Concertgoer sues Lil' Wayne for injuries 23 minutes ago

Concertgoer sues Lil' Wayne for injuries 23 minutes ago



BALTIMORE - A woman has filed a lawsuit alleging she was trampled by a frenzied crowd after a large amount of cash was thrown into the crowd during a concert by rapper Lil' Wayne at Morgan State University last October.

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Tyrique Layne was a 17-year-old freshman at Morgan State when she attended the show. According to the lawsuit, someone — either Lil' Wayne or members of his entourage — threw money into the crowd during the rapper's performance, a stunt known as "making it rain."

Layne alleges in the suit, filed Tuesday in Baltimore Circuit Court, that she was trampled, lost consciousness and suffered a "serious closed head injury" that required hospitalization. She has suffered since from memory loss, lapses in concentration and frequent and severe headaches, according to the complaint.

Along with Lil' Wayne, whose given name is Dwayne Michael Carter, the suit names Universal Records Inc., Cash Money Records Inc. and Young Money Touring Inc. Layne is seeking $1 million in damages.

Lil' Wayne was the opening act for Busta Rhymes at the concert. Two other women were injured in the melee, according to reports at the time.

Lil' Wayne and rapper Ja Rule were charged with felony handgun violations after a concert in Manhattan last month.

Filmmaker involved in fatal car accident 57 minutes ago

Filmmaker involved in fatal car accident 57 minutes ago



LOS ANGELES - Oscar-nominated director John Singleton was driving a Lexus SUV when it struck and killed a jaywalker who stepped in front of the car, police said Friday.

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Singleton, 39, immediately stopped his car and waited for police to arrive after the accident Thursday night in the city's Jefferson Park neighborhood, said Officer Jason Lee, a police spokesman.

"Mr. Singleton stopped and identified himself as required by law and was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol," Lee said. "He was questioned and released."

The woman was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead Friday morning, Lee said. She was identified as Constance Russell, 57, of Los Angeles.

Other details were not immediately released, and an after-hours call to Singleton's agent was not immediately returned.

Singleton, whose debut film, 1991's "Boyz N The Hood," earned him two Oscar nominations, has also directed "Poetic Justice," "Shaft," and "2 Fast 2 Furious." He was the producer of "Hustle & Flow," "Black Snake Moan" and the just-released "Illegal Tender."

Rocker gets doctorate — 30 years late 1 hour, 43 minutes ago

Rocker gets doctorate — 30 years late 1 hour, 43 minutes ago



LONDON - Guitarist and songwriter Brian May has completed his doctorate in astrophysics — three decades after he put academia on hold to form the rock group Queen.

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The rocker was awarded his qualification Thursday by London's Imperial College and said submitting his thesis, "Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud," to supervisors was as nerve-racking as any stadium gig.

"I'm feeling rather joyful. I cannot tell you how much of a weight off the mind it is," May said late Thursday.

May was an astrophysics student at Imperial College when he joined Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor to form Queen in 1970, but dropped his doctorate as the glam rock band became successful. Queen became one of Britain's biggest music groups in the 1970s, with hits including "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "We Will Rock You."

Following Mercury's 1991 death, May produced two solo albums, the latest of which, "Another World" appeared in 1998.

But the guitarist continued to pursue his out-of-this-world interests — and last year co-authored a book titled "Bang! The Complete History of the Universe."

He told reporters Thursday that handing over his completed thesis — a 48,000 word study which seeks to prove planets and dust clouds in our solar system orbit in the same direction — and facing examiners for a review of his work was a tough challenge.

"It was a bit nerve-racking walking into the room, but once we got going it was fascinating," May said. "There's always that feeling they could ask that big question that could sink you, but luckily they didn't."

May will be formally presented with his doctorate next May at a ceremony at London's Royal Albert Hall.

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On the Net:

The Official Brian May Web site: http://www.brianmay.com

Nicole Richie serves 82 minutes in jail By DAISY NGUYEN, Associated Press Writer

Nicole Richie serves 82 minutes in jail By DAISY NGUYEN, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 15 minutes ago



LOS ANGELES - Nicole Richie was released from jail Thursday after serving 82 minutes of a four-day sentence for driving under the influence of drugs.

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The reality show star, who checked into a women's jail at 3:15 p.m., was released at 4:37 p.m. "based on her sentence and federal guidelines," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Maribel Rizo said without elaborating.

Under a federal court mandate to manage jail overcrowding, arrestees sentenced to 30 days or less for a nonviolent offense are usually released within 12 hours, the sheriff's department said in a statement.

Under the guidelines, Richie was "treated in the same manner as other inmates with a similar sentence," the statement said.

Richie, 25, was originally sentenced to 96 hours in jail, but that was reduced to 90 hours because of time served when she was arrested.

Richie arrived at jail with her attorney Shawn Chapman Holley and her boyfriend, Good Charlotte singer Joel Madden. Her time at the Century Regional Detention Facility was spent getting booked, including taking a mugshot and submitting her fingerprints, Holley said.

She didn't reach her jail cell.

"She was really treated like any other inmate," Holley said. "I think every inmate in her position, with that type of charge, would have been treated as she was."

Just hours before Richie did her time, Lindsay Lohan was charged with seven misdemeanor drunken-driving and cocaine charges for two arrests in the last four months. Attorney Blair Berk arranged a plea bargain and Lohan was sentenced to one day in jail, 10 days of community service and must complete a drug treatment program. She was also fined and placed on 36 months probation.

Richie served her 82 minutes at the county jail in suburban Lynwood, the same place her "The Simple Life" co-star Paris Hilton was housed for nearly three weeks after she was convicted of driving on a suspended license while on probation for an alcohol-related reckless driving case.

Richie was arrested on Dec. 11, 2006, after witnesses reported seeing her black Mercedes-Benz sport utility vehicle headed the wrong way on a freeway in Burbank. The California Highway Patrol said they found her parked in the car pool lane.

