Blanchett in the Hood (E! Online)

Los Angeles (E! Online) – Cate Blanchett is looking for a few good Merry Men.

Per Variety, the Oscar winner has signed on to play Maid Marian in the tentatively titled Nottingham, director Ridley Scott's big-screen reimagining of the Robin Hood story opposite Russell Crowe.

Blanchett will replace Sienna Miller, who dropped out due to "creative differences."

Crowe will play the lead, which, depending on how the script turns out, could either be Robin Hood or a reinvented Sheriff of Nottingham.

The $130 million romantic adventure starts production in April in London for a 2010 release.

Meanwhile, in other casting news, the new Melrose Place has its first resident, and an Office star is ready for some time traveling...

• Eliza Dushku has snagged the rights to make a feature-length biopic on famed photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Indie documentary producer Ondi Timoner (DiG!), will make her feature-helming debut on the flick, titled The Perfect Moment.

• Michael Rady (Swingtown) is the first actor to land a role in the pilot for the CW's new version of Melrose Place. He'll play a quirky 25-year-old aspiring filmmaker who pays the bills shooting weddings and bar mitzvahs after moving to L.A. with his fiance.

• Taking a break from Office work, Ed Helms is set to topline an untitled Warner Bros. comedy flick as a Civil War reenacter who ends up going back in time to the real Civil War. Office boss Steve Carell will produce.

• Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg are joining forces for Sony Pictures' The B Team, an action comedy directed by Adam McKay (Talladega Nights, Anchorman) that will see the duo playing cops. No word exactly on the plot.

• According to the Hollywood Reporter, Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher) will take his first lead in a television drama series in the NBC pilot Trauma, playing a stoic trauma doctor juggling his high-stress job with family life. Kevin Rankin, Cliff Curtis and Jamey Sheridan are in talks to costar.

• British thesp Christina Cole is set to star in the CBS drama Washington Field, playing a member of an elite FBI squad that responds to crises around the globe.

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Flo Rida Kicks Some Eminem Butt
(E! Online)
‘Taken’ Captures Box-Office #1, Despite Super Bowl
Oscar Weekend With Pattinson, Efron and Elton
(E! Online)
Zac Efron Doesn’t Mind ‘An Older Woman,’ ‘17 Again’ Co-Star Says

Simmons happy to pay $40,000 a month for kids (AP)

NEW YORK – Russell Simmons says he's happy to fork over $40,000 a month in child support for his two daughters.

Simmons blogged Friday about a court order issued Thursday that finalized custodial and financial arrangements for 9-year-old Ming and 6-year-old Aoki. Those are his children with ex-wife Kimora Lee Simmons.

Los Angeles Superior Court judge Marjorie Steinberg signed off on an agreement giving sole custody to Kimora Lee Simmons, as well as child support. Simmons is to pay $40,000 a month until the girls are 19 and a half years old, but he says he wasn't forced to pay anything.

Simmons says his kids have a fabulous life and he's happy to contribute to it. He says as long as he has money, they will have money.

The comments were made on his blog on globalgrind.com.

T.I. goes back to court — to talk to teenagers
(AP)
DMC, Russell Simmons ‘Not Excited’ About Run-DMC Movie

Jewel says injury won't keep her from 'Dancing' (AP)

NEW YORK – Pop singer Jewel says she injured her knees while rehearsing for "Dancing With the Stars" but plans to return to the dance floor as soon as she heals.

Jewel blogs on her Web site Wednesday that she's been sidelined for the ABC series' upcoming season due to tendinitis in both knees, and that her physical therapist said she'd be "good to go by next week" if she takes time to recover. In a statement issued by ABC on Thursday, the singer says she's "dedicated to getting better and showing the judges and America that I can cha cha cha with the best of them. Don't count me out as I am in this for the long run."

Jewel, whose hits include "You Were Meant For Me," is slated to compete against her husband, rodeo star Ty Murray, on the new season that begins March 9.

Anthony Hopkins Wants To Star In ‘American Idol’ Movie
Chris Brown’s father says singer “remorseful”
(Reuters)
M.I.A. ‘Honored’ By Oscar Nod, Wants To Book Dave Chappelle For Baby Shower
Jewel’s lullabies helped her through hard times
(AP)

Rachael Ray to return to SXSW (AP)

NEW YORK – Rachael Ray is bringing more music and mojitos to the South by Southwest Music and Media Conference this year.

The TV talk show host and foodie put on one of the most popular showcases when she made her debut at the massive festival last March.

This year, she's signed up the Hold Steady, the New York Dolls, Ra Ra Riot and other bands to perform for her music- and food-filled bash on March 21.

Ray says she hopes to "blow the doors off Austin again."

The South by Southwest music festival runs from March 18 to 22.

___

On the Net:

http://www.rachaelray.com/feedback

http://www.sxsw.com

Sundance honors `Push,’ `We Live in Public’
(AP)
Kanye West: Being a Sex Addict Fueled Success
(E! Online)
‘The Uninvited’: I’m Not There, By Kurt Loder

Singer-guitarist leaves the Barenaked Ladies (AP)

TORONTO – Singer-guitarist Steven Page has left the Barenaked Ladies.

