May 2009 Arts & Entertainment Archive

April 2009 Arts & Entertainment Archive

Jan-Mar 2009 Arts & Entertainment Archive

Eric Church Plays Animal Rescuer

(Gayle Richardson, TheBoot.com) Eric Church may be well-known for his hard-rockin' country shows, but he's a really softie at heart. The North Carolina native was out for a jog a few weeks ago, and found two abandoned cats. Or, more accurately, they found him. Unable to leave the felines as he found them, Eric took them to his house and came up with a creative way to search for homes for the animals. "Hi, I'm Jesse Colter and this is my mama June Carter," one of the cats 'wrote' on the singer's website.

Flood-Damaged Instruments Being 'ReTune'-d Into Artwork

(Marianne Horner, TheBoot.com) Guitars, mandolins, fiddles, banjos -- some of them legendary, but forever silenced by the great Nashville flood of May 2010 -- are being transformed by ReTune Nashville into three-dimensional works of art to be hung on walls and beheld by the eye as things of beauty and historical significance. The finished masterpieces will be exhibited in the art community, and auctioned off to the highest bidder to benefit MusiCares Nashville flood relief and the Nashville Musicians Association flood relief fund.

Do celebrities in Africa make you cringe? Check out why Ben Affleck gets it right in Congo.

(Laura Seay, Christian Science Monitor) Longtime readers of this blog know that I am very cynical about celebrity advocacy in general. My eyes glaze over when I see a link to a story about whichever starlet Prendergast is courting to "be a voice for Darfur" or a heartwarming 60 Minutes segment about Madonna becoming one with Malawi's orphans. For all the talk about "bringing attention" to "neglected crises," the vast majority of celebrities who get involved on the African continent do little more than bring attention to themselves while funding small programs here or there that might or might not do anyone any good. All that's to say, this next sentence is going to shock some of you: At least one celebrity is getting it right when it comes to the eastern DRC. I know. I'm shocked, too.

Marine's Ballet A Moving Tribute To Time In Iraq

(NPR) When former Marine Sgt. Roman Baca was on active duty in Fallujah, Iraq, he didn't tell a lot of people he was a ballet dancer. "When I was in boot camp, I confided in three of my comrades, and told them that I was a ballet dancer and showed them some pictures," Baca tells NPR's Michele Norris. "Two of them were very interested and very intrigued by it and the third one never spoke to me again." But now that he is back in the U.S., Baca has choreographed Homecoming, a ballet based on letters from loved ones to Americans serving in Iraq.

French scientists crack a secret of Leonardo da Vinci portraits

(AP) The enigmatic smile remains a mystery, but French scientists say they have cracked a few secrets of the "Mona Lisa." French researchers studied seven of the Louvre Museum's Leonardo da Vinci paintings, including the "Mona Lisa," to analyze the master's use of successive ultrathin layers of paint and glaze - a technique that gave his works their dreamy quality. Specialists from the Center for Research and Restoration of the Museums of France found that da Vinci painted up to 30 layers of paint on his works to meet his standards of subtlety.

'So You Think You Can Dance' Changes Unsigned Singer Christina Perri's Life

(Lyndsey Parker, Yahoo! Music) "So You Think You Can Dance" is renowned for featuring some of the coolest music on reality TV--helping popularize artists like OneRepublic, Adele, Sam Sparro, Roisin Murphy, Goldfrapp, and even Lady Gaga (whose first televised U.S. performance was on "SYTYCD" Season 4). And the latest "SYTYCD" success story is songstress Christina Perri, whose breakup ballad "Jar Of Hearts" catapulted into the Billboard charts after it was stunningly featured on the show.

Saving film treasures

(Stuart Low, Rochester Democrat & Chronicle) As America's leading temple of photography, George Eastman House creates a mood of serene permanence. With its authoritative photo exhibits and movie screenings, it can seem like a showplace for immortal (or soon-to-be immortal) images. Yet behind its galleries, invisible to the public, its workers experience a very different reality. Photos and films are frail pieces of art, no stronger than the paper or celluloid they're made of. George Eastman House helps preserve and repair these tattered objects, often more than a century old. Its six film technicians restore up to 200 films annually. Their quiet rescue mission reaches Hollywood studios and film archives around the world.

Tim McGraw Makes Little Girl's Fairytale Wish Come True

(Marianne Horner, TheBoot.com) She was born with a heart defect that required dangerous, open-heart surgery at age 3. A few years later, she suffered a mini-stroke. Today, nine-year-old Megan Robertson remembers listening to Tim McGraw's, 'Live Like You Were Dying,' while she was going through rehab to learn all over again how to read and use the left side of her body. When she heard Tim was bringing his Southern Voice tour to Bristow, Va. last weekend (July 12), Megan made a sign. It read, "This is my first Tim McGraw concert. I need a hug." A local news website, fredericksburg.com, reports that on the day of the show, as the fourth-grader and her mother were making their way towards the concert pavilion, a group of guys came jogging by them.

Film chronicles how 'A Small Act' changed lives

(Gabriella Casanas, CNN) Ever see those late night ads on TV searching for money to support children in Africa? A woman in Sweden started sending money to a children's charity in Africa and little did she know that because of her small payments a Kenyan youth she had never met would up going to Harvard Law School. The story, as depicted in a new emotion-packed HBO documentary, doesn't end there. The film "A Small Act" tells the story of Chris Mburu, who grew up in poverty in Africa. Today, he is the acting coordinator of the anti-discrimination section of the United Nations Human Rights Agency based in Switzerland. Mburu's benefactor, Hilde Back, was a Swedish pre-school teacher and a Holocaust survivor who fled Germany when she was only a child.

