Celebrity News USA

Cash's 80th birthday, legacy to be celebrated

2012-02-07T09:39:00.000-08:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Johnny Cash is still cool.

Like Elvis or Hank Williams, Cash retains a certain cachet in current popular culture even in death. More proof of his enduring legend is on the way as plans to celebrate what would have been the American icon's 80th birthday unfold later this month and year.

There will be a groundbreaking on the project to preserve Cash's childhood home in Dyess, Ark., on Feb. 26, his birthday. A new Cash museum will open in Nashville later this year and several music releases are expected to commemorate the anniversary of his birth. There are three documentaries in the works as well.

Interest remains as high as ever more than eight years after his death in 2003 at 71 of complications from diabetes.

"He appealed to people and still appeals to people who have a small CD collection and live in middle America just as much as the punk on the streets of Germany," Cash's son, John Carter Cash, said. "And that's sort of magical the way he's been able to do that still, that his image still draws people from all walks of life."

The Cash family is most excited about the project in Dyess. Many of Cash's children and grandchildren will attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home Project, an undertaking led by Arkansas State University.

Fundraising for the project began last summer and the family and university hope to restore the house Cash grew up in and its outbuildings. ASU also has taken over other buildings of historic importance that remain from the New Deal era Dyess Colony and want to reflect not only Cash's life, but the reality of The Great Depression.

The government put 500 families in homes with small agricultural land grants at a time of great hardship, and Rosanne Cash says without exaggeration that it saved her family. Her father would later become a citizen of the world, but his time in Dyess was instrumental in shaping his sound and his world view.

Rosanne Cash says of all the thousands of tributes and moments of recognition her father has received over the years, the restoration "has really captured my heart."

The house is being restored based on photos and the memories of relatives. It will be furnished and decorated as it was when the family lived there in the 1930s and '40s. ASU plans to establish a museum and a space for workshops, demonstrations and classes.

"It's so amazing how you don't realize how important these touchstones in your ancestry are until your parents are gone," Rosanne Cash said. "There's this paradox that you can't really feel it or realize it while they're here, so there's a tremendous amount of poignancy and embracing it and protecting it and preserving it for future generations, and drawing my own children into it. It's a big deal to me."

Bill Miller, a Cash memorabilia collector and the operator of the Johnny Cash website is behind the Nashville museum, which will be located on Music City's busy Lower Broadway tourist strip, "right in the middle of the hubbub," John Carter Cash said. The museum will be filled with pieces from The House of Cash, which closed in 1999, and other items endowed by the family.

"He's been an incredible supporter of my dad and one of the largest collectors of memorabilia," Rosanne Cash said. "If anybody has the whole structure to put up a museum, he does. So I have a lot of trust in him and I think it's great at this point. I think he'll do something with dignity and class that's historically important, not some kitschy thing. I'm very interested in seeing what he does."

No celebration of Cash would be complete without music. There's been plenty since his death, including the completion of his American Recordings work with producer Rick Rubin and the start of a bootleg series. The two-CD "Bootleg IV: The Soul of Truth," focusing on gospel and spiritual songs recorded in the 1970s and '80s, will be out April 3 and will include some unreleased material. And Columbia/Legacy plans other releases later this year, including a large box set, but details on those projects are not yet available.

Whatever is released will find a willing audience, eager to hear new material or learn something new about The Man in Black.

"Dad was, I don't know how else to put it but to say, he was the real deal," John Carter Cash said. "He had a humility and a charm and a style and a charisma that just still attracts people to him. Through his music, his writings and the other people who study his life, it's inspiring. And I think that's a great thing that people are inspired by my father still."

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Look at him now: Chris Brown winning as rapper

2012-02-07T09:16:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK (AP) — Chris Brown is known pop singer, a slick bedroom crooner and at other times, a Euro-flavored dance singer. But it's his rapping that has taken his career to new heights.

With his hit single "Look at Me Now," Brown has dominated more than just the R&B territory: The boastful track, which co-stars Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes, was Billboard's No. 1 rap song of 2011 and it's nominated for best rap song and best rap performance at Sunday's Grammy Awards, where Brown's competition includes Jay-Z, Kanye West, Dr. Dre and Eminem.

The song is just another example of Brown's rapping prowess. At last year's BET Hip-Hop Awards, Brown went toe-to-toe with other hip-hop acts during one segment, and was so strong he left 50 Cent wowed.

"Chris particularly was impressive," said 50 Cent. "He rapped better than the rappers. I'm going to give it up. I'm watching the show (like), 'How did they let that happen?'"

50 Cent is not the only member of the hip-hop community impressed by Brown: "(Chris) did a mixtape that really blew my mind and I didn't know that was him rhyming," said Questlove of The Roots.

But Brown isn't the only singer who has ventured out to rhyming: Usher rapped on his 1998 hit "My Way" and Trey Songz has released rap mixtapes. Others who have spit a few bars in song include Justin Timberlake, Ne-Yo, Monica, Erykah Badu, R. Kelly, Janelle Monae, Jill Scott, Tyrese, Chrisette Michele and Miguel.

English-based R&B singer Marsha Ambrosius said her first-ever single featured her rapping under the name Ms. Parker, and Brandy — as her alter-ego Bran' Nu — rapped on two songs from Timbaland's "Shock Value II" album, and even had plans to release a rap album before she scrapped the project.

Mary J. Blige also has a rap alter-ego: Brook Lynn. Brook Lynn first appeared on Blige's 2005 album "The Breakthrough." Blige says she's not sure other singers will find success as rappers, though.

"I don't know if it will translate to what a real hip-hop artist would do like 50 (Cent) or Jay-Z or Common or Kanye," Blige said.

But rappers have had luck with singing over the years, from Nelly to Ja Rule. West used the Auto-Tune on most of his "808s & Heartbreak" album, to mixed critical and commercial success. And Nicki Minaj's latest hit — the David Guetta song "Turn Me On" — features the animated rapper belting semi-high notes.

There are also acts like Lauryn Hill, Drake and Missy Elliott — arguably the most respected singer-rappers in the game — who are often praised for blending the two.

"I think you have to come out as a hybrid," said rapper J. Cole, who sings his own hook on the song "Work Out."

"(With) Drake, some people look at him as a rapper who sings, some people look at him as a singer who raps, but he came out that way so nobody's really right or wrong, and he can win forever in either world," Cole continued.

Brown's "Look at Me Now" spent eight and 10 weeks at the top spot on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop and Rap songs charts, respectively. Mark Pitts, the president of urban music at RCA Music Group who signed Brown to Sony at age 16, said he initially didn't want to see the singer rapping.

"It took me a minute to really appreciate ('Look at Me Now'). I didn't want to like it because I didn't want him rapping," Pitts said.

Rapping is a departure for 22-year-old Brown, who debuted on the scene in 2005 as an R&B-pop heartthrob. Pitts said that past Brown songs where a rapper is featured most likely had a rap verse from Brown first, but they were never used. Pitts, who has overseen the careers of the Notorious B.I.G., Diddy and Usher, says he once thought singers and rappers should stay in their own lanes.