The news comes several months after drug charges against Page were dropped in the U.S. His arrest came after the band, known for its clean-cut image and whimsical lyrics, released an album of children's songs titled "Snacktime."

The band's Web site said Wednesday that Page will pursue solo projects, including theatrical opportunities.

Page, his girlfriend and her roommate were charged with drug possession in July after police found cocaine at an apartment in New York state. In late October, all three secured a deal to have charges dropped if they stayed out of trouble for six months.

Band co-founder Ed Robertson said the decision to split was mutual, came after months after discussions and was not based solely on the charges.

"Certainly, that was a huge event in all of our lives," Robertson said. "It would be ridiculous to say it didn't have a huge effect. I'm just saying this split isn't about that."

The band does not plan to replace Page for now, but will go ahead with four members, Robertson said. They will return to the studio in April and will tour in the fall.

Page wished the band the best.

"These guys are my brothers," he said in the online statement. "We've grown up together over the past 20 years. I love them and wish them all the best in the future."

The band was formed in Toronto and released 12 albums, producing hits such as "If I Had $1,000,000," "Brian Wilson" and "Too Little, Too Late."

The other members will return to the studio in April and will tour in the fall.

"It's the start of a new chapter for all of us," band member Ed Robertson said. "Here's to the future!"

U2 gets week long gig on David Letterman show
(Reuters)
M.I.A. ‘Honored’ By Oscar Nod, Wants To Book Dave Chappelle For Baby Shower
British singer M.I.A. gives birth to boy
(Reuters)
The Five Hottest Heartthrobs Without A Date For Valentine’s Day

Nick Mitchell has 'American Idol' judges laughing (AP)

NEW YORK – "American Idol" hopeful Nick Mitchell didn't win over the judges with his singing, but his over-the-top style clearly qualified as comedy.

Mitchell left the judges laughing and nearly speechless Wednesday after he wailed a show-stopper from the musical "Dreamgirls." He came on as the flamboyant alter ego he has christened Norman Gentle.

Simon Cowell called the performance "atrocious" and "horrific," and his three fellow judges didn't argue.

The acerbic Cowell had no kinder comments for Matt Giraud: "verging on a horrible performance."

And Jeanine Vailes moved the gentler Randy Jackson to say that her performance's "best part was the end, when it was over."

But all wasn't lost.

Red-haired, full-throated Allison Iraheta wowed the judges.

"This is a funny show tonight," marveled Jackson when the 16-year-old Los Angeles native was done. "First, we had comedy, we got some bad singing. You just blew it out the box!"

"From now on, you can be sure you're great," raved Kara DioGuardi.

On Wednesday's live broadcast, the second group of 12 contestants were vying to be among this season's dozen finalists. The night's top three vote-getters will be revealed on the Fox series' Thursday episode.

___

On the Net:

http://www.americanidol.com

Idol Goes Hollywood: Triumph, Despair and the Return of Bikini Girl
(E! Online)
Danny Gokey wows ‘American Idol’ judges
(AP)
‘Taken’ Captures Box-Office #1, Despite Super Bowl
Anthony Hopkins Wants To Star In ‘American Idol’ Movie

Oscar Weekend With Pattinson, Efron and Elton (E! Online)

Los Angeles (E! Online) – We had breakfast this morning with Robert Pattinson.

Well, not exactly. But one of our early-rising spies spotted the Oscar-presenting Twilight star grabbing something to eat at the Palihouse hotel in West Hollywood.

He tried to go incognito by covering up with a red hoodie. "He was solo and reading a book," our spy reports.

Yeah, but where was he last night?

A wobbly Pattinson was seen having fun at the Night Before benefit for the Motion Picture & Television Fund at the Beverly Hills Hotel. "Everyone was wishing him good luck at the Oscars," a fellow benefit-goer says.

Just a few hours before, at the hotel's Polo Lounge, High School Musical sweethearts and Oscar performers Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens enjoyed some lunch at the same time as Leonardo DiCaprio, Tyra Banks and Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman.

And at this very moment, I'm giving you tons more celeb dish from Elton John's 17th annual viewing party and benefit for the singer's AIDS Foundation. Right now, I'm Twittering from the carpet and I'll continue doing so in just a bit from inside. So join me in Twitterville for my live play-by-play with Carrie Underwood, Eve, Josh Groban, Eva Longoria Parker, Dita Von Teese, Taye Diggs and so many more.

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Madonna & Jesus’ Last (Night’s) Supper
(E! Online)
Will Zac Efron, Miley Cyrus And Robert Pattinson Boost Oscar Ratings?

Economy doesn't dampen Mardi Gras festivities (AP)

NEW ORLEANS – Partiers in New Orleans are taking one last chance to eat, drink and be merry before Lent.

Tourism officials don't believe the economic downturn has dampened the mood at this year's Mardi Gras celebrations, and say that big crowds over the weekend and nearly full hotels bode well for the annual event.

Thousands of revelers are expected to line the streets Tuesday morning for one more day of parades. Jim Belushi and his Sacred Hearts band ushered in the final day, playing hits including "Soul Man" and "Hard to Handle" into the morning.

