 2000.

"If people really knew Mark -- not just the media portrayal of him -- they would really understand what a tragedy this is," Morrison's American manager told JAMTV on Tuesday. "He's a very nice young man."

The British press has come down hard on Morrison, who was convicted in late March for a disorder offense committed in 1995. According to the Associated Press, a judge in the Crown Court of Leicester, England, said the soulful singer had failed to carry out a community service order that was to be his punishment for a previous conviction.

Ironically, Morrison reportedly decided to pursue a career in music while serving a three-month sentence in 1995. Following his release, he entered a studio and released the club single "Crazy" in 1995. One year later, his debut disc, Return of the Mack, topped international charts. (Anni Layne)