Richie pleaded guilty in July to a misdemeanor DUI charge in a deal with prosecutors that helped her avoid a potential year in jail because it was a second driving-under-the-influence conviction.

Her first conviction was in 2003 for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Richie, the daughter of Lionel Richie, told authorities after being arrested in December that she had smoked marijuana and taken the prescription painkiller Vicodin, a CHP officer said at the time. No drugs were found on her or in her car.

Playwright fights for Congolese women By VERENA DOBNIK, Associated Press Writer

Playwright fights for Congolese women By VERENA DOBNIK, Associated Press Writer
Thu Aug 23, 5:35 AM ET



NEW YORK - Eve Ensler has just returned from hell. That's how the author of "The Vagina Monologues" describes her trip to Congo, where thousands of women have been sexually attacked and mutilated in the African nation's civil war.

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The 54-year-old playwright has joined with the United Nations in a campaign against what a U.N. expert called the worst violence against women in the world.

"In Congo, you're talking about a situation where Africans are hurting Africans, black people are hurting black people," Ensler told The Associated Press in an interview from Italy. "And it's harder to make people care. People say, 'Oh, it's just Africa.' And nobody is held accountable."

She spent weeks at the Panzi Hospital in the city of Bukavu, in eastern Congo, where Dr. Denis Mukwege is helping to repair the broken bodies of war victims. The hospital sees about 3,500 women a year suffering fistula and other severe genital injuries.

A U.N. human rights expert said last month that the sexual atrocities in Congo's volatile province of South Kivu extend "far beyond rape" and include sexual slavery, forced incest and cannibalism.

From Geneva, Yakin Erturk called the situation the worst she had ever seen as the global body's special investigator for violence against women. She blamed Uganda-backed militias that occupy Congo's Ituri region, as well as the nation's armed forces and national police.

Erturk will report her findings in September to the U.N. Human Rights Council.

"How do I tell you of girls as young as 9 raped by gangs of soldiers, of women whose insides were blown apart by rifle blasts and whose bodies now leak uncontrollable streams of urine and feces?" Ensler asks in an article in the September issue of Glamour magazine.

The International Criminal Court in the Hague is now considering indictments in connection with the atrocities. The court's probe started in 2004, instigated by Congo's president, Joseph Kabila.

Ensler is asking people to write letters to Kabila, demanding that he take stronger action to stop the attacks. Hundreds of letters already have arrived at the United Nations, which is forwarding them to the African leader, Ensler said.

She is working to raise both awareness and funds for the women through the United Nations Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict and through V-Day, a global movement she founded to stop violence against women and girls.

V-Day was inspired by the overwhelming audience response to "The Vagina Monologues," an award-winning play in which actors share anecdotes about their bodies that reveal heartbreaking and hilarious glimpses of their souls.

The V-Day movement has raised over $40 million in the past decade, funding thousands of community-based anti-violence programs and safe houses in Kenya, Egypt and Iraq, as well as the United States.

The money Ensler helps raise for Congo will go to Panzi hospital and to establish a safe haven called "City of Joy."

Her journey to Congo in May was inspired by a conversation she had with Mukwege last December in New York, where he spoke about his work — "sewing up women's vaginas as fast as the mad militiamen are ripping them apart," as Ensler describes it.

Their friendship "began with my rusty French and his limited English," she wrote. "It began with the quiet anguish in his bloodshot eyes, eyes that seemed to me to be bleeding from the horrors he'd witnessed."

___

Letters for Congo president: U.N. Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict, P.O. Box 3862, New York, N.Y. 10163

Donations for Panzi Hospital: http://www.vday.org

Amy Winehouse scraps North American tour 1 hour, 32 minutes ago

Amy Winehouse scraps North American tour 1 hour, 32 minutes ago



NEW YORK - Amy Winehouse has put her North American tour on hold, raising more concerns about her health. "Due to the rigors involved in touring, Amy Winehouse has been advised to postpone her upcoming September U.S. and Canadian tour dates," the British singer's publicist, Tracy Miller, said in a statement Tuesday.

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"Amy's European and U.K. tour dates in October and November remain in place. Plans are being made to reschedule her U.S. tour for early 2008. Until then, Amy has been ordered to rest and is working with medical professionals to address her health."

Last week, it was announced that the 23-year-old was canceling all her August performances due to "severe exhaustion." While British tabloids have claimed the retro-soul singer has been in rehab due to drug abuse, her spokeswoman has denied such claims.

Winehouse made her U.S. debut this year with the acclaimed album "Back to Black," but her celebrity has been fueled by her tabloid image as much as her talent. She's spoken openly about her past battles with drugs and her penchant for alcohol and marijuana, and her hit single "Rehab" is an autobiographical tale of her resistance to being pushed to go to rehab: "They tried to make me go to rehab, but I said no, no, no."

Winehouse was scheduled to appear at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 9 in Las Vegas, but it is unclear if she will be on hand for the event.

___

On the Net:

http://www.amywinehouse.com

Kristen Bell to appear on NBC's 'Heroes' By MIKE HOUSEHOLDER, Associated Press Writer

Kristen Bell to appear on NBC's 'Heroes' By MIKE HOUSEHOLDER, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 29 minutes ago



DETROIT - Kristen Bell is going from solving mysteries to being a part of one. The 27-year-old actress, who starred for three seasons as teenage detective Veronica Mars on the now-canceled show of the same name, will appear in a multi-episode arc on NBC's "Heroes" this fall.

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"This was not easy to pull off. But since we're an ensemble show, with many arcs playing out through the year, we found a way to jump into a small window in her schedule," Tim Kring, the show's executive producer and creator, said in a statement Monday.

Kring said Bell's character, Elle, will appear in October and will be "a sexy, intriguing, mysterious young lady" who will commit a terrible crime, but it won't be clear whose side she is really on.

"Heroes" won't be the Detroit-area native's only TV work this fall.

She's providing the voice of the narrator (something she also did on "Veronica Mars") for the CW's new "Gossip Girl."