Mardi Gras officially ends at midnight Tuesday. In heavily Catholic New Orleans, many will be in church Wednesday to have ashes daubed on their foreheads as they begin 40 days of prayer, penitence and self-denial leading up to Easter.

(This version CORRECTS time to midnight Tuesday, not Wednesday. )

Zac Efron Doesn’t Mind ‘An Older Woman,’ ‘17 Again’ Co-Star Says
Janet Jackson postpones shows in Japan
(Reuters)

Madonna & Jesus' Last (Night's) Supper (E! Online)

Los Angeles (E! Online) – Madonna went to dinner with her rumored-to-be boy-toy, Jesus Luz, last night in Los Angeles.

Sources tell me that the 50-year-old mother of three and the 22-year-old smokin' hot Brazilian modelhit the Grey Goose party at the new West Hollywood outpost of London's famed Italian brasserie Cecconi's. They arrived at about 9:30 pm and stayed for close to three hours at a table with two other people.

Whether or not the two are an actual romantic couple is still a question. Sources down in Brazil tell me they are just friends. And crafty staffers at the restaurant managed to arrange for Madge and Jesus to come and go without the paparazzi getting so much as a singleshot.

Also at the eatery was Marisa Tomei, who was hosting a dinner to celebrate her Oscar nomination for her work in The Wrestler. By her side was her smokin' hot actor beau, Logan Marshall-Green, who at 34 is 10 years younger than Tomei.

That's not all I have for you. Read on to find out which British starlet caused some laughs and snickers with her wobbly ways...

Sienna Miller was having such a good time she apparently had trouble telling the difference between people and...a table?

An onlooker laughed, "She walked right into an empty table and without missing a beat looked right at it and said, 'Oh, excuse me. I'm sorry.' "

No word if she also bumped into Matthew Rhys, whom she dated before she infamously hooked up with his Brothers & Sisters costar Balthazar Getty. The actor was there with a gaggle of pals.

Also stopping by for dinner or drinks were Slumdog Millionaire star Dev Patel, Elton John and hubby David Furnish, Eva Longoria Parker, Ginnifer Goodwin, Juliette Lewis, Elizabeth Banks, Jason Stratham, Josh Hartnett, Peter Berg, Elizabeth Reaser, Ryan Phillippe, Harvey Weinstein, Oliver Stone and Rachel Zoe.

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Rihanna: “Remaining Strong and Doing Well”
(E! Online)
Selena Gomez To Star In ‘Beezus And Ramona’ Movie

Rihanna: "Remaining Strong and Doing Well" (E! Online)

Los Angeles (E! Online) – Rihanna should have been celebrating her 21st birthday today. Instead, the Barbadian songbird is lying low in Los Angeles and staying strong.

Her camp finally broke radio silence and issued a statement to fans.

"At the request of the authorities, Rihanna is not commenting about the incident involving Chris Brown," her publicist says in a statement.

"She wants to assure her fans that she remains strong, is doing well, and deeply appreciates the outpouring of support she has received during this difficult time." It's the first statement since her rep said Rihanna was "well" in the hours following her alleged altercation with Brown on Feb. 8.

After a trip to Barbados to be with her family and friends, Rihanna surfaced last night, photographed in the L.A. area for the first time since the purported roadside blowup.

In the pics, she is wearing sunglasses and sitting in the back seat of a car. Two unidentified men, a driver and passenger, are in the front seat and another woman is sitting behind the "Umbrella" singer.

As I first told you, Rihanna's record label canceled plans to throw her a birthday party in NYC. The soiree for about 200 guests was to have had a carnival theme with various "sideshow" attractions. The deal wasn't finalized, but it was probably going to happen at Gotham Hall.

(Originally published Feb. 20, 2009 at 2:48 p.m. PT.)

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Chris Brown’s father says singer “remorseful”
(Reuters)
Flo Rida Kicks Some Eminem Butt
(E! Online)
Joaquin Phoenix Rep Insists Actor’s Hip-Hop Career Is Serious

Cyrus: Nothing `weird' about relationship with dad (AP)

NEW YORK – Miley Cyrus doesn't like to admit it, but she's bothered by people who think there's something wrong with the bond between her and her dad, singer Billy Ray Cyrus.

"The media has said some stuff about my dad and me being too close and too cuddly for a father and a daughter," the 16-year-old actress-singer writes in "Miles to Go," a new memoir. "For me and my dad it's not weird at all."

Cyrus' memoir, written with Hilary Liftin, will be published next month by Disney-Hyperion Books. The Associated Press purchased a copy put on sale early.

She doesn't directly mention last year's photo shoot for Vanity Fair, when she is shown reclining against her father, his arm around her shoulder, both of them somber and bare-armed — an image many found suggestive. But she does write that she loves her father (who co-stars on her "Hannah Montana" show), isn't afraid to show it, and "we don't let other people tell us what expressions we're supposed to have on our faces when we take a picture together!"

Acknowledging that fame inevitably attracts criticism, she writes of being hurt by comments posted about her on the Internet and concludes that some people are "so full of anger, hatred and bitterness."

Referring to the media, she regrets that people make profits off her troubles, and wishes they instead would profit from her "achievements."