Big Kenny Sings (and Works) For Africa

(Peter Cronin, MusicRow.com) Big Kenny has created a new anthem celebrating the continent’s first-ever World Cup. "Heart Of Africa" will have its debut at a special concert in Nairobi which will benefit the UN World Food Programme. "Big Kenny was an excellent choice to write this song and perform it as he is regarded as a true humanitarian, as his previous work in the Sudan and Uganda bear testament," said Dr. Bonnie Dunbar, owner of the Karen Blixen Coffee Garden of Out of Africa fame. "His songs are uplifting, which is certainly what we needed for the occasion of Africa staging its first World Cup. Big Kenny underscores the diverse nature of everyone who finds a home in the heart of Africa."

Music festival brings world faiths together

(Seema Mathur, CNN) Five times a day, from the tops of mosques across the ancient city of Fez, Morocco, the soothing voices of muezzins calls Muslims to prayer. But each summer during the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music those sacred chants in the majority Muslim country mingle with the sounds of music from a variety of other faiths and cultures including Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist and Christian. The annual Fes Festival began 16 years ago in the aftermath of the first Gulf War. Organizers say the hope was that musical harmony would drown out the noise of political differences. "When you see these people, you have a profound feeling that comes to you because you see that humanity is the same," said festival president Mohamed Kabbaj.

Fairuz: Lebanon's Voice Of Hope

(Jamie Tarabay, NPR) You don't have to be Lebanese to know the voice of Nihad Haddad, better known as Fairuz — Arabic for "turquoise." The man who discovered her described her voice as a rare gem, capable of working in both Arabic and Western music. Virginia Danielson, an expert on Middle Eastern music at Harvard University, says Fairuz's voice is delicate yet versatile. "It's extremely flexible," Danielson says. "She can produce the kind of ornaments and the delicacies of pitch and intonation that are so much a part of Arab music with great ease, and her singing very often feels effortless."

Lenny Kravitz joins First Baptist Church of Lewisville's high school choir in New Orleans

(Caitlin Harrison, Dallas Morning News) Rock musician Lenny Kravitz was just hanging out on a friend's rooftop terrace in New Orleans when he heard a familiar song blaring from about a block away. There was no mistaking that the song, "Fly Away," was his, and he decided right then he wanted to join in with the high school church choir performing it. So he told his friend, who headed to Jackson Square, to tell the choir director his request.

Jimmy Buffett Surprises Oil-Soaked Gulf Shores With Impromptu Show

(Shannon Wayne-Turner, TheBoot.com) It's hard not to be depressed about the tragedy of the BP oil spill that continues to rage in the Gulf of Mexico, but Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band brightened the local mood Wednesday night, June 30, when they put on an impromptu show in Gulf Shores, Ala., which lies on the edge of the endangered coast. The crowd that came out to Lulu's, a restaurant owned by Jimmy's sister Lucy Buffett, was made up of mostly local fans that have been affected in some way by the spill. The challenges of dealing with the crisis were temporarily forgotten as Jimmy entertained for more than two hours with favorites like 'Volcano,' 'Pascagoula Run' and 'Fins.'

Shakespeare's Globe survives second "Henry VIII" play

(Paul Casciato, Reuters) William Shakespeare's Globe theater has finally put a 400-year-old taboo to rest by staging the play which burned the original house down during the Bard's lifetime. The theater on the south bank of the River Thames in London, which burned to the ground during the staging of a play about Henry VIII in 1613 and was rebuilt in the late 1990s, has staged the first version of the play that has come to be called "Henry VIII" since that fateful day. The first Globe theater was 14 years old when a stage cannon fired during a performance of the play -- famous in its own day as a visual pageant of masques and royal ceremony -- set fire to the thatched roof and destroyed the theater.

Miranda Lambert Puts Two Teachers in 100,000 Classrooms

(Marianne Horner, TheBoot.com) One of them kept her from dropping out of school; the other helped her get over stage fright so that she could perform in front of crowds. They are Miranda Lambert's former teachers from East Texas and now their images will be featured with their famous former student on posters that will hang in 100,000 schools across the nation. The poster will read: "Behind every famous person is a fabulous teacher."

After surviving Iraq, Pine Valley's a breeze

(Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times) The police station set of "All My Children" buzzed as the cast and crew prepared for a scene. Sitting behind a desk in his officer's uniform all ready to go was J.R. Martinez, smiling as makeup and hair artists attended to actress Shannon Kane, who plays his partner on the ABC soap. "One day I'll have to get a wig so I know what's it's like to be waited on," he said. "I never have to show up early like everyone else for hair and makeup. I'm camera-ready as soon as I arrive." Martinez stands out in the glamorous cast of "All My Children," one of daytime's most enduring serials. His face, like much of his body, is badly burned and bears the marks of repeated skin grafts.

Local rappers like Jim Jones, Doug E. Fresh teach life lessons to young fans in after-school classes

(Michael J. Feeney, New York Daily News) Some of hip hop's biggest names of past and present closed out the school year giving back to the fans who adore them most - the kids. Whether they gave 15 minutes, three hours or six weeks, the artists each had their own messages for the students, but all stressed the importance of education in three events attended by the Daily News. Popular Harlem rapper Jim Jones taught a six-week "Music Business 101" after-school class at the Grand Street Campus High School in Bushwick. R&B singer Ryan Leslie made a pit stop to speak to 100 middle school students at the Thurgood Marshall Academy in Harlem.