Bell also has some big-screen projects in the works, including a turn as the title character in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," a comedy produced by Judd Apatow ("The 40 Year-Old Virgin," "Knocked Up").

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NBC is owned by General Electric Co. The CW is a joint venture between Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros. unit and CBS Corp.

___

NBC:

On the Net:

http://www.nbc.com

CW Television Network:

http://www.cwtv.com

Sen. Leahy lands role in Batman movie 2 hours, 32 minutes ago

Sen. Leahy lands role in Batman movie 2 hours, 32 minutes ago



BURLINGTON, Vt. - Holy Beltway, Batman! Sen. Patrick Leahy has a part in the next Batman movie.

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"I don't wear tights," the Vermont Democrat said.

Leahy's scene was filmed this summer for "The Dark Knight" and involves Batman, played by Christian Bale, The Joker, played by Heath Ledger, and Alfred Pennyworth, played by Michael Caine.

The longtime Batman fan would reveal little about his role other than he is called the "distinguished gentleman."

"It's a pretty tense scene," said Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "It's going to be a very interesting one."

He's done voice-overs on Batman cartoons, written the preface for a Batman book and had small roles in the last two Batman features.

He said he will donate his earnings from the film to the Kellogg-Hubbard children's library in Montpelier, where the senator got his first library card.

"The Dark Knight" is scheduled to be released next summer.

Dogs' role uncertain in death of LA man 2 hours, 58 minutes ago

Dogs' role uncertain in death of LA man 2 hours, 58 minutes ago



LOS ANGELES - A man who died at the home of action star Ving Rhames most likely did not die from bites from Rhames' dogs, county coroner's officials said Friday. Jacob Adams, 40, was living on Rhames' Brentwood property as a caretaker for the actor's dogs when he was bitten Aug. 3, police said.

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The medical examiner who conducted Adams' autopsy Aug. 7 said the bite abrasions and lacerations on the man's body were most likely nonfatal, said Capt. Ed Winter of the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

"We're not saying the bites were definitely not the cause of death, though," Winter told The Associated Press.

An exact cause of death was still unknown pending a toxicology report to be released in about six weeks, he said.

According to a preliminary coroner's report, the dog bite marks on Adams' body — which police officers found on Rhames' front lawn — were around his arms and legs.

"When animals attack humans or other animals, the victims usually end up with bites around the head and neck. He had none," Winter said. "This leads us to believe he went down for some other medical reason."

An English bulldog and three bull mastiffs, including two weighing 200 pounds, were seized by animal services at the time.

Rhames, 46, told People magazine this week that his dogs were back home.

In a statement dated Monday, issued by his publicist, Rhames said he was out of the country when the incident took place.

Rhames also mentioned he was "relieved to know that the coroner's report confirmed that my dogs were not the cause of his death — and that any wounds found on his body were superficial."

And, he added, "Jacob Adams was not just a devoted employee — he was also a dear friend. I want to offer my heartfelt condolences to his family."

Stars fondly remember Griffin at funeral By BOB THOMAS, Associated Press Writer

Stars fondly remember Griffin at funeral By BOB THOMAS, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 35 minutes ago



BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Hollywood stars fondly remembered Merv Griffin at his funeral Friday, including Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who credited the creator of "Jeopardy!" and "Wheel of Fortune" with jump starting his own acting career.

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Among mourners who filled the Church of the Good Shepherd were former first lady Nancy Reagan, Pat Sajak, Vanna White, Alex Trebek, Dick Van Dyke and Griffin's son, Anthony, and his family.

Schwarzenegger, who attended with wife Maria Shriver, gave one of the eulogies.

"I can say today I wouldn't have gone as far in my career if it wouldn't have been for Merv Griffin," Schwarzenegger said, recalling his appearances on "The Merv Griffin Show," which date back to 1974.

"He had me on many times, and I was on his show to teach him about fitness and he would be teaching me about acting. Well, neither worked," the bodybuilder-turned-actor-turned-governor said to laughter.

Griffin's son followed with a mix of humor and affection: "I never knew anyone who loved life as much as my father," he said.

Griffin, who created "Jeopardy!" and "Wheel of Fortune," was 82 when he died Sunday of prostate cancer.

He began his career as a radio vocalist, then began to appear on TV. In 1965, Westinghouse Broadcasting began "The Merv Griffin Show" on syndicated television.

Griffin was already working on developing game shows. "Jeopardy" began in 1964 and went on to become a huge hit, followed by "Wheel of Fortune" in 1975. He sold their rights to the Columbia Pictures Television Unit for $250 million, retaining a share of the profits, and went into real estate and other business ventures.

He bought and refurbished the Beverly Hilton and then acquired hotel and casino operator Resorts International.

Griffin was to be buried not far away, in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery, where Marilyn Monroe, Dean Martin, Natalie Wood and other Hollywood notables are interred.

Johnson victorious in `Dance' finale By SUSAN BULLINGTON KATZ, For The Associated Press

Johnson victorious in `Dance' finale By SUSAN BULLINGTON KATZ, For The Associated Press
37 minutes ago



LOS ANGELES - Sabra Johnson was named "America's Favorite Dancer" and won the $250,000 first prize on Fox's hit talent show "So You Think You Can Dance."

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"I can't take the smile off my face, and it's hurting so bad," the 20-year-old from Roy, Utah, told The Associated Press after learning she won Thursday.

Four finalists had remained at the beginning of the finale: Neil Haskell, Lacey Schwimmer, Danny Tidwell and Johnson. Johnson emerged as the viewers' choice.

Show host Cat Deeley said a record-setting total of 16 million viewers called in votes for their favorite contestants after Wednesday's show.

"She's only been dancing for four years, and that's got to be inspirational for anybody out there watching this program and thinking, `Should I begin dancing?'" said Nigel Lythgoe, the series' executive producer and one of its judges.

Next up for the top 10 dancers is a 50-city tour. But what happens after that for America's Favorite Dancer?