Cyrus' records have sold millions of copies and her "I Thought I Lost You," featured in the movie "Bolt," was a Golden Globe nominee for best song. A film version of "Hannah Montana" comes out in April.

"In Miles to Go," Cyrus writes of her down-then-up relationship with another "Hannah Montana" star, Emily Osment. And she reflects on a certain ex-boyfriend, apparently fellow teen idol Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers, mentioned not by name, but as "Prince Charming."

She tells of falling for him immediately at an AIDS benefit in 2006, of reuniting with him at a White House Easter Egg Roll during a time they had split up, and of the final parting, in December 2007.

Cyrus says it was the worst day of her life, and inspiration for her hit song "7 Things I Hate About You."

"It's hard to imagine that our love is a story with an end," she writes. "But you know, at least I'm getting some really good songs out of it."

The 266-page book was written for young people, her core audience, with photos, notes scrawled in the margins and plenty of lists. Cyrus advocates family, friendship and pursuing one's dreams, but also mentions the price — not just the loss of privacy, but the loss of self.

Toward the end of the second season of "Hannah Montana," she fell into despair; "self-hatred" that started with a common affliction, acne, and developed into something greater. She had turned Hollywood, become a "brat," forgotten her own identity.

The blues blew away thanks to Vanessa, a 9-year-old with cystic fibrosis whom Cyrus met at a Los Angeles hospital and instantly connected with.

"I'd been praying to God to take away my vanity and self-centeredness," she writes. "When I met Vanessa, all the superficial obsession over my skin, and all the darkness I'd been feeling, fell away."

Will Zac Efron, Miley Cyrus And Robert Pattinson Boost Oscar Ratings?
Sundance honors `Push,’ `We Live in Public’
(AP)

Clay Aiken parts ways with record label (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Billboard) – Season two "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken has parted ways with RCA Records.

A source told Billboard that the pop singer left the label a couple of months ago, on the heels of his 2008 album, "On My Way Here."

That set sold just 159,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Aiken's 2003 debut, "Measure of a Man," sold 2.78 million.

The artist joins a slew of second-place finishers -- Katharine McPhee, Justin Guarini, Blake Lewis and Bo Bice, among them -- whose post-"Idol" major-label deals have lapsed.

Aiken will make a guest appearance on the April 8 episode of "America's Next Top Model," where he will serve as a guest judge.

U2 gets week long gig on David Letterman show
(Reuters)
“Idol” David Cook to hit colleges on U.S. tour
(Reuters)
Selena Gomez To Star In ‘Beezus And Ramona’ Movie

Kanye West: Being a Sex Addict Fueled Success (E! Online)

Los Angeles (E! Online) – Kanye West is on another magazine cover (this time with a sure-to-be-appreciated gray-free beard) and as usual the rapper turned auto-tune singer turned fashion designer is full of Kanye-isms. To name a few:

•"Put this in the magazine: There's nothing more to be said about music. I'm the f--king end-all, be-all of music." •"Oh my God, I'm one of the greatest rappers in the world. I'll get on a track and completely ee-nihilate that track, I'll eat it and rip it in half. I wouldn't have to think of it." •"I have, like, nuclear power, like a superhero, like Cyclops when he puts his glasses on." What othernew tales of grandeur might Kanye have added to his repertoire? Just thata sexual addiction at a young age has somehow fueled his drive for greatness...

"People ask me a lot about my drive," he says."I think it comes from, like, having a sexual addiction at a really young age. Look at the drive that people have to get sex—to dress like this and get a haircut and be in the club in the freezing cold at 3 a.m., the places they go to pick up a girl. If you can focus the energy into something valuable, put that into work ethic..."

Thatactually sounds more like normal behavior thana full-blownsexual addiction, but if Kanye says he was a sex addict then he was probably the greatest addict to have ever been addicted to sex in the history of sexual studies.

He also notes that he was a highly advanced computer programmer of sexual addiction and produced his first Super Mario Bros.: The Penis Remix in the seventh grade:

"My game was very sexual. The main character was, like, a giant penis. It was like Mario Brothers, but the ghosts were, like, vaginas. Mind you, I'm 12 years old, and this is stuff 30-year-olds are programming. You'd have to draw in and program every little step—it literally took me all night to do a step, 'cause the penis, y'know, had little feet and eyes."

Cute, right? However, it should be noted that Kanye is over music and penis games as he's now turning his great sexual addiction nuclear energy exclusively to fashion. He plans on moving to Paris and being mentored by his fashion idol Marc Jacobs. In fact, Yeezy is so into M.J., he intentionally left the designer's number on the table for his Details interviewer to see. After all, what's the point in being subtle now?

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Flo Rida Kicks Some Eminem Butt
(E! Online)
Jessica Simpson Avoids Split Pants With Skort
(E! Online)
‘Confessions Of A Shopaholic’: Funny Girl, By Kurt Loder
Joaquin Phoenix Says Newfound Hip-Hop Career Is ‘Not About Success’

T.I. goes back to court — to talk to teenagers (AP)

ATLANTA – A month from beginning a yearlong federal prison sentence, rapper T.I. was in court again Friday, but this time he wasn't in the hot seat.