Four Bronx siblings rock in family band 'Graveshift,' make final round in battle of bands

(Erica Pearson, New York Daily News) These kids are on a roll - and they're ready to rock. Four Bronx siblings are gearing up for the final U.S. round in a massive international battle of the bands. "Graveshift," whose members are aged 13 to 20, will take on 17 other groups at the Emergenza Festival National Finals Sunday night at Webster Hall. Only one band will go on to Germany to compete against musicians from around the world in front of a crowd of 30,000.

Edward Norton's Crowdrise website goes the distance

(Kristin McGrath, USA TODAY) Crowdrise.com is not your typical charity site. Its slogan is "If you don't give back, no one will like you." Dollars raised earn donors such titles as Doctor, Tsar, Sir and Dame. And donating $17 toward scholarships for cancer survivors earns you a bottle of Will Ferrell's "Sexy Hot Tan" sunscreen, emblazoned with the likeness of his Speedo-clad body. Created by actor and activist Edward Norton, producer Shauna Robertson (Superbad, Knocked Up) and Robert and Jeffrey Wolfe (founders of the quirky online retailer Moosejaw), Crowdrise is harnessing the appeal of social networking to make giving go viral.

Ben Stiller's StillerStrong strikes again for good

(USA Today) Ben Stiller's charitable spoof of Lance Armstrong's LIVESTRONG campaign strikes again for good. As you read here last December, Stiller's "STILLERSTRONG, stealing great ideas from other charities to build a school in Haiti" campaign, was launched in partnership with Save the Children, raising funds to build a school in Haiti. But after that devastating earthquake struck Haiti on Jan. 12, the initiative expanded to a Haitian School Initiative with the goal of setting up temporary schools for Haitian children who had been displaced by the earthquake.

Soprano who popped in to music school to wish friends luck... walks out with £1million recording deal

(Liz Thomas, Daily Mail) She had only popped in to the music academy to wish some friends luck but walked out blessing her own good fortune after she emerged with a £1million recording contract. Former choirgirl Joanna Marie Skillet landed the deal of a lifetime after a chance meeting with music management team IMA Productions and is already being hailed as the next Katherine Jenkins. They had come to the Royal Academy of Music, where she studied, looking for a boyband, but were persuaded to listen to the 22-year-old soprano by her tutor.

Instruments Of Good: The Healing Power Of Music

(Linton Weeks, NPR) Jeff Campbell explains his eccentricities this way: "I had something happen to me at a young age that caused me not to trust anybody." When he was just 10 months old, his father was killed in a helicopter crash. As a result, Campbell says, he grew up without much guidance. Along with his mother and five siblings, he experienced a sense of abandonment. The healing process has taken a long time. And over the course of that process, Campbell developed two deep instincts: a general distrust of people and a genuine love of music.

Vatican beatifies Blues Brothers ... well almost

(Reuters) Jake and Elwood, the loveable if hapless characters played by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd in the classic 1980 film The Blues Brothers, have finally gotten Vatican recognition for their "Mission from God." To mark this week's 30th anniversary of the film, which became a cult classic and spawned a fashion of wearing black hats and dark sunglasses to parties, the Vatican newspaper dedicated a full page and no fewer than five articles to it.

Dave Stewart Stands Up To Cancer, Talks New Solo Album

(Mitchell Peters, Billboard) One morning last fall, musician Dave Stewart woke up with an idea for a new song. But unlike any of his past material, the tune was about inspiring those struggling with cancer. "I just had this 'stand up, stand up, stand up to cancer' thing going on in my head," Stewart says of the lyrics, which became the chorus to the uplifting track "Stand Up to Cancer."

Help Cheer Up Keanu Reeves

(Claire Suddath, Time) Fourteen thousand people think Keanu Reeves might be depressed. And with reason — the man hasn't had a hit movie in years, and his entire acting career can be summed up in one word: Whoa. So when a paparazzi photo surfaced on the Internet featuring an unshaven, mopey Reeves eating a sandwich on a park bench, fans started to worry. Was he sad? Lonely? Bored? Was something actually wrong, or was he just tired? The Internet, as tends to happen, became very concerned.

Taylor Swift Signs Autographs for 15 Hours at CMA Music Fest

(Gayle Richardson, TheBoot.com) Taylor Swift may be dealing with a case of writer's cramp, after spending almost 15 hours signing autographs for her devoted fans Sunday during the CMA Music Fest. The country superstar, who had originally planned a 13-hour meet-and-greet, started mingling with fans at 8:00 AM and stayed until almost 11:00 PM, thanks to the long list of admirers who spent most of the day waiting in line to meet their favorite singer.

Travolta donates to Mandela charity

(Lesego Motshegwa, AP) John Travolta and wife Kelly Preston donated 70,000 rand (about $10,000) to the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund on Saturday, during their visit to South Africa, and spent some time singing and dancing with children the foundation has supported. The children treated the "Hairspray" star, Preston and their daughter Ella to a drum concert and serenaded them with a poem titled, "Eyes in the sky, foot on the ground." Travolta later did a few dance steps with the children.