"So I'm just hoping that now it kind of puts me where I want to be with choreographers knowing me and maybe getting shows that I wouldn't have otherwise gotten, because now people have seen what I can do," Johnson said.

This was the third season for the Emmy-nominated show. Judges narrowed the field to 20 after auditioning thousands of would-be contestants in Chicago, Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles.

Much like "American Idol," judges evaluated the dancers' routines, then viewers called in votes for their favorites.

___

On the Net:

http://www.fox.com/dance/

Gifford to return for 'Live' anniversary Wed Aug 15, 9:19 PM ET

Gifford to return for 'Live' anniversary Wed Aug 15, 9:19 PM ET



NEW YORK - Kathie Lee Gifford will drop by "Live With Regis and Kelly" to celebrate the daytime talk show's 20th anniversary. Gifford, who left as co-host in 2000, is slated to appear Sept. 14, when Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa take a look back at the show's most memorable moments. Ripa joined the show as co-host in 2001.

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"Our 20th anniversary is a huge milestone for the show," Executive Producer Michael Gelman said Tuesday in a statement. "Few television shows reach a year on the air, much less two decades."

"Live" will celebrate its 20th season in national syndication with two weeks of on-air festivities starting Sept. 3 and ending with Gifford's guest appearance.

___

The Walt Disney Co.'s Buena Vista Television distributes "Live With Regis and Kelly."

___

On the Net:

"Live With Regis and Kelly":

http://bventertainment.go.com/tv/buenavista/regisandkelly/

Kathy Lee Gifford:

http://www.kathieleegifford.com/

Judge nixes custody bid for Jackson kids Wed Aug 15, 9:17 PM ET

Judge nixes custody bid for Jackson kids Wed Aug 15, 9:17 PM ET



LOS ANGELES - A London woman who claims she is the real mother of Michael Jackson's three children was denied a role Wednesday in the singer's custody settlement with his ex-wife, Deborah Rowe.

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Nona Paris Lola Jackson, 36, asked a judge to grant her joint physical custody of Jackson's 10-year-old son, Prince Michael, and 9-year-old daughter, Paris. She also claims to be the mother of 5-year-old Prince Michael II.

"I feel her evidence fails to establish any genetic relationship between herself and the Jackson-Rowe children," Superior Court Judge Robert A. Schnider said.

Schnider also denied the woman's request to nullify Jackson's marriages with Rowe and with Lisa Marie Presley, both of which ended in divorce.

Nona Jackson was heard in the courtroom through a telephone and loudspeaker. Jackson and Rowe were not present.

Jackson settled a custody fight with Rowe over his two eldest children in September. Details of that agreement have not been released. Jackson has not identified the mother of Prince Michael II.

Nona Jackson also asked the court to grant her child support in an amount to be determined by Jackson, along with possession of his Neverland Ranch and a San Fernando Valley home.

"Debbie's hospital records will prove that my kids are not hers because of DNA," she stated.

In court papers, Nona Jackson contended that "Michael and I are a sexually active couple and have been this way from the beginning." She also claimed to have written more than 3,000 songs for him.

The woman's three previous attempts to have a say in the custody battle were rejected by the same judge last November and in February and May on grounds that she had failed to notify Jackson and Rowe of the hearings.

With Wednesday's ruling, it was unclear if she had any more legal options.

"I guess it's possible she could always do something else," said Marta B. Almli, Rowe's attorney.

Mary-Kate, Kingsley lock lips in movie Wed Aug 15, 9:16 PM ET

Mary-Kate, Kingsley lock lips in movie Wed Aug 15, 9:16 PM ET



NEW YORK - Brace yourself: In her upcoming movie, Mary-Kate Olsen locks lips with Ben Kingsley. Yes, the one-time adorable tyke turned teenage titan, and Gandhi. Not surprisingly, the film's a comedy. Olsen is now 21. Kingsley is 63. Their film, "The Wackness," is slated for release next year.

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"There is a very passionate scene in the film, which we filmed last week," Kingsley, who won the best-actor Oscar for 1982's "Gandhi," tells the syndicated TV show "Access Hollywood" in an interview scheduled to air Wednesday.

"It went extremely well and she was very focused. She was very good, very professional. She was quite wonderful."

When asked if he thinks the scene will stir up controversy, Kingsley says: "I'm sure it will. (Her character) is this great free spirit, you know, she is equally seducing so it is a level playing field."

In the film, Kingsley plays a therapist who forms a friendship with a teenage drug dealer (Josh Peck) who trades pot for therapy sessions. Olsen portrays one of the dealer's customers, who winds up kissing Kingsley's character.

"It's for a few seconds and then we disappear and we never see each other in the movie," Kingsley says. "But she is a trigger into my quest for happiness."

Though brief, the scene left a good impression on him. "Mary-Kate has huge energy," he says. "She is very, very committed to her work."

Olsen, who rose to fame on TV's "Full House," was last seen on the big screen opposite her sister, Ashley, in 2004's "New York Minute."

Kingsley's film credits also include "House of Sand and Fog" and "Schindler's List."

___

"Access Hollywood" is produced by NBC and distributed by NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution.

___

On the Net:

http://www.accesshollywood.com

Elvis fans boost economies of 2 states By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS, Associated Press Writer

Elvis fans boost economies of 2 states By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS, Associated Press Writer
40 minutes ago



JACKSON, Miss. - Even from beyond the grave, Elvis Presley still generates big bucks. That's even more true this week.

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Fans from Europe, Asia, Australia, South America — and even from exotic locales like Kansas — are spending their hard-earned money for T-shirts, coffee mugs, salt and pepper shakers, refrigerator magnets and other trinkets during the events commemorating his death 30 years ago.

Many are making the 110-mile trek from Memphis, Tenn., where the King of Rock 'n' Roll enjoyed his fame and gaudy fortune in Graceland, to Tupelo, the northeast Mississippi city where Elvis came into the world on Jan. 8, 1935, in a tiny shotgun shack built by his father.