The 28-year-old performer, whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr., spoke to dozens of high school students — half serving juvenile sentences — gathered at the GeorgiaSupreme Court.

"You can see from me that nobody is too rich, too famous, too cool, too good-looking or too young to make a mistake and pay a price for it," said Harris, dressed in jeans, a gray hooded sweat shirt and a blue knit hat. "More important than the mistake you make, though, is what you are able to take away from that mistake. How can you use that mistake to ensure you will never make a similar mistake again?"

He told them to work hard, stay in school and do what is necessary to get what they want in life.

"Education is more important than any material thing you can have," said Harris, who only has a high school diploma. "The things you do not have in your life, the things you do not have in your possession, will be a reflection of the things you have not learned."

He warned the teens from high schools across metro Atlanta to learn from his mistakes, which include a 2008 federal firearms conviction that will send him to prison for a year starting next month. His appearance was part of 1,000 hours of community service he must complete under that sentence.

His legal troubles didn't start there. Harris grew up in one of Atlanta's housing projects and dealt crack while trying to break into the music industry. The students listened intently as he described the prostitutes, drug dealers and junkies he encountered.

He was first arrested at 17 and spent time in jail for violating probation after several other arrests. In 2007, just an hour before he was scheduled to perform at the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta, authorities arrested him for trying to buy unregistered machine guns and silencers.

High School junior Stephen Murphy said he is trying to turn his life around after getting into trouble with drugs and driving without a license last year. Harris' speech was encouragement to keep working at it, he said.

"Your life can go down the wrong path, and you'll end up in prison, where he's fixing to go," he said. "I don't want to go there."

Harris, a Grammy winner, has a list of No. 1 hits on his resume, including two off his latest CD, "Paper Trail," which also hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

Will Zac Efron, Miley Cyrus And Robert Pattinson Boost Oscar Ratings?
Dakota Fanning Adds ‘Twilight’ To Her Reading List
Sundance honors `Push,’ `We Live in Public’
(AP)

Flo Rida Kicks Some Eminem Butt (E! Online)

Los Angeles (E! Online) – Flo Rida is in a definite sunshine state of mind after taking down Eminem.

For the second time in just over a year, Flo Rida has set a new record for digital downloads, as his new single, "Right Round," was downloaded a whopping 636,000 times last week, per Nielsen SoundScan.The rapper topped his own record. His 2008 track "Low" held the previous mark with 467,000 downloads.

"Right Round" also set a new record for a digital debut, topping Eminem, 50 Cent and Dr. Dre's "Crack the Bottle," which scored 418,000 downloads just last week. Likewise, Flo Rida's new track displaced Em & Co.'s single at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart.

"Right Round,"built around a sample of Dead or Alive's 1985 chart-topper "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)," is the lead single from Flo Rida's forthcoming R.O.O.T.S., due out March 31.

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Jessica Simpson Avoids Split Pants With Skort
(E! Online)
Kanye West: Being a Sex Addict Fueled Success
(E! Online)
M.I.A. ‘Honored’ By Oscar Nod, Wants To Book Dave Chappelle For Baby Shower

American Idol's Top 12 Gets First Three (E! Online)

Los Angeles (E! Online) – Good news or bad, we knew Tatiana Del Toro was going to be an emotional wreck.

She didn't disappoint on that front. But we bet thousands of fans ended up pretty bummed anyway as the results started rolling in—there's always a favorite who doesn't make it through.

In what may be the most intriguing of the stalwart series' season-eight format changes (certainly more intriguing than the addition of a fourth judge, anyway), the top guy and girl from last night's performance show—along with the next-highest vote getter—were admitted into American Idol's Top 12 Wednesday.

Also an improvement—instead of making the castoffs relive their low points, the trio who advanced provided the encore performances.

But for the real twist, check out who advanced, contrary to what our commenters predicted...

The fans seemed to love Anoop Desai, but about 20,000 more of the 24 million votes cast landed in Michael Sarver's camp instead.

The 27-year-old oil-rig roughneck defied judges' expectations by winning a spot in the Top 12 with his karaoke-ready rendition of Gavin DeGraw's "I Don't Wanna Be."

But don't count out Anoop Dogg just yet. He might not have to wake up from his present dream if he was the third-place finisher among the guys last night, or if the judges select him to compete in the March 5 Wild Card sing-off—and there's a very good possibility of that, considering how much they like him.

Meanwhile, last night's standouts, Alexis Grace, 21, and Danny Gokey, 28, sailed on through to the promised land.

Trying to milk the (lack of) suspense for all it was worth, Ryan Seacrest trotted out Danny and Tatiana at the same time, making us wonder for a second whether the front-runner was about to fall victim to the "I don't need to vote for him because everyone else is going to" trap. He didn't, though. Tatiana looked as if she was about to pass out but, like Anoop, there could be another last chance in her future.

The next group of 12—Megan Corkrey, Kris Allen, Mishavonna Henson, Matt Breitzke, Allison Iraheta, Matt Giraud, Jasmine Murray, Kai Kalama, Jesse Langseth, Adam Lambert, Jeanine Vailes and Nick Mitchell—performs next Wednesday.