ACM Announces $1 Million Endowment

(Peter Cronin, MusicRow.com) The Academy of Country Music has announced a $1 million endowment to ACM Lifting Lives, made on behalf of the artists who participated in the taping of ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn – The Last Rodeo in Las Vegas in April. Ticket proceeds from the taping went to ACM Lifting Lives, which in turn quickly earmarked funding for those affected by the recent floods in Middle Tennessee. The gift successfully completes a three-year funding commitment and fundraising campaign the Academy initiated in 2008.

Fishburne brings Thurgood Marshall to life onstage

(Bill Mears, CNN) Actor Laurence Fishburne is visibly moved when asked to read an excerpt of remarks made more than a half-century ago by the man he now portrays onstage, the legendary Thurgood Marshall. The NAACP attorney was arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1958 over whether Little Rock, Arkansas, officials essentially had to follow the order of the courts to desegregate its schools. Marshall, a sharp lawyer, turned the tables on the all-white bench, making the issue not about black students seeking equality but about society's larger civic responsibilities.

Israeli-Palestinian Pop Duo Plays For Peace

(NPR) The sounds of the pop duo Mira and Noa represent something more than music. Achinoam Nini, known to fans as Noa, is one of Israel's most popular singer-songwriters. Her singing partner is Mira Awad, an Arab-Israeli famous for her work in television and musicals. The two came together nearly a decade ago to make a statement about common purpose through their music.

New York Program Helps Young Musicians 'Face The Music'

(Jeff Lunden, NPR) This past Monday, a group of teenagers nervously gathered at Merkin Concert Hall on New York's Upper West Side. They were there to rehearse for a concert featuring several pieces by 29-year-old composer Nico Muhly, one of the bright young stars in the classical music world. He's feverishly working on several compositions, including a commission for the Metropolitan Opera, but on Monday, his attention was focused on these teens. The teenagers are part of New York's Face the Music, a program in which young musicians play exclusively contemporary music and often get the chance to work directly with composers.

Elton John Given Warm Welcome In Morocco Despite Islamist Uproar

(Tom Pfeiffer, Reuters) Elton John defied hostile Islamists to headline Morocco's biggest music festival and received a rapturous welcome from a crowd of thousands. Politicians from the opposition Islamist PJD party said the gay British star was not welcome in the conservative north African kingdom and that granting him such a profile would tarnish Morocco's image. Organizers said the singer's private life was irrelevant and went ahead with the show, the highlight of the week-long Mawazine World Rhythms festival that has become the cultural showpiece of Morocco's secular-leaning monarchy.

Paris Hilton Signs on As Celebrity Ambassador for New USO Initiative 'Songs For Soldiers'

(Alexis Stevens, Atlanta Journal-Constitution) He hasn't spoken a word in May. But it's not because he doesn't have plenty to say. While his mother was still battling cancer, Clark Harris worked diligently to raise money for research. She died last year. But lately, getting the word out has meant relying strictly on social media. "What better challenge for a guy who never shuts up than to not talk for a month?" Harris asks on his Web site. Harris wants to "silence" cancer. For the month of May, 29-year-old Harris has vowed to give up speaking, and he hopes people will pledge $5 to support his efforts.

Arts endowment program allows military families to tour 600 US museums for free this summer

(AP) More than 600 museums nationwide are offering free admission to military families all summer in a new partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The list includes some of the nation's premier art museums, including New York's Museum of Modern Art and the Art Institute of Chicago, as well as science centers, children's museums and other sites in all 50 states. The program, called Blue Star Museums, is being announced Monday in San Diego, where 14 museums will participate. The offer for active duty military personnel and their families runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

After keeping us waiting for a century, Mark Twain will finally reveal all

(Guy Adams, The Independent) Exactly a century after rumours of his death turned out to be entirely accurate, one of Mark Twain's dying wishes is at last coming true: an extensive, outspoken and revelatory autobiography which he devoted the last decade of his life to writing is finally going to be published. The creator of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn and some of the most frequently misquoted catchphrases in the English language left behind 5,000 unedited pages of memoirs when he died in 1910, together with handwritten notes saying that he did not want them to hit bookshops for at least a century. That milestone has now been reached, and in November the University of California, Berkeley, where the manuscript is in a vault, will release the first volume of Mark Twain's autobiography.

American Teen's Performance With Iraq's National Symphony Brings Crowd to Their Feet

(AP) A 13-year-old piano prodigy from Los Angeles brought an Iraqi audience to their feet Saturday when he made a rare guest appearance with the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra in Baghdad, a city struggling to revive its once-vibrant cultural scene. Llewellyn Kingman Sanchez Werner, who studies piano and composition at New York's renowned Juilliard School, got a standing ovation from an enthusiastic crowd of about 250 after performing Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," and warmly embraced the conductor. Most of the audience at Baghdad's Rasheed Hotel was Iraqi, though a few American soldiers were in the crowd.

Kix Brooks Opens Vineyard for Flood Relief Benefit Concert

(Nancy Dunham, TheBoot.com) Kix Brooks opened his winery, Arrington Vineyards, to hundreds on May 19 for a benefit concert to aid the Salvation Army's flood relief efforts in Nashville, according to the Nashville Business Journal. Maj. Rob Vincent of the Salvation Army told the Journal the funds will be used to provide food, cleaning supplies, clothing, utility assistance, rental assistance, building materials and other support to flood victims. "If celebrity is worth anything, it's the ability to rally people for a good cause," said Kix.

Toby Keith Tees Up for Cancer Victims

(Marianne Horner, TheBoot.com) Toby Keith is getting ready to host his seventh annual Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic, May 21 - 22 in Norman, Okla., as he continues to assist families with children struggling through cancer treatments. All proceeds from the golf event, dinner and auction will go to the Toby Keith Foundation, funding a 16-room guest lodge for pediatric cancer patients and their families.