But Brown helped change his perception.

"It's a different age now," Pitts said. "I'm not surprised by anything from (Chris) anymore. He's not in one category. It works for him, and not everybody can do that."

Brown's CD where "Look at Me Now" appears — "F.A.M.E. (Forgiving All My Enemies)" — is nominated for best R&B album at the Grammys; his upcoming fifth disc, "Fortune," will most likely feature rapping, Pitts said. Brown has received respect from the rap community, and often appears on hip-hop tracks. But not all singers are poised to have a similar triumph.

"It's definitely difficult for an R&B singer to be accepted as a hip-hop rapper, but I know it's possible," Common said. "If you do it well, it will be accepted."

50 Cent agrees, adding that musicians are often typecast.

"In music there becomes a cut-out of what they'll accept from you and what they won't," he said. "We can take a hit Drake song and I'll deliver it and people will be like, 'Man, get this (expletive) out of here.' They'll be like, 'We want the old 50 (Cent).'"

But Pitts says he's encouraging his newer singing acts to rap.

"It doesn't really bother me (any) more. It used to bother me. But why fight it? If it sounds good, it sounds good," he said. "As long as you're not trying to be someone else, I'm cool with it."

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Online:

http://www.chrisbrownworld.com

http://www.grammys.com

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Mesfin Fekadu covers entertainment for The Associated Press. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/musicmesfin

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Paula Abdul exits 'X Factor'; third to leave show

2012-01-31T15:02:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Paula Abdul joined the exodus from Fox's disappointing "The X Factor," attributing her departure to business trumping all else.

Abdul said Tuesday she won't return to "dear friend" Simon Cowell's singing contest when it begins its second season later this year. Her announcement followed Monday's exits of fellow judge Nicole Scherzinger and host Steve Jones.

"I've learned through my longevity in this industry that business decisions often times override personal considerations," Abdul said in a measured statement. She and others involved with the show understand the situation, she said, adding, "Simon is, and will remain a dear friend of mine and I've treasured" working on "X Factor."

In a separate statement, Cowell didn't address the reason for the changes but thanked the exiting trio "for everything they did last year."

Cowell and Antonio "L.A." Reid remained on the judging panel. There was no immediate word from producers on who might fill the open seats.

Cowell returned Abdul's good wishes and said he expected he and his former "American Idol" teammate would work on another project in the near future.

Despite respectable ratings, "X Factor" has failed to achieve popularity similar to Fox's "American Idol," which Cowell left to import "X Factor" from the U.K. to the U.S. He had predicted his new show would be a blockbuster.

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Online:

http://www.thexfactorusa.com

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What grows in Brooklyn? A tree and a new theater

2012-01-31T14:14:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK (AP) — In a season where little grows in the Northeast, something in Brooklyn is doing just that, foot by foot.

The metal guts of what will be a sleek three-tiered glass box surrounding the Theatre for a New Audience's 299-seat stage have gone up in a former parking lot as part of the city's ambitious plan to create a new $650 million cultural district.

"It's going to be a destination," said Jeffrey Horowitz, the founding artistic director of the company, during a recent tour of the work site in the Fort Greene section of the borough.

When opened in 2013, the $48-million theater will represent a milestone for Theatre for a New Audience and the city: It will be the first new stage designed expressly for Shakespeare and classic drama since 1965, and it will be the first permanent home for the itinerant company.

"We need a place to gather our activities, to set down roots in a community," said Horowitz, who founded the theater company in 1979. "Would you go to a doctor or a lawyer whose office kept changing?"

The construction site is one of several at city theaters this winter, including the building of Signature Theatre Company's new $66 million Frank Gehry-designed home on 42nd Street, a $57 million renovation of New York City Center and a $41 million theater being built on the roof of the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center Theater.

In addition to a 299-seat theater, the 27,500-square-foot Theatre for a New Audience's home will house a 50-seat rehearsal space and a lobby cafe. It will overlook a new public garden plaza and sit along a walking path between BAM's Opera House and Harvey Theater.

The theater will be energy efficient, acoustically isolated from street and subway noises, and offer any director maximum adaptability by allowing all parts of the inside to be modified, a nod to the theater's itinerant past. The new stage, for example, can be switched from thrust, to round, to proscenium.

"We wanted to build a theater that had flexibility. An artist can completely shape the configuration between the audience and the stage. This is actually several theaters in one," said Horowitz. "That idea — of not having a fixed way of doing a classic play or Shakespeare — that's part of the artistic DNA of the theater."

Designed by Hugh Hardy of H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture, the new theater has a large glass facade, gunmetal gray panels, a 35-foot-tall main stage, a second-floor lobby and a central staircase — a simple form that Horowitz says is appropriate.

"We didn't want some fantastic shape on the outside and then you came in to a rectangle. What we said was, 'Let the outside reflect the inside,'" he says. "It is what it is. There's no hiding."

The Theatre for a New Audience hasn't been waiting around for its new home. It's been busy this winter, co-producing "Cymbeline" with Fiasco Theater at the Barrow Street Theatre, as well as putting on "Fragments" at the Baryshnikov Arts Center, and "Shlemiel the First" at New York University. In February, it unveils "The Broken Heart" — a 1629 tragic-comic gem written by John Ford — and in March "The Taming of the Shrew," both at The Duke on 42nd Street.

Last season, the theater company enjoyed one of its most successful, with four sold-out productions: "Notes From Underground," ''Cymbeline," ''Macbeth" and "The Merchant of Venice," which starred F. Murray Abraham as Shylock and was the theater's first production to have a national tour.

When it finally opens, Julie Taymor, of "The Lion King" and "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" fame, has accepted the theater's invitation to direct the official 2013 inaugural production, another nod to its past. Taymor directed four plays for the troupe, including Carlo Gozzi's "The Green Bird," which moved to Broadway in 2000, and Shakespeare's "The Tempest."

Theodore C. Rogers, chairman of the theater's board of directors, says the company has been thinking about having a bricks-and-mortar location for about 15 years. "We realized we needed a permanent home if we were ever going to be a theater of consequence and of meaning."

Rogers, who likes to visit the construction site virtually every week, said the company had been in enough theater spaces in the past to know what they didn't want. He recalled that one potential site had possibilities, but the search team was wrinkling their noses — a restaurant nearby was emitting a terrible stench. The team also wanted quiet: "We didn't want the subway running through Act 3," he said, laughing.

The shape and design of the building is something the theater has spent a lot of time on. "If we were going to build a theater, we were going to build a theater that built our art, not just enclosed it," said Rogers.

The new site is actually the third place the theater found and each site change cost the company a 14-month delay as plans were resubmitted and red tape handled. Along the way, famed architect Gehry dropped out.

Ground was finally broken on the new site — located on Ashland Place between Lafayette Avenue and Fulton Street — in June 2011. Asked how he will feel when he finally turns on the lights, Horowitz says it will be a mixture of "a tremendous sense of pride, accomplishment and pleasure."