(Originally published Feb. 18, 2009 at 6:50 p.m. PT)

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Danny Gokey wows ‘American Idol’ judges
(AP)
Idol Goes Hollywood: Triumph, Despair and the Return of Bikini Girl
(E! Online)
‘Harry Potter’ Star Daniel Radcliffe Talks Obama, ‘Twilight’ Heartthrob Robert Pattinson

Usher's wife checks out of Brazil hospital (AP)

SAO PAULO, Brazil – The wife of R&B singer Usher was released from a Sao Paulo hospital after spending 11 days recovering from a cardiac arrest she suffered shortly before undergoing plastic surgery.

A spokeswoman for the Sirio-Libanes Hospital said Wednesday that Tameka Raymond left the facility Monday night but declined to provide any details on Raymond's treatment at the family's request. The spokewoman spoke on condition of anonymity per hospital policy.

Representatives for Usher had no immediate comment.

Ellen Dastry, a spokeswoman for the doctor who was to perform the plastic surgery, said last week that Raymond suffered a cardiac arrest while being anesthetized ahead of a "simple liposuction" at Sao Paulo's Sao Rafael Hospital.

Raymond was revived in less than a minute with heart massage, and was placed in an induced coma before being taken to the intensive-care unit, said Dastry, spokeswoman for plastic surgeon Silvio Sterman.

She was then transferred to the posh and better-equipped Sirio-Libanes Hospital to recover.

Usher was supposed to perform at music mogul Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party, but backed out to come to Brazil to be with his wife.

The 30-year-old R&B star and his wife were married in August 2007. They have two young sons, 2-year-old Usher Raymond V and 2-month-old Naveid Ely Raymond.

Usher’s wife recovering after cardiac arrest
(AP)
‘Taken’: No More Mr. Nice Guy, By Kurt Loder

Coldplay and Duffy lead field on eve of BRITs (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) – British band Coldplay and Welsh singer Duffy will be hoping to add to their Grammys success as they head the field at the 2009 BRITs on Wednesday night with four nominations apiece.

Organizers have highlighted the global impact of British music in 2008, underlined by a flurry of Grammys, the industry's most coveted honors, earlier this month.

In the wake of those awards, Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger hailed "a great period for home-grown talent," telling the Sun newspaper:

"What's so refreshing is the different styles that have been recognized. Coldplay, Duffy, Adele and Radiohead make up an eclectic bunch, proving there's a lot of fresh British talent out there."

At the BRITs, Coldplay and Duffy are followed by Adele, indie pop band Scouting For Girls and alternative rockers Elbow, who all appear in three categories.

Coldplay are up for best British group and best British album, considered the most prestigious prize at the BRITs, for their multi-million selling record "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends."

The group is also competing for best British single and British live act.

The BRITs' recognition of Duffy, a relative unknown 12 months ago, caps a year during which her debut album "Rockferry" was Britain's top-selling record in 2008 and boasts worldwide sales of nearly 4.5 million copies.

She has been nominated for best album, best single for "Mercy," British female solo artist and British breakthrough act. The best British single award is chosen by live public vote on the night of the awards ceremony.

In the international categories, the same five artists are competing both for best international group and international album -- AC/DC, Fleet Foxes, the Killers, Kings of Leon and

MGMT.

Four other British acts -- Ting Tings, Radiohead, Girls Aloud, and Estelle -- land two nominations apiece in this year's BRITs list.

BRITs organizers have announced that Take That and Coldplay will appear at the awards ceremony on February 18th, joining Pet Shop Boys, U2, Kings of Leon, Duffy and Girls Aloud.

Hosting the event, held before an audience of over 10,000 people at London's Earls Court, will be Australian star Kylie Minogue.

(Editing by Paul Casciato)

U2 gets week long gig on David Letterman show
(Reuters)
‘Donkey Punch’: Crimson Tide, By Kurt Loder
Selena Gomez To Star In ‘Beezus And Ramona’ Movie
British singer M.I.A. gives birth to boy
(Reuters)

Danny Gokey wows 'American Idol' judges (AP)

LOS ANGELES – Danny Gokey was proclaimed the "Hero" of "American Idol."

Three of the show's four judges heaped praise on the 28-year-old church music director from Milwaukee on Tuesday, following his rendition of the Mariah Carey tune "Hero" at the end of the Fox singing competition's first performance show of season eight.

"You are the hero, man," said Kara DioGuardi. "You give us all hope. You were great."

Gokey was the last to perform in a group of 12 singers out of the top 36 semifinalists. The judges directed their harshest criticism at Stephen Fowler, Casey Carlson and Stevie Wright, who Simon Cowell said had "zero" chance of advancing to the next round. The top three vote-getters will be revealed during Wednesday's live episode.

___

On the Net:

http://www.americanidol.com

“Idol” David Cook to hit colleges on U.S. tour
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Idol Goes Hollywood: Triumph, Despair and the Return of Bikini Girl
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‘Harry Potter’ Star Daniel Radcliffe Talks Obama, ‘Twilight’ Heartthrob Robert Pattinson

Jessica Simpson Avoids Split Pants With Skort (E! Online)

Los Angeles (E! Online) – Jessica Simpson took her Rascal Flatts opening act to Madison Square Garden last night, and it was a good news/bad news scenario.