Will.I.Am Pays Off Struggling Families' Mortgages

(ContactMusic.com) Black Eyed Peas star will.i.am stunned two struggling U.S. families on the verge of losing their homes on Monday (10May10) by revealing he'd paid off their mortgages. The generous hitmaker agreed to give his financial advice to the two families invited to appear on pal Oprah Winfrey's talk show, but when he realised just how much debt the family of eight and the single mother were in - due to the economic collapse - he offered to dig deep and give them the cash they needed to survive instead.

Edward Norton launches charity fund-raising website

(Belinda Goldsmith, Reuters) For actor Edward Norton, philanthropy and activism are practically in his genes so launching a website on Wednesday to encourage charity fundraising seemed natural to him. Norton, 40, joined forces with a couple of Internet savvy friends to create Crowdrise (www.crowdrise.com) that gives people a free way to create their own fundraising pages to share through social networks, winning points and prizes along the way. Crowdrise was developed after Norton found Twitter a huge help when he raised $1.2 million for his long-term cause, the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, by running New York's marathon last year. Donors vied for prizes for sponsoring him.

Miranda Lambert Gives 'Paws' a Chance

(Donna Hughes, TheBoot.com) Miranda Lambert is gearing up to host her third annual Cause for the Paws event at the Villa di Felicita in Tyler, Texas on Saturday, May 15. The concert and auction will benefit the Humane Society of East Texas, which in the last three years has become a no-kill shelter for abandoned, neglected and abused animals. Cause for the Paws is a charity Miranda's mom, Bev, put together in her honor. Since the charity began, they have raised nearly $300,000.

Seinfeld joins country celebs in aiding Nashville

(AP) Jerry Seinfeld isn't kidding — he's going to donate all the proceeds from one of his Nashville shows to help flood victims in the city and throughout Tennessee. The proceeds from Friday's show at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, just a few blocks from the scene of widespread flood damage, will be split between the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

Zac Brown Band Launch 'Letters for Lyrics'

(Stephen L. Betts, TheBoot.com) The Zac Brown Band and Ram Truck Brand launched their Letters for Lyrics campaign last week at a RAM dealership near the band's home base in Marietta, Ga. The campaign, which officially gets underway today (May 10), is designed to rally people to write one million letters for servicemen and women stationed abroad. In return, each letter writer will take home a special compilation CD titled, 'Breaking Southern Ground.' The exclusive CD features three new songs from the Zac Brown Band, as well as music from Sonia Leigh, Nic Cowan and Levi Lowrey, who are also signed to Zac's label, Southern Ground.

Jimmy Wayne Speaks to California Senate on Foster Youth

(Alanna Conaway, TheBoot.com) Jimmy Wayne recently took a break from his Meet Me Halfway solo-walk across America to speak before the California Senate. Jimmy was asked to take part in California's kick-off event for National Foster Care Awareness Month in Sacramento where he spoke on behalf of Assembly Bill 12 -- the California Fostering Connections to Success Act. Earlier this year, upon hearing about Jimmy's mission to help end teen homelessness, foster-care advocate and Assembly member Jim Beall, Jr., who introduced AB 12, contacted the singer through his Twitter page to express the same passion on the subject.

Vince Gill and Friends Raise More Than $1.7 Million for Flood Relief

(Donna Hughes, TheBoot.com) Vince Gill headlined a three-and-a-half hour flood-relief telethon on Nashville's local NBC affiliate, WSMV, with he and some of his celebrity friends, like fellow Nashville resident Keith Urban, helping to raise more than $1.7 million. More than 6,000 calls cane in from Tennessee, and other states as far away as California, on Thursday night, with donations to help those affected by the devastating floods that hit Middle Tennessee last weekend.

16-year-old Nikki Yanofsky: no nerves, just talent

(Shanon Cook, CNN) When 16-year-old Nikki Yanofsky stepped on stage to sing the Canadian national anthem at the opening ceremony for the 2010 Winter Olympics, her nerves did a curious thing: They vanished. "I never get nervous and I was so nervous for that one," she says. "But I walked out and all my nerves went away. That's how I knew that [performing] is really what I'm supposed to be doing." Sure, not every burgeoning singer gets the chance to gauge whether she's chosen the right career path by belting out a number in front of a captive worldwide audience. But this jazz-inspired Montreal, Quebec, native has never had a problem with shooting for the moon.

Cowboy Jack Clement and Friends Help the Homeless

(Vernell Hackett, TheBoot.com) Great music and camaraderie joined hands to help the homeless last week in Nashville. One Bright Night for Human Rights, featuring Cowboy Jack Clement and friends Old Crow Medicine Show, Billy Burnette, Shawn Camp and Marley's Ghost, filled the evening with song while raising money for the National Health Care for the Homeless Council. "It's a great cause," Shawn tells The Boot. "I wouldn't mind doing this every little while. It's always fun to play with Cowboy, and everybody else who played here tonight are all good friends."

Drawn to Olympic heights by dramatic landscapes

(Jane Coyle, Irish Times) It’s 60 years since painting featured in the Olympics, but artist Maurice Orr is among those commissioned by London 2012. Even in his wildest dreams, Maurice Orr couldn’t have imagined playing any part in the Olympic Games. His slight figure is simply not made for putting the shot, high jumping or running the marathon. However, to his utter amazement and unfettered delight, visual artist Orr has just been awarded one of the first commissions for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, which contains the largest arts and disability programme ever to be delivered in the UK. Orr joins prestigious names such as Candoco Dance Company and Graeae Theatre Company in creating new work for London 2012.