"I do feel that this is going to be here for a long time — way, way after me," he says. "My journey will be finished when I turn the lights on, but the building's journey will go on. And that's an incredible feeling. It's something special."

A part of Horowitz will endure in the foundations of the new building — literally. He has gotten permission to write a line from Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" into the concrete.

The verse speaks of a theater that has, against all odds, finally come home, and of a company and its founder marveling at the strange twists of history: "If this were played upon a stage now," it reads, "I could condemn it as an improbable fiction."

___

Online:

http://www.tfana.org

___

Follow Mark Kennedy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

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Clear Channel to break into TV with Seacrest

2012-01-31T13:38:00.000-08:00

DANA POINT, California (AP) — Radio broadcasting giant Clear Channel is breaking into the TV production business.

The company announced Tuesday that it is taking a minority stake in the production company of "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest.

Ryan Seacrest Media produces "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and other spin-offs involving the celebrity family. Its other shows include "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution."

In a separate deal, Clear Channel's majority investors, Thomas H. Lee Partners and Bain Capital, are committing $300 million combined to work with Seacrest's company to identify, acquire and develop innovative media companies.

At an All Things D conference Tuesday, Clear Channel CEO Bob Pittman said the new venture will aim to break into the TV production market and use Clear Channel's massive radio network to help promote the shows.

He said the same formula helped launch the Fox network in the late 1980s.

"Their secret weapon was they used radio to promote their new shows," Pittman said. "So today, why can't we use our own advertising for Ryan's shows and give them a lift?"

Seacrest will remain majority owner of his company, which will keep producing shows for network and studio partners such as Comcast Corp.'s NBCUniversal.

"We aim to build Ryan Seacrest Media into a leading multimedia company with diversified assets and interests," Seacrest said in a statement. "The entertainment industry is thriving with innovation more than ever before."

The announcement is the latest move by Clear Channel to spread its reach into forms of distribution beyond its more than 850 radio stations and network of outdoor billboards.

Last year, Clear Channel Radio, a subsidiary of CC Media Holdings Inc., launched the online radio service iHeart Radio to compete with market leader Pandora Media Inc. In mid-January, Clear Channel Radio changed its corporate name to Clear Channel Media and Entertainment.

Pittman has said the company aims to reach audiences in all formats and devices.

Since joining Clear Channel with a personal $5 million investment in November 2010, Pittman has tried to expand the company's reach beyond traditional radio. Pittman was named CEO of CC Media Holdings in October. Previously, he was CEO of MTV Networks and chief operating officer of what is now AOL Inc.,

The company was taken private in 2008 by Thomas H. Lee and Bain but has struggled under the debt load created by the acquisition. The company's long-term debt reached about nearly $20 billion at the end of September.

All Things D, a website owned by News Corp.'s The Wall Street Journal, hosts several conferences a year. The latest version, "D: Dive Into Media," focuses on the intersection between traditional media companies and technology.

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Mary Tyler Moore honored for lifetime achievement

2012-01-30T00:02:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mary Tyler Moore made it after all.

The 75-year-old actress, who as Mary Richards "turned the world on with her smile" in her groundbreaking 1970s sitcom "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," received the lifetime achievement award at Sunday night's 18th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.

"MTM. There's probably not a person in the civilized world who doesn't know what that means," said Dick Van Dyke, her former co-star in the equally appealing 1960s sit-com "The Dick Van Dyke show," as he introduced her.

He noted Moore's achievements as an Oscar-nominated actress, a dancer and a Hollywood executive whose MTM Enterprises has produced several other hit TV shows.

As she accepted her award, Moore revealed how the civilized world almost never did hear of MTM, who was told in the opening theme song of her show each week, "You're gonna make it after all."

When she entered show business at age 18 in 1955, Moore said, there were already six others Mary Moores in the Screen Actors Guild.

Told to change her name, she quickly added Tyler, the middle name of both her and her father, George.

"I was Mary Tyler Moore. I spoke it out loud. Mary Tyler Moore. It sounded right so I wrote it down on the form, and it looked right," she said. "It was right. SAG was happy, my father was happy, and tonight, after having the privilege of working in this business among the most creative and talented people imaginable, I too am happy, after all."

Before the awards show Van Dyke had stopped on the red carpet to remember working with Moore on his show.

"She was 23 and had never done comedy. I never saw somebody pick it up so fast. I still have a crush on her," he said.

The show's audience, including Moore's former co-star Betty White, showered both her and Van Dyke with standing ovations, leading Van Dyke to remind them, "I'm just a presenter."

Van Dyke and Moore were so believable as husband and wife Rob and Laura Petrie on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" that many viewers thought they were married in real life.

As Laura Petrie, Moore also turned Capri pants into a fashion trend during the show's run.

Van Dyke noted they fit her so well, which created such a concern during that more conservative era, that she was limited to wearing them in only one scene per show.

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Jesse Jackson adds voice to Grammy protest

2012-01-29T23:26:00.000-08:00

(Reuters) - Civil rights activist the Rev. Jesse James on Friday urged Grammy organizers to reinstate 31 ethnic and minority musical categories that have been cut from the music industry's top awards.

In a letter to Recording Academy president Neil Portnow, sent three weeks before the February 12 Grammy Awards show, Jackson said the elimination of awards for Native American and Hawaiian musicians, and cuts in Latin Jazz, R&B and other categories were ill-considered and unfair.

Jackson said some of the categories dropped by the Recording Academy in a major overhaul last year "constitute the very heart of the music that nourishes and inspires minority communities."

Writing on behalf of the Rainbow Push Coalition of U.S. civil rights groups, Jackson called for an urgent meeting with Portnow to try and resolve the conflict that has spurred months of protests and a lawsuit by leading musicians.

Portnow said on Friday he was "receptive to meeting with the Rev. Jackson to explain how our nomination process works and to show the resulting diverse group of nominees it produced" for this year's Grammy Awards.

Paul Simon, Carlos Santana, Bonnie Raitt and Bobby Sanabria are among dozens of musicians who have protested the decision, announced last April, to slash the number of Grammy categories to 78 from 109 for the 2012 Grammy Awards.

Some categories, such as Hawaiian and Native American albums were dropped completely, while others including Latin music and R&B saw the number of award categories halved.

Portnow said at the time the changes were necessary to maintain "the prestige of the highest and only peer-recognized award in music."

Sanabria and three other Latin Jazz musicians filed a lawsuit in New York in August saying the cuts would harm their careers financially. They have also called for a boycott of the CBS network, which broadcasts the annual Grammy Awards show in Los Angeles.

The 2012 Grammy Awards take place on February12. Rapper Kanye West leads the field of contenders with seven nominations followed by British singer Adele, Bruno Mars and alternative rock band Foo Fighters.

(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Kenny Chesney leads Academy of Country Music nominees

2012-01-29T23:00:00.000-08:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn (Reuters) - Kenny Chesney grabbed the lead with nine award nominations on Thursday from the Academy of Country Music, which hands out its prizes on April 1 in Las Vegas.