According to Newsday, she remembered all her song lyrics, made no desperate dedications to Tony and didn't cry a single time—no Grand Rapids repeat here.

But it wasn't all positive. While she was smart enough to leave her high-waisted chili cookoff jeans at home, she had to go and ruin a seemingly harmless outfit by wearing something just as bad: a skort. Naturally, she explained this to the audience in an effortlessly elegant manner that has become her trademark:

"I've had times when my pants split right down the middle when I bent down to reach a note. That's why I'm wearing a skort—not a skirt, not a short—just so they wouldn't split."

At least she's...um, honest?

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‘Taken’ Captures Box-Office #1, Despite Super Bowl
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(E! Online)
Robert Downey Jr. Says ‘Iron Man 2′ Will Be ‘Real Far Out’
Chris Brown’s father says singer “remorseful”
(Reuters)

British singer M.I.A. gives birth to boy (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – British pop singer M.I.A., who performed at the Grammy Awards last Sunday despite experiencing labor contractions, has given birth to a baby boy, she said on her MySpace page.

The unnamed baby was born on Wednesday, and is "healthy, fine, beautiful and the most amazing thing ever on this planet," according to her Web posting on Saturday.

The baby's father is musician Benjamin Brewer, son of Canadian liquor scion Edgar Bronfman, chairman and CEO of Warner Music Group. The location was not disclosed.

M.I.A., 31, whose real name is Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam, was born in Britain but raised in Sri Lanka, where her father agitated for an independent Tamil state. She achieved fame with her second album "Kala," a cross-cultural mishmash of beats, slogans and lyrical drama. Her ubiquitous single "Paper Plane," which incorporates elements of an obscure Clash track, received a Grammy nomination for record of the year.

Chris Brown’s father says singer “remorseful”
(Reuters)
M.I.A. ‘Honored’ By Oscar Nod, Wants To Book Dave Chappelle For Baby Shower

Obama plans concert for Stevie Wonder (AP)

WASHINGTON – The White House is planning a concert this month to honor Stevie Wonder, whose music provided part of President Barack Obama's campaign soundtrack.

The White House says the president and first lady Michelle Obama will present Wonder a Library of Congress award on Feb. 25. The concert will be broadcast the next day on PBS as part of its "Performance at the White House" series.

The award-winning and chart-topping Wonder performed at the Democratic National Convention in Denver on the night Obama accepted his party's nomination. He also performed at a concert during the week of Obama's inauguration.

His song "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" became a theme song during the campaign. Obama also used "Higher Ground" during campaign stops.

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Jewel’s lullabies helped her through hard times
(AP)
U2 gets week long gig on David Letterman show
(Reuters)

Chris Brown's father says singer "remorseful" (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Chris Brown's father says the R & B star is remorseful following his arrest on suspicion of attacking a woman widely believed to be pop star Rihanna, People magazine reported on its Web site on Friday.

Clinton Brown, who lives in Toppahannock, Virginia, told the magazine his son is "home" but would not give a location.

"He's reflecting on this situation," Clinton Brown told People. "He's very remorseful. He's very concerned about the situation and he wants to make sure that (Rihanna's) okay."

Police and prosecutors have not officially disclosed that Rihanna was the victim of Brown's attack early Sunday morning in Los Angeles ahead of the Grammy Awards. But unnamed police sources told the Los Angeles Times she was the victim, and numerous media outlets have reported the same information.

Brown turned himself in to police hours after the incident in the early morning hours this past Sunday, and he was booked on suspicion of making criminal threats against a woman. The Los Angeles Police Department took the case to prosecutors Tuesday, but were told to investigate it further.

Prosecutors will not charge Brown before next week at the earliest, said Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the L.A. District Attorney's Office.

Celebrity websites and magazines have reported that the incident happened shortly after Brown left a party in a car with Rihanna as his passenger. Rihanna suffered bruises on her face and a split lip, according to several reports.

Rihanna, 20, whose hit songs include "Disturbia" and "Umbrella," was a no-show at the Grammy Awards on Sunday and the NAACP Image Awards on Thursday night, and she canceled an Asian concert trip scheduled for this week.

Brown, 19, was also absent from the same two awards shows, and he withdrew from a celebrity event this weekend as part of the NBA all-star game. The pop star is known for his dancing prowess and for songs like "Forever" and "Kiss Kiss."

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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‘The Dark Knight’ Deserves Oscar Nominations, Say High-Profile Fans
U2 gets week long gig on David Letterman show
(Reuters)

Usher's wife recovering after cardiac arrest (AP)

SAO PAULO – The wife of R&B singer Usher continues to recover in a Sao Paulo hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest shortly before undergoing plastic surgery, the spokeswoman of the doctor who was to perform the procedure said Thursday.

Ellen Dastry, spokeswoman for plastic surgeon Silvio Sterman, says Tameka Raymond checked into the Sao Rafael Hospital last Friday for a "simple liposuction." Dastry said that Raymond suffered a cardiac arrest while being anesthetized for the procedure "but was revived in less than a minute by heart massage." She was then placed in an induced coma before being taken to the intensive-care unit, a procedure Dastry said was "absolutely normal" and performed in order to "avoid unnecessary complications."