They're also filling hotel rooms as far away as northwest Mississippi's casino row in Tunica and are spending money on meals, rental cars and gasoline, giving a significant, although difficult to quantify, boost to the area's economy.

Dick Guyton, executive director of the Elvis Presley Memorial Foundation in Tupelo, estimated that fans will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars there and at area hotels and stores this week, which — even at the birthplace — is the busiest of the year for Elvis tourism.

The more lucrative earnings are in Memphis. Last year, Graceland took in $27 million in revenue, and the overall Elvis business brings in more than $40 million a year for CKX Inc., the New York-based company that controls most Elvis enterprises.

That made the King the second-highest grossing dead celebrity in 2006, behind only Nirvana's Kurt Cobain, according to Forbes magazine.

About 3,000 people went to Tupelo this past Saturday for an annual Fan Appreciation Day, and Guyton predicted the visitor totals could reach 5,000 by Friday.

Lillian Dunk, a 65-year-old homemaker from Birmingham, England, said she and her financial-broker husband have traveled to Tupelo every year since 1997 to feed her Elvis addiction.

"I'm just absolutely mad about Mr. Presley," said Dunk, who uses her favorite Elvis tune, the inspirational "If I Can Dream," as her cell phone ring tone.

Dunk said she and her husband are traveling with her sister and sister's husband for the 10-day trip. They're staying at a casino hotel in Tunica, about 20 miles south of Memphis. And, she wasn't shy in saying she and her husband were planning to spend about 4,000 British pounds — roughly $8,000 — not including air fare.

"I get withdrawal symptoms if I don't come every year," she said in a telephone interview from the birthplace. "I just absolutely love the place. I adore it. I just feel so relaxed here."

In Memphis on Wednesday, thousands of Presley fans braved 105-degree heat as they wound down Graceland's driveway in a graveside procession in advance of the 30th anniversary of the singer's death, on Thursday.

The heat led to the death of a fan from New Jersey, a 67-year-old woman. The Memphis Fire Department said it also treated at least six people overcome by heat, including an 8-year-old boy who was hospitalized.

Steve Martin, spokesman for the tourism division of the Mississippi Development Authority, said the agency doesn't specifically track spending for Elvis tourism. But he said for all tourists, the state figures two people traveling for three days will spend roughly $750.

In Tennessee, no one keeps exact figures, but the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau estimated up to 75,000 people would be drawn to town for the anniversary week.

Even hotels, museums and restaurants not specifically targeted for Elvis-related events may have reason to hope, authorities said.

"We would have a crossover with the Elvis fans in terms of blues music," Martin said. "If they're that close to the birthplace of the blues, they might go other places, too."

___

Associated Press writer Woody Baird in Memphis, Tenn., contributed to this report.

___

On the Net:

http://www.elvis.com

"Ed" star tracking down Green River Killer By Kimberly Nordyke and Nellie Andreeva

"Ed" star tracking down Green River Killer By Kimberly Nordyke and Nellie Andreeva
1 hour, 13 minutes ago



LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Ed" star Tom Cavanagh will play a cop on the trail of America's deadliest serial murdered in the Lifetime Movie Network miniseries "Desperate: The Search for the Green River Killer."

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The four-hour project follows two teen girls from a Seattle-area trailer park who cross paths with the infamous killer.

It is based on the book "Chasing the Devil: My Twenty-Year Quest to Capture the Green River Killer," by Sheriff David Reichert, the lead investigator on the Green River case.

Cavanagh will play Reichert, who navigated a number of suspects and false leads over two decades until he zeroed in on Gary Ridgway, who ultimately pleaded guilty in 2003 to killing 48 women, mostly prostitutes and runaways.

Amy Davidson (ABC's "Eight Simple Rules") portrays Helen "Hel" Remus, one of the serial killer's early victims and narrator of the story. Also on board are Sharon Lawrence ("NYPD Blue") and James Russo (AMC's "Broken Trail").

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Aniston, Howard bare shorts at film fest By Gregg Kilday

Aniston, Howard bare shorts at film fest By Gregg Kilday
1 hour, 46 minutes ago



LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Actresses Jennifer Aniston and Bryce Dallas Howard will show off their directing skills at the Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films & Short Film Market, which kicks off August 23.

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Aniston's "Room 10," a romantic drama she directed with Andrea Buchanan, stars Robin Wright Penn as a nurse alongside Kris Kristofferson. Howard's "Orchids" stars Alfred Molina and Katherine Waterston in an unlikely romance.

Other familiar names who will appear in some of the shorts on display include James Gandolfini, Louis Gossett Jr., Joe Mantegna and Steven R. McQueen in "Club Soda"; Patrick Stewart and Joanna Lumley in "The Audition"; Ron Livingston in "Life Happens"; Margaret Cho and Jane Lynch in "Love Is Love"; David Morse in "A.W.O.L."; Ron Silver and JoBeth Williams in "Call It Fiction"; and Wendie Malick in "Waiting for Yvette."

The event, now in its 13th year, will run at the Camelot Theatres in Palm Springs through August 29

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Still all shook up over Elvis, 30 years after his death by Aisling Cordon Maki

Still all shook up over Elvis, 30 years after his death by Aisling Cordon Maki
2 hours, 48 minutes ago



MEMPHIS, United States (AFP) - Thirty years after Elvis left the building for the last time, the world is still all shook up over the King of rock and roll.

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While his music is no longer topping the charts, the legend of Elvis Presley continues to draw in new fans, and his iconic image graces everything from the tackiest of ceramic busts to multimillion dollar ad campaigns.

Elvis defined what it meant to be a pop star, and his swagger and croonings are imitated by aspiring front-men and impersonators alike.

He was the poor boy made good, the white boy who brought black music into the mainstream, the sex symbol who was a mama's boy, the rebel who remained a patriot, the star who died young as fame and fortune pushed him to drugs and depression.

"Elvis is the greatest cultural force in the twentieth century," American composer Leonard Bernstein once said.