Jason Aldean was the runner-up with six nods and trio Lady Antebellum had five.

Chesney will have plenty of competition for the fan-voted Entertainer of the Year trophy from nominees Aldean, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton and last year's winner Taylor Swift.

Fans can vote for entertainer of the year and new artist of the year beginning on March 19. Voting for the top prize continues through the third hour of the live broadcast of the 47th edition of the awards show.

One of the veteran performers on the list of nominees, Chesney also received his 10th nomination for top male vocalist.

Aldean, whose career has taken off in the past few years, received his second nominations for entertainer of the year and top male vocalist.

The trio of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, collectively known as Lady Antebellum, is up for vocal group of the year, an award they have won for two consecutive years.

Brad Paisley was nominated again for top male vocalist, which he has won every year since 2006.

Toby Keith's runaway hit "Red Solo Cup" brought him three nominations, including video and single of the year. He took home the top video award in 2003 for "Beer For My Horses," which featured Willie Nelson.

Swift received her third nomination for the top prize of entertainer of the year and for the fifth time for top female vocalist. She received her third nod for best video.

Newcomer Grace Potter will be up for three awards, based on her performance with Chesney on their hit, "You and Tequila."

A relatively new group, the Eli Young Band, was nominated in three categories including vocal group of the year and top single and song for "Crazy Girl."

YOUNGER GENERATION

Most of this year's nominees are from the crop of country performers who have come along in the past 10 to 15 years. Swift, 22, is the youngest nominee.

The band Alabama, nominated with Paisley for vocal event of the year, has not toured together since 2004.

Other veteran nominees include Vince Gill, who began his solo career in 1983; and Martina McBride, who worked behind the scenes for Garth Brooks until she signed her first label deal in 1991.

Reba McEntire, one of the most successful country singers of the 1980s and 1990s, acted as master of ceremonies for the announcement, with the nominations revealed for the first time via a digital format on the Academy of Country Music's Facebook page.

That gave fans a chance to lodge comments, including one bleat that Gill should not have been left off the list of nominees for top guitarist.

Fan voting will determine the finalists for new artist of the year, to be announced at the end of the month. Voting for the winner of that award will begin on March 19 and close before the show begins on April 1.

McEntire and Blake Shelton will co-host the live CBS broadcast for the second consecutive year from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Last Vegas.

(Reporting By Vernell Hackett; Editing by Andrew Stern and Vicki Allen)

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US hospital must pay $1M to Garth Brooks

2012-01-25T04:00:00.000-08:00

CLAREMORE, Oklahoma (AP) — An Oklahoma hospital in Garth Brooks' hometown must pay $1 million to the country singer because it failed to build a women's health center in honor of his late mother, jurors ruled Tuesday evening.

Jurors ruled that the hospital must return a $500,000 donation to Brooks plus pay him $500,000 in punitive damages in Brooks' breach-of-contract lawsuit against IntegrisCanadian Valley Regional Hospital in Yukon. Brooks said he thought he'd reached a deal in 2005 with the hospital's president, James Moore, but sued after learning the hospital wanted to use the money for other construction projects.

The hospital argued that Brooks gave it unrestricted access to the money and only later asked that it build a women's center and name it after his mother, Colleen Brooks, who died of cancer in 1999.

"Obviously we are disappointed, particularly with the jury's decision to award damages above and beyond the $500,000," Integris spokesman Hardy Watkins said. "We're just glad to see the case come to a resolution."

Brooks called the jurors "heroes" and said he felt vindicated by their verdict.

"I no longer feel like I'm crazy," he said.

Jury member Beverly Lacy said she voted in favor of Brooks because she thought the hospital went back on its word. As far as the punitive damages, she said: "We wanted to show them not to do that anymore to anyone else."

During the trial, Brooks testified that he thought he had a solid agreement with Moore. Brooks said the hospital president initially suggested putting his mother's name on an intensive care unit, and when Brooks said that wouldn't fit her image, Moore suggested a women's center.

"I jumped all over it," Brooks told jurors in tearful testimony. "It's my mom. My mom was pregnant as a teenager. She had a rough start. She wanted to help every kid out there."

His attorney told the jury during closing arguments that Brooks kept his end of the agreement.

"This case is about promises: promises made and promises broken," lawyer John Hickey told jurors shortly before they started deliberating. "Mr. Brooks kept his promise. Integris never intended to keep their promise and never built a new women's center."

But hospital attorney Terry Thomas said Brooks' gift initially came in anonymously and unrestricted in 2005. He also noted that Brooks couldn't remember key details of negotiations with the hospital's president — including what he'd been promised — when questioned during a deposition after filing his lawsuit in 2009.

"At most, it was a misunderstanding between these two," Thomas told jurors during his closing argument. "Am I calling Mr. Brooks a liar? Absolutely not. It's perfectly understandable that he does not remember these events."

The jury began deliberating Tuesday afternoon in Rogers County District Court, and the judge told jurors she wanted them to work as late as midnight to come to a decision.

Before the verdict was read, Brooks said the day had been emotional. The country music star said he was simply trying to honor his mother.

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Okla. hospital must pay $1M to Garth Brooks

2012-01-25T03:16:00.000-08:00

CLAREMORE, Okla. (AP) — An Oklahoma hospital that failed to build a women's health center in honor of Garth Brooks' late mother must pay the country singer $1 million, a jury has ruled.

Jurors on Tuesday evening ruled that the hospital must return Brooks' $500,000 donation plus pay him $500,000 in punitive damages. The decision came in Brooks' breach-of-contract lawsuit against Integris Canadian Valley Regional Hospital in Yukon. Brooks said he thought he'd reached a deal in 2005 with the hospital's president, James Moore, but sued after learning the hospital wanted to use the money for other construction projects.

The hospital argued that Brooks gave it unrestricted access to the $500,000 donation and only later asked that it build a women's center and name it after his mother, Colleen Brooks, who died of cancer in 1999.

Brooks called the jurors "heroes" and said he felt vindicated by their verdict.

"I no longer feel like I'm crazy," he said.

"I jumped all over it," Brooks told jurors in tearful testimony. "It's my mom. My mom was pregnant as a teenager. She had a rough start. She wanted to help every kid out there."

His attorney told the jury during closing arguments that Brooks kept his end of the agreement.

The jury began deliberating Tuesday afternoon in Rogers County District Court, and the judge told jurors she wanted them to work as late as midnight to come to a decision.

Before the verdict was read, Brooks said the day had been emotional. The country music star said he was simply trying to honor his mother.

"This little pistol, she deserves nothing but good," Brooks said.

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Heidi Klum and Seal call it quits

2012-01-25T02:39:00.000-08:00

(Reuters) - Supermodel and "Project Runway" TV host Heidi Klum and British singer Seal are separating after seven years of marriage, a parting the pair termed amicable in a statement on Sunday night.

"While we have enjoyed seven very loving, loyal and happy years of marriage, after much soul-searching we have decided to separate," the two said in a statement.

"We have had the deepest respect for one another throughout our relationship and continue to love each other very much, but we have grown apart."