Documentary 'Babies' touches hearts, makes mothers' day

(Liz Szabo and Susan Wloszczyna, USA TODAY) Flowers, greeting cards and candy. Those tend to be the big-three gift options on Mother's Day. A few might even splurge on a family brunch. But Focus Features is hoping those paying homage to Mom this weekend will turn to a less-traditional way to show their devotion: taking her to watch four little lives blossom on the big screen. Babies, whose trailer has been causing outbreaks of goo-goo nirvana since last fall, opens Friday. The unique documentary follows a quartet of infants — three girls and a boy in San Francisco, Tokyo, Namibia and Mongolia— from birth to their first steps. With no narration and minimal dialogue, it offers a rare, unfiltered cinematic experience.

Sidewalk artist Hani Shihada chalks Picasso's 1932 oil painting 'The Dream' for Carlyle hotel promo

(Samantha Shirley, New York Daily News) Hani Shihada is bringing Picasso to the masses. The popular sidewalk artist got down on his hands and knees outside The Carlyle hotel to recreate Picasso's 1932 oil painting "The Dream." But instead of using oil and canvas, he used chalk and pastel color sticks on concrete. "This is my gallery, the way I like to reach people," Shihada, 51, said Thursday. "It goes straight to the people." And he's getting paid: The luxury hotel commissioned his work to coincide with the Picasso mania sweeping the city.

Happy Birthday, Nancy Drew!

(Marjorie Kehe, Christian Science Monitor) This week, a grand female icon of American culture turned 80. No, it's not Barbie. For literary-minded women, it's actually a much more revered figure: Nancy Drew. (After all, have Bette Davis, Barbara Walters, Hillary Clinton, Mary Tyler Moore, Joan Mondale, Fran Lebowitz, Beverly Sills, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg ever mentioned Barbie as a favorite role model?) The titian-haired sleuth from River Heights, first appeared to the American public on April 28, 1930, when "The Secret of the Old Clock" was published. Since then "Nancy Drew" books have gone on to sell more than 65 million copies in the US and 200 million worldwide in 25 different languages.

Artists see beauty, wonder in city's terrain

(Elizabeth Lazarowitz, New York Daily News) When longtime Brooklyn resident Brocha Teichman, 48, walks out her Kensington door, she sees a world of artistic inspiration. "We don't have the Rocky Mountains or open spaces, but we have those gorgeous shapes that, for example, the el train tracks make when the sun comes through them at McDonald Ave.," said Teichman, a native New Yorker who runs a Long Island art school. "That's scenic, too." Teichman's portraits of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's cherry blossoms - painted on site - and of a snow-covered Ocean Parkway are among about two dozen pieces in a new exhibit focused on the borough as a creative muse.

Comic book publisher praised for reflecting 'tolerance of Islam'

(Charley Keyes, CNN) Kuwaiti publisher Naif al-Mutawa is having a week even his comic book superheroes might envy. On Monday, President Obama singled him out for special praise for promoting international understanding with his "The 99" comics. "His comic books have captured the imagination of so many young people with superheroes who embody the teachings and tolerance of Islam," Obama said. And on Tuesday, Mutawa was treated like a rock star at the president's Summit on Entrepreneurship, with people lining up to get his flashy, superhero-embossed business cards and polite words of encouragement.

Mary J. Blige helps save Harlem School of the Arts with promise to keep funds rolling in

(Erin Einhorn, New York Daily News) A beloved Harlem arts school will re-open this weekend with a new board, a $1 million lifeline and a promise from R&B star Mary J. Blige to help keep the funds rolling in. "This organization really has made a difference," Mayor Bloomberg said Wednesday as he announced a rescue plan for the troubled school that shut down three weeks ago amid a fiscal and management crisis.

8-month-old Mission High choir at Symphony Hall

(Jill Tucker, San Francisco Chronicle) When Steven Hankle showed up last fall for his first day on the job as Mission High School's new choir teacher, he had trouble finding the school's pianos. When he finally located them in dusty corners, he could only plunk out off-key notes. The music room was a storage closet and nearly everything from the school's tossed-aside music program had been given away. No choir robes. No sheet music. But perhaps worst of all, no students had signed up for his classes.

The Zac Brown Band Want Your Letters

(Nancy Dunham, TheBoot.com) The Zac Brown Band has found yet another way to support U.S. troops. The ACM Award-nominated band skipped the show this week so they could join a USO tour. And now they've partnered with Dodge Ram Trucks to start a letter-writing campaign for U.S. military personnel. The Letters for Lyrics campaign kicks off May 10 with a goal of sending one million letters to U.S. troops stationed throughout the world.

For A Tiny Press, The Pulitzer Arrives Out Of Nowhere

(Lynn Neary, NPR) When the Pulitzer Prizes were announced this past week, perhaps no one was more surprised than fiction winner Paul Harding. His novel, Tinkers, was released by a little-known publishing company with few works of fiction to its credit, the first time a book published by a small independent press has won the Pulitzer for fiction since 1981's A Confederacy of Dunces. No one notified Paul Harding that he had won the Pulitzer. There was no congratulatory phone call. He wasn't sitting around with a group of friends waiting breathlessly for the news. Harding was alone when he checked the Pulitzer website, curious to find out who had won.