"He introduced the beat to everything, music, language, clothes, it's a whole new social revolution."

Tens of thousands of devotees will make the pilgrimage to Graceland this week to mark the 30th anniversary of his death on Thursday.

It is a trek made by some 600,000 visitors annually, including Japan's former prime minister and ardent Elvis fan Junichiro Koizumi, who took a tour of the jungle room last year with US President George Bush while on a state visit.

While Elvis was not the first to blend blues and country - musical styles segregated by the same social forces that kept Southern blacks out of white swimming pools - he was the first to truly popularize rock and roll with his breakthrough 1956 hit "Heartbreak Hotel."

At a time when teenagers were beginning to challenge the authority of their parents, Elvis was a rebel and a threat: he was shot from the waist up on his first appearance on the Ed Sullivan television show to avoid broadcasting his "obscene" hip gyrations.

A devout Christian, he once asked fellow rock'n'roller Jerry Lee Lewis if they were playing the devil's music.

"Why boy, you are the devil!" Lewis said.

His reputation became much more benign after he served two years in the military in Germany and began appearing in a series of Hollywood films like Blue Hawaii and Jailhouse Rock.

But even as Elvis descended into the kitsch of his rhinestone-studded jumpsuits and Las Vegas shows, he continued to produce classic songs like "In the Ghetto" and "Suspicious Minds."

And the rock stars who replaced him as the icons of subsequent generations - Bob Dylan, Al Green, Elton John, the Beatles, punk rockers the Clash, and U2 - continue to pay tribute to the king.

"Before Elvis, there was nothing," John Lennon once said.

Decades later, U2 singer Bono wrote in Rolling Stone magazine, "Elvis changed everything -- musically, sexually, politically."

Elvis remains the best-selling solo artist of all time with over a billion records sold worldwide. He is arguably pulling in more money now than he did at the height of his career, with annual earnings of between 40 and 50 million dollars.

He topped the charts ahead of the 25th anniversary of his death in 2002 after a remix of his "A Little Less Conversation" was used by Nike in its World Cup advertising campaign.

An aggressive global marketing campaign is underway to mark the 30th anniversary.

Newly reissued CD box sets, "deluxe edition" DVD releases of Elvis films, and even a limited edition Reese's "King" sized peanut butter and banana cup are being pushed into stores.

Carnival Cruise lines is offering an all-Elvis cruise at sea, as Graceland prepares for a 250 million dollar renovation of its tourist complex under the new owner of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Robert Sillerman, a billionaire Elvis fan who also owns TV hit American Idol.

There is an enormous audience for Elvis merchandise, most notably among the more than 600 active official Elvis Fan clubs in 45 countries -- not bad for an artist who never toured outside North America.

There are thousands of Elvis impersonators or "tribute artists" worldwide, including the Mexican El Vez, lesbian Elvis Herselvis, and skydivers The Flying Elvi.

Thirty years after his death, Elvis sightings and conspiracy theories live on. People everywhere continue to be mesmerized by the magic and mayhem of Elvis the man and Elvis the legend.

Perhaps Bruce Springsteen put it best when he said "... it was like he came along and whispered some dream in everybody's ear, and somehow we all dreamed it."

Entertainer, businessman Griffin dies By BOB THOMAS, Associated Press Writer

Entertainer, businessman Griffin dies By BOB THOMAS, Associated Press Writer
30 minutes ago



LOS ANGELES - Merv Griffin, the big band-era crooner turned impresario who parlayed his "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune" game shows into a multimillion-dollar empire, died Sunday. He was 82.

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Griffin died of prostate cancer, according to a statement from his family that was released by Marcia Newberger, spokeswoman for The Griffin Group/Merv Griffin Entertainment.

From his beginning as a $100-a-week San Francisco radio singer, Griffin moved on as vocalist for Freddy Martin's band, sometime film actor, TV game and talk show host, and made Forbes' list of richest Americans several times.

"The Merv Griffin Show" lasted more than 20 years, and Griffin said his capacity to listen contributed to his success.

"If the host is sitting there thinking about his next joke, he isn't listening," Griffin reasoned in a recent interview.

But his biggest break financially came from inventing and producing "Jeopardy" in the 1960s and "Wheel of Fortune" in the 1970s. After they had become the hottest game shows on television, Griffin sold the rights to Coca Cola's Columbia Pictures Television Unit for $250 million in 1986, retaining a share of the profits. He also continued to receive royalties for the popular "Jeopardy!" theme song, which he wrote.

"My father was a visionary," Griffin's son, Tony Griffin, said in a statement issued Sunday. "He loved business and continued his many projects and holdings even while hospitalized."

When Griffin entered a hospital a month ago, he was working on the first week of production of a new syndicated game show, "Merv Griffin's Crosswords," his son said.

Griffin was also a longtime friend of former President Reagan and his wife, Nancy.

"This is heartbreaking, not just for those of us who loved Merv personally, but for everyone around the world who has known Merv through his music, his television shows and his business," Nancy Reagan said in a statement.

She said Griffin "was there for me every day after Ronnie died" in 2004.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recalled Sunday that his very first U.S. talk show appearance was on "The Merv Griffin Show" in 1974.

"We became good friends, and Merv has always been a big part of my success," the former actor and bodybuilding champion said. "He helped me gain exposure to American audiences and whenever I had a new movie in the works, Merv always took time out from his busy schedule to call or send me a note to say congratulations and wish me good luck."

The governor said Griffin "excelled at whatever he put his mind to, will remain a legend in the hearts and minds of Californians forever."

"Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak said he had lost "a dear friend."

"He meant so much to my life, and it's hard to imagine it without him," Sajak said.

For several years, Griffin was frequently seen in the company of actress Eva Gabor, who died in 1995.

"I'm very upset at the news. He was a very close friend of ours, a good friend of mine and a good friend of Eva's," Gabor's sister, Zsa Zsa Gabor, told The Associated Press by phone Sunday. "He was just a wonderful, wonderful man."