The German-born Klum and Seal, who married in 2005, have four children ranging in age from 2 to 7. They said protecting the well-being of their children was their top priority.

They also thanked family and friends for their support.

Signs of trouble in their marriage surfaced over the weekend on celebrity magazine websites, surprising fans of the couple who had seemed to enjoy a stable relationship.

The two released a steamy music video in September 2010 for the Grammy-winning singer's single "Secrets," which featured the naked couple in bed together.

In an interview with Reuters at the time, Seal said that he had titled his sixth album "Commitment" because that was a recurring theme for him, particularly since meeting Klum.

The couple, who at one time renewed their marriage vows every year, in 2010 were also preparing to shoot a pilot program for cable television that gave couples the chance to have the wedding of their dreams.

(Reporting by Elaine Lies; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Stephen Colbert "campaigns" in South Carolina

2012-01-21T16:13:00.000-08:00

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - Television comedian Stephen Colbert took his political shtick down south on Friday, staging a mock campaign rally in South Carolina, the site of the next Republican presidential primary.

Colbert, who grew up in South Carolina, held a bogus rally on the grounds of the College of Charleston, and urged fans to vote for former Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain, who also spoke at the rally.

Cain suspended his campaign in December amid allegations of sexual harassment and infidelity, but he remains on the ballot for Saturday's South Carolina primary.

"Anybody who knows me knows that I have believed in the message of Herman Cain for several days now," the Charleston native told the crowd. "I would want you to vote for Herman Cain because Herman Cain is me."

Part of Colbert's fun makes a serious point about the growth of new Super PAC funding organizations that are spending huge amounts on attack ads on candidates. Political action committees, or PACs, are groups with great clout in U.S. politics that are legally separate from candidates. A Supreme Court ruling in 2010 allows corporations and unions to raise unlimited funds to buy ads that encourage or discourage the election of specific candidates.

"Faced with this tragic lack of corporate influence in our government, five courageous, unelected justices of the Supreme Court ruled that corporations have the constitutional right to spend unlimited money in political speech," Colbert said.

He was backed by a gospel choir that occasionally chimed in, singing, "Corporations are people," a phrase made famous by Republican front-runner Mitt Romney.

A crowd, comprised mostly of college students, stood in line for up to four hours to get into the event. They held signs that said "Get on the Cain Train" and "Control the bear population" and included a couple of animal rights activists dressed in pig costumes.

"Stephen Colbert make politics more accessible. He makes things real," said Catherine Mueller, 18 of Dallas, Texas.

(Editing by Stacey Joyce)

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LA-area hospital: Heather Locklear released

2012-01-14T06:59:00.000-08:00

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — Actress Heather Locklear has been released from a Los Angeles-area hospital after being treated for an unknown ailment.

Los Robles Hospital spokeswoman Kris Carraway-Bowman told the Associated Press that she was discharged around 5 p.m. Friday.

The hospital said earlier that Locklear was medically stable and being cared for in an intensive care unit.

The 50-year-old "Melrose Place" actress was taken to the hospital in Thousand Oaks from her home in Westlake Village, 35 miles northwest of Los Angeles, on Thursday.

Locklear has been hospitalized several times over the years. In 2009, she pleaded no contest to reckless driving after being arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of prescription medication.

Locklear also starred in such TV series as "Dynasty" and "T.J. Hooker."

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HBO says no political agenda behind Palin film

2012-01-14T06:35:00.001-08:00

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — In a politically polarized country, the people behind HBO's upcoming movie on Sarah Palin's vice presidential campaign are being careful not to take one side or the other.

"There is no agenda here," Danny Strong, writer of the film "Game Change," said at a news conference Friday. Filmmakers said they sought historical accuracy.

The movie debuts March 10. It is based on John Heilemann and Mark Halperin's book about the 2008 presidential campaign, but focuses specifically on Palin. Director Jay Roach said he wrote a long letter to the former Alaska governor seeking an interview with her to help the film, "but I got a very quick email back from her attorney saying, 'I checked, she declined.'"

Roach and Strong were the team behind HBO's Emmy-winning "Recount" about the disputed 2000 presidential election.

"I don't think this movie is going to change people's minds one way or another," Strong said. "People are very polarized. It's not designed to change people's minds."

Actress Julianne Moore looks strikingly like Palin in her depiction. Asked what she thought of Palin after getting so close to the story, Moore said she had "profound respect" for the historical nature of the candidacy.

"There was a tremendous amount of pressure," Moore said. "That was what I was trying to capture, the pressure that she was under."

Actor Ed Harris portrays John McCain. Although the resemblance to his character isn't quite as sharp as Moore's, it's pretty close.

One unusual casting was Woody Harrelson, who plays McCain campaign strategist Steve Schmidt. The film's story is largely seen through Schmidt's eyes. Harrelson, who describes himself politically as "probably more an anarchist," said he met Schmidt and liked him.

"The concept of playing this guy who I think ideologically couldn't be any farther away from me felt like a real challenge," he said.

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ROLL CALL: Robert Pattinson Debuts Buzz Cut

2012-01-13T03:39:00.000-08:00

RPatz Messes With His Trademark Locks Yet Again : "Twilight" fans might be in a state of mourning today following the debut of Robert Pattinson's (almost) shaved head. The actor turned up last night at the People's Choice Award to accept the award for Favorite Drama Movie for "Water for Elephants," with a new close cut. So, which Robert do you like best - shaved and smooth or grown out and messy? VOTE HERE!

Kylie Plays Nice : There doesn't appear to be any bad blood between pop star Kylie Minogue and ex-boyfriend Olivier Martinez. The Aussie singer took to Twitter on Wednesday to congratulate Olivier on his reported engagement to Halle Berry, writing, "Congrats to Olivier Martinez and Halle Berry!! #wedding" Isn't it nice to see former star couples behaving like adults? But is it even an engagement? According to TMZ, the rock Halle has been sporting is not an engagement ring. Check out more on the ongoing "are they or aren't they getting hitched" saga, HERE!

PLAY IT NOW: 2012 People’s Choice Awards: Josh Hutcherson - Will ‘The Hunger Games’ Be Bigger Than ‘Twilight’?

Rehabbed "Real Housewife" Spotted : "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Kim Richards was spotted out on Wednesday night in, where else, but Beverly Hills. The reality star, who is fresh out of rehab, looked great after having dinner with sister Kathy Hilton at Mr. Chow. We're glad to see Kim back in the 90210 and looking better than ever.

People's Choice Awards Style Hits & Misses! : The stars brought out plenty of interesting style choices at Wednesday's People's Choice Awards. We loved Julianne Hough's sexy backless gown (see it HERE!), but we're not sure what "Hunger Games" star Jennifer Lawrence was thinking... was she watching "The Little Mermaid" when she picked out THIS GOWN? Check out her brave aquatic dress choice, HERE and vote - FAB OR FLUB!

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Robert Pattinson: Hollywood’s Hottest Vampire!