Big Kenny Just Wants to Love Everybody

(Gayle Richardson, TheBoot.com) Big Kenny, aka Kenny Alphin, is perhaps best known as one-half of the duo Big and Rich. But, while he is still moving full-speed ahead with his music career, he says he's not at all concerned with whether he'll ever perform with former partner John Rich again. "I'm not focused on that right now," he tells the Arizona Daily Star, shooting down rumors that Big & Rich are planning to record together soon again after their two-year break. The married father says he just wants to make music that appeals to him ... something he's doing as a solo act. "I love music that speaks of everything that's filled my heart my whole life," he says.

Freedom writers at work

(Irish Times) Child slavery, censorship and political oppression deny a voice to their victims. The new Voice Your Concern resource, launched today by Amnesty International with the support of Irish Aid and the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals, critically engages young people with human rights education. Since 2004, this project has linked thousands of TY students with celebrated poets, musicians, photographers, dramatists, filmmakers and visual artists including Christy Moore, Seamus Heaney and Neil Jordan. Together, they create a piece of art exploring human rights and injustice.

1913 Abraham Lincoln film found in New Hampshire barn

(Kathy Mccormack, AP) In a tale celebrating the romance of movies, a contractor cleaning out an old New Hampshire barn destined for demolition found seven reels of nitrate film inside, including the only known copy of a 1913 silent film about Abraham Lincoln. When Lincoln Paid, a 30-minute film about the mother of a dead Union soldier asking Lincoln to pardon a Confederate soldier whom she had initially turned in, stars the brother of John Ford, director of The Grapes of Wrath, The Quiet Man and other classics.

Pop star Shakira prepares to build school in Haiti

(Rodrigo Gutierrez, Reuters) Colombian pop star Shakira met child survivors of Haiti's earthquake on Sunday as her charity prepared to build a school in the disaster-stricken Caribbean country. The singer, who has already joined Hollywood actors and other global celebrities to raise funds for the victims of the Jan. 12 earthquake, flew into the wrecked Haitian capital Port-au-Prince aboard a private jet. At the planned site of her Barefoot Haiti school, she met about a hundred children, some of whom danced to her songs. She then toured a camp housing nearly 50,000 people on a golf course.

Sean Connery-hosted runway show is mad for plaid

(Samantha Critchell, New Zealand Herald) Sean Connery celebrated Scotland's eclectic style this week with a fashion show in New York featuring celebrities, athletes and wounded war veterans in modernised kilts, capes and beanies from Scotland's top designers. Connery said Dressed to Kilt, now in its seventh year, "certainly brings together a very interesting mix of people." Mike Myers, in a kilt, argyle socks and sneakers, was first on the catwalk at the Chelsea nightclub space, appearing sandwiched between bagpipers from the 48th Highlanders of Canada.

Madonna lays brick for new African girls' academy

(AP) Madonna laid the first brick of her new girls' academy near Malawi's capital Tuesday, in which she encouraged Malawian girls to "dare to dream," according to the inscription on the brick. The pop star said it has long been her dream to build a girls' school. She said she hopes the girls attending the academy will go on to become doctors, lawyers and future leaders of their country. The $15 million Raising Malawi Academy for Girls is scheduled to open in 2011, and will assist 500 orphaned children.

Faith Hill and Vince Gill Record Very Special Kids' Songs

(Pat Gallagher, TheBoot.com) Faith Hill and Vince Gill are joining some of their other famous friends in helping kids be country music stars! But not just any kids ... These future stars are patients at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. According to Parade magazine, songwriter Jenny Plume was brought to the hospital three years ago to start a music therapy program, helping patients express themselves through song.

Reba, Wynonna Join Red Cross Celebrity Cabinet

(Stephen L. Betts, TheBoot.com) Redheads Reba McEntire (who celebrated her 55th birthday Sunday, March 28) and Wynonna Judd are putting a little more red in the American Red Cross! The organization has announced that the country superstars are among eight new members to its National Celebrity Cabinet, a group now numbering more than 40 celebrity supporters who promote Red Cross services by donating time, helping neighbors prepare for emergencies, responding to disasters and lending a hand to those in need -- down the street and around the world.

Dierks Bentley Sings For Clean Water

(Peter Cronin, MusicRow.com) Capitol Nashville artist Dierks Bentley is heading to Minneapolis to do his part for safe, clean drinking water. The singer will join forces with Live Earth and Life Time Fitness and take part in the Minneapolis leg of the Dow Live Earth Run for Water, the largest global water initiative in history aimed at helping solve the world water crisis. Bentley will perform at the event, which takes place at Lake Nokomis.

Elton John, Lady Gaga To Join Sting At Rainforest Fund Concert

(David J. Prince, Billboard) Sting, Elton John, Lady Gaga and Dame Shirley Bassey will perform together at Carnegie Hall, as part of the semi-annual Rainforest Fund benefit concert on May 13. The event will mark the 21st birthday of the charitable organization founded by Sting and Trudie Styler to help protect and preserve the world's threatened rainforest areas. The performers, plus additional surprise guests, will attend a live auction and gala dinner following the concert. Styler, who is also the event's producer, helped convince Gaga to take a break from her European arena tour to be a part of the unique performance.

Practice the key to top mark for 10-year-old

(Elizabeth Binning, New Zealand Herald) She may have been up to three years younger than all the other competitors, but that didn't stop 10-year-old Michelle Yao from beating more than 700 other students in a prestigious music examination. Michelle, a student at Diocesan School in Auckland, learned this week that the 93 per cent she earned in her grade-six Trinity Guildhall piano exam was the highest in the country - and across all of the music exams for that level.