That same day Raymond was transferred to Sao Paulo's posh and better-equipped Sirio-Libanes Hospital where she is recovering, Dastry said without providing further details.

At Sirio-Libanes, a spokeswoman would only say that Raymond remains hospitalized. She explained that Raymond's family requested that no information regarding her condition be divulged by the hospital. She did not give her name, per hospital rules.

Usher was supposed to perform at music mogul Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party last Saturday, but backed out to come to Brazil to be with his wife.

The 30-year-old R&B star and his wife were married in August 2007. They have two young sons, 2-year-old Usher Raymond V and 2-month-old Naveid Ely Raymond.

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U2 gets week long gig on David Letterman show (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Irish supergroup U2 have found what they are looking for to promote their new album in the United States -- a five-night gig on the "Late Show with David Letterman."

For the first week of March, U2 will perform every night on the late night chat show, CBS said on Thursday. It's the first time a musical act has been booked for an entire week on the show.

U2 starts the weeklong gig Monday, March 2, and ends it the following Friday. During the week -- on March 3 -- the band and its label, Interscope Records, will release the album "No Line on the Horizon."

The band kicked off the Grammy Awards on Sunday in Los Angeles with a performance of their single "Get on Your Boots" and sang for hundreds of thousands of people at pre-inauguration concert for President Barack Obama in Washington DC in January.

Lead by the sunglass-wearing singer Bono, U2 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.

The band recorded its latest album in Morocco, Dublin, New York and London. Their last album, the 2004 "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb," sold more than 9 million copies worldwide.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Jill Serjeant)

“Idol” David Cook to hit colleges on U.S. tour
(Reuters)
Selena Gomez To Star In ‘Beezus And Ramona’ Movie

Idol Goes Hollywood: Triumph, Despair and the Return of Bikini Girl (E! Online)

Los Angeles (E! Online) – Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson have been advised to bring their poles to the Kodak Theatre.

If that seems like strange advice, chalk it up to Katrina "Bikini Girl" Darrell being in town and ready to dance in a venue where the performers, ahem, utilize poles—according to Kara DioGuardi, that is.

Darrell may have worn a whole dress to Hollywood, but Kara and Paula Abdul still didn't think she had the pipes to compete. But Randy and Simon, images of Phoenix dancing in their heads, readily agreed to send her through, eyes a-googling, on Tuesday's episode of American Idol.

Despite that decision, which set the wrong example for young girls everywhere, 103 other hopefuls had a swell day in the L.A. sun, as well, including audition-round favorites such as Rose Flack, Emily Wynne-Hughes, Jackie Tohn, Danny Gokey, Jeremy Michael Sarver, Jasmine Murray and Nick Mitchell, aka the headband-and-shiny-shirt-wearing Norman Gentle, who everyone but Simon inexplicably loves.

On the other hand, we also saw 43 dreams go poof! tonight, including one belonging to Dennis Brigham, who informed the judges that they suck and then, to Simon, said, "For somebody to be so rich, your pants are very, very cheap."

So there.

null

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Joaquin Phoenix’s Rap Career Is A Hoax, Sources Say
“Idol” David Cook to hit colleges on U.S. tour
(Reuters)

Jewel's lullabies helped her through hard times (AP)

DETROIT – As a teenager, Jewel had her share of hard times, including a period of homelessness. To soothe herself, she wrote a song called "Raven" when she was 16.

That song, and another, "Angels Standing By," were written to help ease the stress she felt while living in her blue Volkswagen bus.

The songs are part of an upcoming collection of original lullabies she hopes to release this spring.

"I've been writing lullabies since the beginning," the 34-year-old singer-songwriter, who was born Jewel Kilcher, said in a recent phone interview.

"I kind of did it for myself to help myself fall asleep when I really worried, like when I was homeless and I'd fall asleep in my car," she said. "I wrote the song 'Angels Standing By' ... to try and soothe myself — rock myself to sleep, basically — because I was so scared and stressed."

Jewel, whose last album, "Perfectly Clear," was country-influenced and co-produced with John Rich of Big & Rich, said the lullaby album will be spare and self-produced at her home studio.

She said working from the 2,000-acre ranch near Stephenville, Texas, that she shares with her husband, rodeo champion Ty Murray, was easy and convenient. But it also was liberating, getting her back to why she makes music — "not having all these considerations that you think of, except what moves me."

The upcoming album also has been influenced by movies, specifically those like "Shrek" that can be enjoyed by both children and adults. "They sort of exist on two levels, and that's something I wanted this record to do," she said.

The songs also could be for her own children — one day. She said she and Murray want to start a family.

"I hope that my life ends up being my greatest work of art, not just my music."

___

Associated Press Writer Mike Householder contributed to this story.

___

On the Net:

http://www.jeweljk.com

(This version CORRECTS to 2,000-acre ranch, sted 2,000-square-foot ranch.)

M.I.A. ‘Honored’ By Oscar Nod, Wants To Book Dave Chappelle For Baby Shower
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(Reuters)