-By Jesse Spero

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Black Sabbath guitarist Iommi diagnosed with cancer

2012-01-09T20:49:00.000-08:00

LONDON (Reuters) - Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has been diagnosed with the early stages of lymphoma, according to a statement on his website on Monday.

The British heavy metal group's original lineup is writing and recording its first album in 33 years, and the band members will move from Los Angeles to London in order to work with Iommi while he undergoes treatment.

"His bandmates would like everyone to send positive vibes to the guitarist at this time," the statement read, adding that the new album was still scheduled for release in the autumn.

"Iommi is currently working with his doctors to establish the best treatment plan -- the 'Iron Man' of Rock & Roll remains upbeat and determined to make a full and successful recovery."

Iommi, 63, is a founding member of Black Sabbath, one of the most successful hard rock acts in history who have sold an estimated 70 million records worldwide.

The veterans announced in November that they were reuniting in their original four man line-up, including Ozzy Osbourne on vocals, for their first new album in more than three decades and a 2012 world tour.

The quartet released their last studio album of all original material in 1978 with "Never Say Die."

Osbourne was fired from the band in 1979, leading to changing lineups for several years. The original foursome reunited for a 1998 release and played sporadically together in the early 2000s.

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)

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Media mogul Rupert Murdoch takes to Twitter

2012-01-02T20:17:00.000-08:00

LONDON (AP) — Rupert Murdoch has begun the new year by setting up in a new field of communications — he's started tweeting.

The media mogul, who is recovering from perhaps his most difficult year in the business, is posting on Twitter under the handle rupertmurdoch, spokeswoman Daisy Dunlop at News International confirmed Monday.

The account was opened over the New Year's holiday, but many doubted its authenticity because Murdoch, 80, has generally tried to stay out of the spotlight as his media empire comes under increased scrutiny because of widespread phone hacking at his U.K. newspapers.

Murdoch faced harsh questioning in Parliament last summer and may face additional questions from the wide-ranging Leveson Inquiry into media practices later this year, but he makes no mention of these troubles in his tweets, which include the News Corp. chief's New Year's resolutions.

"My resolutions, try to maintain humility and always curiosity," he tweets. "And of course diet!"

Murdoch had attracted more than 46,000 followers by Monday morning, just two days after he started tweeting. His wife Wendi Deng has also started tweeting — she's wendi_deng.

She refers to the setbacks of the last year in her tweets: "A lot of bad things happened in 2011 but I hope in 2012 we can put them all behind us and sail on to a bright future for everyone Wxx."

She also gently reminds fellow tweeters to spell her first name with an "i'' at the end, not a "y."

The Murdochs' entry into the world of Twitter was met with some bemusement and some hostility by its denizens.

John Prescott, former U.K. deputy prime minister, came up with one of the wittier responses to Murdoch's unexpected surfacing at the very public, very popular micro-blogging site.

"Welcome to Twitter," he writes to the mogul, whose reporters were skilled at hacking into telephone messaging systems. "I've left you a Happy New Year message on my voicemail!"

Others express fears that the wealthy Murdoch will buy the Twitter site.

Murdoch also deleted a tweet in which he suggested that Britons might have too many public holidays for a country facing tough times.

At times in his tweets Murdoch sounds bored with his New Year's holiday. He complains that there are "too many people" on the island of St. Bart's, an exclusive Caribbean hideaway.

"Back to work tomorrow," he says. "Enough idling!"

Murdoch also tweets that some of his friends are "frightened" by what he might say.

He also praises Mike Bloomberg, the Republican mayor of New York City, and Rick Santorum, a Republican presidential candidate.

Murdoch tweeted his wishes for a happy new year and said it would probably exceed expectations.

"Happy 2012," he says. "May it be better than all experts predict. Has to be! Must must change everything to create jobs for all, especially young."

His Twitter profile is accompanied by a snapshot showing Murdoch grimacing. He is wearing a casual white T-shirt with a light blue sweater.

Murdoch was forced to close the News of the World last year because of widespread phone hacking at the tabloid. The victims included celebrities, sports stars, and a murdered teenager whose voicemails had been hacked.

The scandal has damaged Murdoch's financial holdings and raised doubts about whether his family can retain control of the company, which has substantial interests in newspapers, magazines, movies, television and book publishing.

___

Online: http://twitter.com/rupertmurdoch

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In up and down year for cable news, Fox dominates

2011-12-28T20:59:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK (AP) — It was a good year in the ratings for cable news networks. Or a rough one. It depends on your perspective.

Fox News Channel continued its dominance, with an average viewership that exceeded CNN and MSNBC combined in prime time and for the entire day, the Nielsen ratings company said Wednesday. Fox typically had 1.87 million viewers in prime time this year. The top 13 programs in cable news all aired on Fox.

Yet Fox was alone among the cable news networks in losing viewers — down 8 percent in prime time and 5 percent for the full day, Nielsen said. The 2010 midterm election year was particularly engaging for Republicans, who make up a big part of Fox's audience.

CNN was up 17 percent in prime-time viewership with a revamped lineup that includes a double dose of Anderson Cooper and Piers Morgan replacing Larry King. CNN is third behind Fox and MSNBC in prime time but second for the day as a whole.

CNN's rivals acknowledge its gains but are quick to point out that last year represented CNN's worst year ever in the ratings.

MSNBC can take pride in surviving the exit of its most popular prime time personality, Keith Olbermann, who defected to Current. The network is up 2 percent over last year in its prime-time average, Nielsen said.

However, MSNBC is down 11 percent for the 8 p.m. time slot, which Olbermann occupied. Along with the continued popularity of Rachel Maddow at 9 p.m., MSNBC is showing rating gains at 10 p.m. because it replaced the Olbermann rerun that used to air at that time with an original show, currently hosted by Lawrence O'Donnell.

HLN, the former CNN Headline News, is up 20 percent over last year, with its popular blanket coverage of Casey Anthony's trial a big factor.

NBC had a rare win in the prime time rankings, with its Sunday night football programming leading the way.

During Christmas week, NBC averaged 7.2 million viewers in prime time (4.0 rating, 7 share). A ratings point represents 1,147,000 households, or 1 percent of the nation's estimated 114.7 million TV homes; the share is the percentage of in-use televisions tuned to a given show.

CBS was second with 6.9 million viewers (4.4 rating, 8 share). When a network has a higher rating despite having a smaller audience, as CBS did, it indicates that more people were watching the network alone. NBC had more cases of several people gathered around the TV — probably watching its Sunday night football game.

Fox had 5.5 million (3.2, 6), ABC had 4.4 million (2.6, 5), Ion Television had 1.1 million (0.7, 1) and the CW had 960,000 (0.6, 1).

Among the Spanish-language networks, Univision led with 3.3 million viewers (1.6, 3), Telemundo had 1.3 million (0.7, 1), TeleFutura had 450,000 (0.2, 0), Estrella had 220,000 (0.1, 0) and Azteca had 160,000 (also 0.1, 0).