Griffin started putting the proceeds from selling "Jeopardy" and "Wheel" in treasury bonds, stocks and other investments, but went into real estate and other ventures because "I was never so bored in my life."

"I said `I'm not going to sit around and clip coupons for the rest of my life,'" he recalled in 1989. "That's when Barron Hilton said `Merv, do you want to buy the Beverly Hilton?' I couldn't believe it."

Griffin bought the slightly passe hotel for $100.2 million and completely refurbished it for $25 million. Then he made a move for control of Resorts International, which operated hotels and casinos from Atlantic City to the Caribbean.

That touched off a feud with real estate tycoon Donald Trump. Griffin eventually acquired Resorts for $240 million, even though Trump had held 80 percent of the voting stock.

"I love the gamesmanship," he told Life magazine in 1988. "This may sound strange, but it parallels the game shows I've been involved in."

In recent years, Griffin also rated frequent mentions in the sports pages as a successful race horse owner. His colt Stevie Wonderboy, named for entertainer Stevie Wonder, won the $1.5 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile in 2005.

His 1997 game show, "Click," also introduced a young host named Ryan Seacrest to the public.

In 1948, Freddy Martin hired Griffin to join his band at Los Angeles' Coconut Grove at $150 a week. With Griffin doing the singing, the band had a smash hit with "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Cocoanuts," a 1949 novelty song sung in a cockney accent.

Doris Day and her producer husband, Marty Melcher, saw the band in Las Vegas and recommended Griffin to Warner Bros., which offered a contract. After a bit in "By the Light of the Silvery Moon," starring Day and Gordon MacRae, he had a bigger role with Kathryn Grayson in "So This Is Love." But after a few more trivial roles, he asked out of his contract.

In 1954, Griffin went to New York where he appeared in a summer replacement musical show on CBS-TV, a revival of "Finian's Rainbow," and a music show on CBS radio. He followed with a few TV game show hosting jobs, notably "Play Your Hunch," which premiered in 1958 and ran through the early 1960s. His glibness led to stints as substitute for Jack Paar on "Tonight."

When Paar retired in 1962, Griffin was considered a prime candidate to replace him. Johnny Carson was chosen instead. NBC gave Griffin a daytime version of "Tonight," but he was canceled for being "too sophisticated" for the housewife audience.

Westinghouse Broadcasting introduced "The Merv Griffin Show" in 1965 on syndicated TV. Griffin never underestimated the intelligence of his audience, offering such figures as philosopher Bertrand Russell, cellist Pablo Casals and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer-philosopher-historians Will and Ariel Durant as well as movie stars and entertainers.

CBS tried to challenge Carson with a late-night show starring Griffin, but nothing stopped Carson and Griffin returned to Westinghouse.

A lifelong crossword puzzle fan, Griffin devised a game show, "Word for Word," in 1963. It faded after one season, then his wife, Julann, suggested another show.

"Julann's idea was a twist on the usual question-answer format of the quiz shows of the Fifties," he wrote in his autobiography "Merv." "Her idea was to give the contestants the answer, and they had to come up with the appropriate question."

"Jeopardy" started in 1964 and "Wheel of Fortune" was begun in 1975.

Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. was born in San Mateo, south of San Francisco on July 6, 1925, the son of a stockbroker. An aunt, Claudia Robinson, taught him to play piano at age 4, and he soon was staging shows on the back porch.

"Every Saturday I had a show, recruiting all the kids in the block as either stagehands, actors and audience, or sometimes all three," he wrote in his 1980 autobiography. "I was the producer, always the producer."

After studying at San Mateo Junior College and the University of San Francisco, Griffin quit school to apply for a job as pianist at KFRC radio in San Francisco. The station needed a vocalist instead. He auditioned and was hired.

Griffin attracted the interest of RKO studio boss William Dozier and his wife, Joan Fontaine.

At the time, Griffin weighed 235 pounds. "As soon as I walked in their hotel room, I could see their faces fall," he recalled. Shortly afterward, singer Joan Edwards told him: "Your voice is terrific, but the blubber has got to go." Griffin slimmed down, and he spent the rest of his life adding and taking off weight.

Griffin and Julann Elizabeth Wright were married in 1958, and their son, Anthony, was born the following year. They divorced in 1973 because of "irreconcilable differences."

He never remarried.

Besides his son, Griffin is survived by his daughter-in-law, Tricia, and two grandchildren.

The family said an invitation-only funeral Mass will be held at a later date at The Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills.

___

Associated Press writers Beth Harris and Jeff Wilson contributed to this story.

Entertainer, businessman Griffin dies By BOB THOMAS, Associated Press Writer

Entertainer, businessman Griffin dies By BOB THOMAS, Associated Press Writer
23 minutes ago



LOS ANGELES - Merv Griffin, the big band-era crooner turned impresario who parlayed his "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune" game shows into a multimillion-dollar empire, died Sunday. He was 82.

ADVERTISEMENT


Griffin died of prostate cancer, according to a statement from his family that was released by Marcia Newberger, spokeswoman for The Griffin Group/Merv Griffin Entertainment.

From his beginning as a $100-a-week San Francisco radio singer, Griffin moved on as vocalist for Freddy Martin's band, sometime film actor, TV game and talk show host, and made Forbes' list of richest Americans several times.

"The Merv Griffin Show" lasted more than 20 years, and Griffin said his capacity to listen contributed to his success.

"If the host is sitting there thinking about his next joke, he isn't listening," Griffin reasoned in a recent interview.

But his biggest break financially came from inventing and producing "Jeopardy" in the 1960s and "Wheel of Fortune" in the 1970s. After they had become the hottest game shows on television, Griffin sold the rights to Coca Cola's Columbia Pictures Television Unit for $250 million in 1986, retaining a share of the profits. He also continued to receive royalties for the popular "Jeopardy!" theme song, which he wrote.

"My father was a visionary," Griffin's son, Tony Griffin, said in a statement issued Sunday. "He loved business and continued his many projects and holdings even while hospitalized."