NBC's "Nightly News" topped the evening newscasts with an average of 8.6 million viewers (5.6, 11). ABC's "World News" was second with 8.2 million (5.4, 10), and the "CBS Evening News" had 6.4 million viewers (4.3, 8).

For the week of Dec. 19-25, the top 10 shows, their networks and viewerships: NFL Football: Chicago at Green Bay, NBC, 24.02 million; "Sunday Night NFL Pre-Kick," NBC, 18.67 million; "Football Night in America," NBC, 14.73 million; "The X-Factor" (Thursday), Fox, 12.59 million; "NCIS," CBS, 12.37 million; "NCIS: Los Angeles," CBS, 11.43 million; "The X-Factor" (Wednesday), Fox, 11.23 million; "The Big Bang Theory," CBS, 9.28 million; "The Mentalist," CBS, 8.47 million; "Person of Interest," CBS, 8.14 million.

___

ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co. CBS is owned by CBS Corp. CW is a joint venture of Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corp. Fox is a unit of News Corp. NBC and Telemundo are owned by Comcast Corp. ION Television is owned by ION Media Networks. TeleFutura is a division of Univision. Azteca America is a wholly owned subsidiary of TV Azteca S.A. de C.V.

___

Online:

http://www.nielsen.com

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Top 25 concert tours' sales flat at $2.1 billion

2011-12-28T20:26:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Perennially popular Irish rockers U2 were again the top touring band in the world in 2011, repeating their globe-topping haul from 2009, according to trade magazine Pollstar.

The band brought in $231.9 million in 34 shows, narrowly beating out British boy band Take That, which took in $224 million after reuniting with its popular front man, Robbie Williams. U2's 2009 concerts took in $311 million worldwide, the magazine said.

Globally, the top 25 tours of 2011 reaped $2.1 billion, about the same as last year. But North American gross ticket sales from the top 25 tours were $1.19 billion, about 4 percent less than in 2010.

Pollstar editor-in-chief Gary Bongiovanni said that decline probably resulted from promoter Live Nation Entertainment Inc.'s effort to cut down on money-losing shows.

But he said he expects a rise in North American revenue next year as the Beach Boys celebrate their 50th anniversary. He said the Rolling Stones, also marking 50 years together, also are likely to hit the road, though there's been no official announcement.

Madonna is likely to tour to promote her first album in five years, set for release in March. And Justin Bieber, who rocked the world but not the U.S. in 2011, may return to play gigs closer to his Canadian roots.

Adele, the British singer whose second album, "21," has been the top-seller this year, also is expected to draw big crowds in 2012 after undergoing throat surgery recently to correct a problem that had led her to cancel many concerts.

"When she comes back, she'll be doing incredible business next year. There's obviously a lot of pent-up demand to see her," Bongiovanni said.

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Mel Gibson, wife finalize divorce

2011-12-26T05:26:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A judge on Friday approved a divorce settlement between actor Mel Gibson and his estranged wife Robyn, ending their 31 years of marriage.

Robyn Gibson will return to using her maiden name, Robyn Denise Moore, but other details of the divorce were kept confidential. The settlement becomes effective on January 9.

Gibson, 55, and his wife married in Australia in 1980 and have seven children together.

The couple separated in 2006 after Gibson was arrested for drunk driving in Malibu, California, and made anti-Semitic remarks that generated headlines around the world.

The actor's wife sued for divorce in April 2009, citing irreconcilable differences following Gibson's relationship with Oksana Grigorieva, with whom he has a 2-year-old daughter.

The "Lethal Weapon" star pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery following an altercation with Grigorieva in 2010, and was sentenced to three years' probation.

He recently settled a custody battle with his former girlfriend, agreeing to pay Grigorieva $750,000 and share custody of their daughter.

The Oscar winner's turbulent five years since his arrest and the anti-Semitic rant have tarnished his reputation and set back a remarkable career that had made him one of Hollywood's highest paid actors, directors and producers.

While no details of the divorce settlement were released, the actor was previously estimated to be worth $900 million, and he owns several properties in the wealthy, seaside enclave of Malibu, outside Los Angeles.

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Etta James on breathing machine in Calif. hospital

2011-12-26T04:38:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Grammy-winning singer Etta James, who has been deemed terminally ill with leukemia, has been hospitalized in California and placed on a breathing machine, her long-time manager and friend said on Friday.

James, 73, best known for the blues ballad "At Last," was taken to the hospital near her home in Riverside, east of Los Angeles, earlier this week because she was struggling to breathe.

"They took her to the hospital. She was having trouble breathing, so they intubated her. She is on a breathing machine and is resting," Lupe De-Leon, the singer's manager for 30 years, told Reuters.

The singer has been in failing health for a number of years and suffers from leukemia, kidney disease and dementia but had previously been cared for at her Southern California home.

Her live-in doctor said last week that James was considered terminally ill, and that she communicates mostly with nods and simple words.

The three-time Grammy Award singer earlier battled obesity and was addicted to heroin for many years.

"It is really sad. She is like my sister," De-Leon said on Friday.

James was a key figure in the early days of R&B music with hit songs like "The Wallflower" and "Good Rockin' Daddy". But it was her 1961 recording of "At Last" that put her on the map.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Will Taylor Armstrong Return To 'Real Housewives'?

2011-12-15T12:57:00.000-08:00

Following her tumultuous year, will Taylor Armstrong return for another season of Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills"?

The reality star stopped by Access Hollywood Live on Thursday, where she chatted with Billy Bush and Kit Hoover about her future in front of the cameras.

PLAY IT NOW: Camille Grammer On Taylor Armstrong: ‘It’s Amazing The Strength We Find In Adversity’

"We're gonna see. We haven't been picked up for a third season, so were gonna see how the year plays out," Taylor said when asked if she would return to the hit Bravo series.

Taylor explained that the suicide of husband Russell Armstrong, whom she was divorcing at the time of his death, is something she still deals with every day.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Stars We Lost In 2011

"I spend sleepless nights trying to figure it all out," she said. "I haven't been able to put all the pieces together, but I think there were some bigger things at play... I'm gonna talk about a lot of it later."

"On the show?" Billy asked.

"No, just in life," she continued, adding that her emotions surrounding the tragic situation can come up at any time. "Sometimes I'm just curling my hair and I start to ball. It just comes out of nowhere. I'm just keeping myself busy to avoid feeling a lot of it... Sometimes you just break down and cry."

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Reality Stars In Their Swimsuits

Taylor, who told Billy and Kit that daughter Kennedy is her "focus" at the moment, said dating is not on her radar.

"I'm not ready, I just need to focus on me and Kennedy and my friends," she explained. "I'm just trying to get strong as a woman."

VIEW THE PHOTOS: I Do! Celebrities Who Got Married On TV

In addition to "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," which airs Monday's on Bravo at 9 PM, Taylor is hosting a Bravo/Ciroc Vodka-sponsored New Year's Eve event in Chicago. Other Real Housewives" franchise stars will also be hosting events in Houston, Miami, New York and Los Angeles to celebrate 2012.

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American dean of Paris literary scene dies at 98

2011-12-15T12:10:00.000-08:00

PARIS (Reuters) - The man who nurtured a generation of aspiring writers at a rickety English-language bookstore in Paris, offering supper and a bed to literature fans providing they dusted the shelves or penned their memoirs, has died aged 98.

George Whitman, an American, died in the little apartment at the top of his Shakespeare and Company bookstore where he hung with Beat poets Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac half a century ago and until recently hosted literary tea parties on Sundays for anybody who cared to come by.

Decorated with a French medal for his contribution to the Paris literary scene, Whitman became a father figure over six decades to a stream of would-be writers from around the world who would curl up in his second-floor library for weeks on end.

Henry Miller once called his store, open since 1951 on the arty left bank of the Seine, "A wonderland of books."

"Thousands of people from around the world ate his clam chowder and strawberry ice cream and survived thanks to his generosity," said Pia Copper, 38, an art dealer who worked at the store in the 1990s and remained a close friend.

"He offered them the possibility of living across from Notre Dame for free while they penned their first novel or painted a picture. There were a lot of books and poems written there."

The green-fronted store was shuttered on Thursday and well-wishers left votive candles, flowers and novels at the door, where a formal announcement of his death said he would be missed by bibliophiles around the world.

Handwritten tributes cellotaped to the store thanked Whitman for his generosity in providing a haven for "aficionados" of literature or apologized for not finishing novels.

"I'm sorry I was so bad at the poetry reading," said one note. Others were left inside a wine bottle whose label read: "Messages in a bottle: For George. Something for you to read on your trip."

RAG AND BONE

Whitman, who liked to dub his bookstore "The Rag and Bone store of the heart," after a T.S. Elliot poem, was born in New Jersey and spent part of his childhood in China.

After studying journalism and travelling extensively, he moved to Paris in 1948 with a bicycle and a cat as his only possessions and slept in a university garden, as he liked to tell the story. Once settled, he began collecting books and started a lending library in his dingy hotel digs.

He opened his bookshop, "Le Mistral," in 1951 and renamed it several years later as he incorporated books from the original Shakespeare and Company store frequented by James Joyce and Ernest Hemingway before it shut down during World War Two.

Opened by American-born Sylvia Beach in the 1920s, also on the Left Bank, the original store won fame for publishing James Joyce's banned book "Ulysses."

Whitman's shop became a stopover for writers like Miller, James Baldwin, Samuel Beckett, Anais Nin and later on Lawrence Durrel, William Burroughs, Gregory Corso and Ginsberg. Beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti became one of Whitman's closest friends.

It grew into a tourist landmark and gathering point for Anglophone expatriates, attracting eccentrics, nomads and dreamers. When an American ambassador once popped in for a visit, Whitman cheekily offered her a corner to sleep in.

Living by a motto taken from Yeats -- "Be not inhospitable to strangers lest they be angels in disguise" -- Whitman helped out bohemian souls in return for them lending a hand in the shop or cooking supper. Hundreds left behind handwritten notes telling their life story.

"I was in my early 20s and just arrived in Paris when I wandered in and sat down to read. George appeared and said 'You're an old China hand like me. You start work tomorrow," said Pia, who was just starting out importing art from China.

Whitman suffered a stroke in October, but refused to stay in hospital. He had an ambulance crew carry him home, up two cramped flights of stairs and past wall-to-wall bookshelves to his bed, laughing with happiness to be back.

The store was his whole life and he rarely left it, except to take the odd trip to wildly exotic locations, Pia recounted.

Whitman, who penned many essays but never wrote a book of his own, will be buried on December 22 in Pere Lachaise cemetery, resting place of such literary luminaries as Oscar Wilde, Moliere and Jim Morrison. His family plans to mark his grave with a statue of Don Quixote, one of his favorite fictional characters.

His daughter Sylvia, who sat at his bedside as he grew weaker but refused to stop reading, will now run the store.

(Additional reporting by Tim Hepher, editing by Paul Casciato)

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Fantasia Welcomes Baby Boy

2011-12-14T08:13:00.000-08:00

Fantasia Barrino has a new bundle of joy!

The "American Idol" Season 3 winner gave birth to her second child on Tuesday in North Carolina, her rep told People. The singer welcomed baby boy Dallas, who weighed in at 7 lbs., 9 oz. and measured 21 inches long.

PLAY IT NOW: Access Archives: Fantasia Barrino On Her Reading Difficulties & How’s She Helping Others (2006)

"I feel so blessed that my son Dallas Xavier was born healthy, and is a wonderful new addition to our family," the 27-year-old told the mag.

Adding, "I thank all my fans for their well wishes and continued support."

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Top 10 Best Selling ‘American Idols’

Baby Dallas joins big sister Zion, 10, who Fantasia has from a previous relationship.

In July, the singer announced she was expecting during a concert in in Jacksonville, Fla.

"You are the first persons that I share this news with," she told the crowd at the time. "And I share this with you because I can relate to you. And for a while I walked around, figuring out what will they say and what will they think about me. But now, I tell you, I don't live my life for folk... So this child that I carry, God has given me this child and I don't have to hide it from none of y'all."

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Hollywood’s Hottest Moms & Their Loveable Little Ones

Fantasia has remained mum on who the father of Dallas is, but she has been romantically linked to Antwaun Cook since summer 2010. Antwaun is reportedly in the midst of a divorce from his estranged wife, Paula.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Celebrity Baby Bumps

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'New Year's Eve' leads slow box office sales

2011-12-12T21:36:00.000-08:00

Holiday romance "New Year's Eve" led North American box office charts over the weekend, although sales were sluggish, industry data showed Monday.

The star-studded romantic comedy featuring Michelle Pfeiffer and Zac Efron, with appearances by Robert de Niro and Halle Barry, scored $13 million for its opening weekend, according to Exhibitor Relations.

That pushed it ahead of adult comedy "The Sitter," with Jonah Hill starring as a reluctant babysitter. Also showing in theaters for the first time this week, it raked in $9.9 million.

Blockbuster vampire heart-throb flick "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1," came in third after three weeks at the top of box office. It rang up $7.8 million, pushing it past the quarter-billion-dollar mark for a total of $259.4 million so far.

That put the teen vampire sequel ahead of "The Muppets," the new film based on Jim Henson's puppet characters, which grossed $7 million for its third week in theaters.

In fifth place was animated family comedy "Arthur Christmas," about Santa's son tasked with completing a mission by Christmas morning. It pulled in $6.5 million.

Martin Scorsese's first 3-D film "Hugo" came in sixth place. The adventure drama based on Brian Selznick's novel "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" about a boy who lives alone in a Paris railway station raked in $6.1 million.

In seventh was George Clooney comedy-drama "The Descendants," with $4.4 million, enough to push it ahead of penguin tale "Happy Feet Two," which got $3.7 million.

Adam Sandler's "Jack and Jill" comedy, in which he plays both a successful Los Angeles advertising executive and his needy twin sister, came in ninth. It got $3.1 million.

Big-budget 3-D epic "Immortals" rounded out the top 10, with $2.5 million.

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