When Griffin entered a hospital a month ago, he was working on the first week of production of a new syndicated game show, "Merv Griffin's Crosswords," his son said.

Griffin was also a longtime friend of former President Reagan and his wife, Nancy.

"This is heartbreaking, not just for those of us who loved Merv personally, but for everyone around the world who has known Merv through his music, his television shows and his business," Nancy Reagan said in a statement.

She said Griffin "was there for me every day after Ronnie died" in 2004.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recalled Sunday that his very first U.S. talk show appearance was on "The Merv Griffin Show" in 1974.

"We became good friends, and Merv has always been a big part of my success," the former actor and bodybuilding champion said. "He helped me gain exposure to American audiences and whenever I had a new movie in the works, Merv always took time out from his busy schedule to call or send me a note to say congratulations and wish me good luck."

The governor said Griffin "excelled at whatever he put his mind to, will remain a legend in the hearts and minds of Californians forever."

"Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak said he had lost "a dear friend."

"He meant so much to my life, and it's hard to imagine it without him," Sajak said.

For several years, Griffin was frequently seen in the company of actress Eva Gabor, who died in 1995.

"I'm very upset at the news. He was a very close friend of ours, a good friend of mine and a good friend of Eva's," Gabor's sister, Zsa Zsa Gabor, told The Associated Press by phone Sunday. "He was just a wonderful, wonderful man."

Griffin started putting the proceeds from selling "Jeopardy" and "Wheel" in treasury bonds, stocks and other investments, but went into real estate and other ventures because "I was never so bored in my life."

"I said `I'm not going to sit around and clip coupons for the rest of my life,'" he recalled in 1989. "That's when Barron Hilton said `Merv, do you want to buy the Beverly Hilton?' I couldn't believe it."

Griffin bought the slightly passe hotel for $100.2 million and completely refurbished it for $25 million. Then he made a move for control of Resorts International, which operated hotels and casinos from Atlantic City to the Caribbean.

That touched off a feud with real estate tycoon Donald Trump. Griffin eventually acquired Resorts for $240 million, even though Trump had held 80 percent of the voting stock.

"I love the gamesmanship," he told Life magazine in 1988. "This may sound strange, but it parallels the game shows I've been involved in."

In recent years, Griffin also rated frequent mentions in the sports pages as a successful race horse owner. His colt Stevie Wonderboy, named for entertainer Stevie Wonder, won the $1.5 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile in 2005.

His 1997 game show, "Click," also introduced a young host named Ryan Seacrest to the public.

In 1948, Freddy Martin hired Griffin to join his band at Los Angeles' Coconut Grove at $150 a week. With Griffin doing the singing, the band had a smash hit with "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Cocoanuts," a 1949 novelty song sung in a cockney accent.

Doris Day and her producer husband, Marty Melcher, saw the band in Las Vegas and recommended Griffin to Warner Bros., which offered a contract. After a bit in "By the Light of the Silvery Moon," starring Day and Gordon MacRae, he had a bigger role with Kathryn Grayson in "So This Is Love." But after a few more trivial roles, he asked out of his contract.

In 1954, Griffin went to New York where he appeared in a summer replacement musical show on CBS-TV, a revival of "Finian's Rainbow," and a music show on CBS radio. He followed with a few TV game show hosting jobs, notably "Play Your Hunch," which premiered in 1958 and ran through the early 1960s. His glibness led to stints as substitute for Jack Paar on "Tonight."

When Paar retired in 1962, Griffin was considered a prime candidate to replace him. Johnny Carson was chosen instead. NBC gave Griffin a daytime version of "Tonight," but he was canceled for being "too sophisticated" for the housewife audience.

Westinghouse Broadcasting introduced "The Merv Griffin Show" in 1965 on syndicated TV. Griffin never underestimated the intelligence of his audience, offering such figures as philosopher Bertrand Russell, cellist Pablo Casals and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer-philosopher-historians Will and Ariel Durant as well as movie stars and entertainers.

CBS tried to challenge Carson with a late-night show starring Griffin, but nothing stopped Carson and Griffin returned to Westinghouse.

A lifelong crossword puzzle fan, Griffin devised a game show, "Word for Word," in 1963. It faded after one season, then his wife, Julann, suggested another show.

"Julann's idea was a twist on the usual question-answer format of the quiz shows of the Fifties," he wrote in his autobiography "Merv." "Her idea was to give the contestants the answer, and they had to come up with the appropriate question."

"Jeopardy" started in 1964 and "Wheel of Fortune" was begun in 1975.

Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. was born in San Mateo, south of San Francisco on July 6, 1925, the son of a stockbroker. An aunt, Claudia Robinson, taught him to play piano at age 4, and he soon was staging shows on the back porch.

"Every Saturday I had a show, recruiting all the kids in the block as either stagehands, actors and audience, or sometimes all three," he wrote in his 1980 autobiography. "I was the producer, always the producer."

After studying at San Mateo Junior College and the University of San Francisco, Griffin quit school to apply for a job as pianist at KFRC radio in San Francisco. The station needed a vocalist instead. He auditioned and was hired.

Griffin attracted the interest of RKO studio boss William Dozier and his wife, Joan Fontaine.

At the time, Griffin weighed 235 pounds. "As soon as I walked in their hotel room, I could see their faces fall," he recalled. Shortly afterward, singer Joan Edwards told him: "Your voice is terrific, but the blubber has got to go." Griffin slimmed down, and he spent the rest of his life adding and taking off weight.

Griffin and Julann Elizabeth Wright were married in 1958, and their son, Anthony, was born the following year. They divorced in 1973 because of "irreconcilable differences."

He never remarried.

Besides his son, Griffin is survived by his daughter-in-law, Tricia, and two grandchildren.

The family said an invitation-only funeral Mass will be held at a later date at The Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills.

___

Associated Press writers Beth Harris and Jeff Wilson contributed to this story.