Antonio Banderas named U.N. Goodwill Ambassador

(Louis Charbonneau, Reuters) The U.N. Development Program (UNDP) has named Spanish actor Antonio Banderas as a "Goodwill Ambassador" for the global fight against poverty, the agency announced on Wednesday. The UNDP said Banderas will use his celebrity status to draw attention to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of targets aimed at halving world poverty by 2015 by combating hunger, disease, illiteracy, pollution and discrimination against women.

Lost Shakespeare play to be published

(Mike Collett-White, Reuters) The discounted claims of an 18th century author to have re-shaped the words of Shakespeare into a play are finally being taken seriously by a respected publisher of the Bard's works nearly 300 years on. "Double Falsehood," a play written by Lewis Theobald and first performed in 1727, was based substantially on another work co-written by William Shakespeare more than a century earlier, a leading academic said on Tuesday. Adding weight to the claim of Professor Brean Hammond of Nottingham University is the fact that the respected Arden Shakespeare publishers will release it in print on March 22.

Photoshop and Facebook, Victorian-style

(Carol Strickland, Christian Science Monitor) It’s not often art with a capital "A" can be called charming. And rarely do we see artworks so little known that their appearance seems a novel discovery. But the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibition "Playing with Pictures: The Art of Victorian Photocollage" is both charming and new. "It’s art," says Malcolm Daniel, curator of photography, "but it’s OK to smile and laugh." About 50 works from 13 photomontage albums created mainly by aristocratic Victorian women are on display through May 9.

Delilah: The Song She Loves

(NPR) If you've been driving down the interstate late at night, you may know the voice of Delilah. You're the only car on the road, flipping your FM radio dial, wishing you had someone special to talk to. And there she is, sending out "love songs and loving stories to help you connect heart to heart with the special people who've been blessed to be a part of your life." Delilah Rene Luke has more than 8 million listeners and a multimillion-dollar radio deal.

Hall & Oates Embrace Their Hipster Faithful

(Ann Donahue, Billboard) When Greg Kurstin, one-half of esoteric Los Angeles pop duo the Bird & the Bee, speaks of Hall & Oates, it's in a reverent tone usually reserved for penitents meeting a major religious figure. " 'One on One' is the perfect song with the perfect production," he says with unblinking earnestness. "I strive for that level of greatness every day." On March 23, Kurstin and bandmate Inara George will release their homage to the pair, "Interpreting the Masters Volume I: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates," on Blue Note. It's the latest example of the unlikely pop-culture resurgence for the fourth-best-selling duo of all time.

Jimmy Wayne Reunites With Soldier on 'Halfway' Trek

(Alanna Conaway, TheBoot.com) Jimmy Wayne is approaching Oklahoma City on his project Meet Me Halfway walk across America. And this week, the singer was reunited with Lt. Col. Jason Garkey who took a special leave of absence from duty to walk with the singer in January. "Having him out again is awesome," Jimmy tells The Boot. "We're going to walk 20 miles per day except for one day we're going to try to walk 30 miles." "It's nice to get back out and pick up where I left off," Lt. Col. Garkey adds. "I told Jimmy that it's similar to what you run into with your military friends when you don't see them for a long time ... you sit down and talk to them like you talked to them last week."

Johnny Cash Explored Spiritual Themes With 'American VI'

(Linda Laban, TheBoot.com) The sixth and final volume of Johnny Cash's 'American' series, 'American VI: Ain't No Grave,' was officially issued on Feb. 26, the day that would have been the late country legend's 78th birthday. The album marks some of Johnny's last recordings and includes cover songs such as Sheryl Crow's 'Redemption Day,' Kris Kristofferson's 'For the Good Times,' and Hawaiian queen Lili'uokalani's 'Aloha Oe' (whose title means 'Farewell to Thee'). But among the covers is one of the last songs that Johnny Cash wrote, a weighty spiritual with a biblical theme, titled after its source, 'I Corinthians: 15:55.'

Julia Sweeney, suburban housewife

(Mary Schmich, Chicago Tribune) Every day, even in the wind and snow, Julia Sweeney walks half an hour from her Wilmette house to Lake Michigan, and with an awe someone else might call religious, faces the sky and water. She takes 10 deep breaths. How puny and impermanent we are, she thinks. How unlikely we are. Then she and her dog walk home. "It's Pat!" Nobody who sees her — a 50-year-old woman with a wide, lightly freckled face and cropped platinum hair — calls that out to her, but there was a time when strangers did. In the 1990s, Pat, the sexually inscrutable "Saturday Night Live" character that made Sweeney famous, was almost as big in pop culture as Santa Claus.

Quick-draw artist Jason Polan tries to capture a city’s many faces

(James Bone, TimesOnline) Jason Polan knows that he has set himself an impossible task. For the past two years the young artist from Michigan has been trying to sketch all 8,363,710 people in New York. When he recently passed 8,300 pen portraits he held a celebratory party. It was entitled "The One-Tenth of One Percent Event." Sitting pen in hand outside a coffee shop in SoHo, New York, he told The Times: "If I had been scared by the idea of finishing the project, I don’t think I would ever have started it. It would just have been too daunting."

Films With Faith-Based Themes Big at Oscars in 2010

(Lauren Green, FOXNews.com) Faith-friendly films are redeeming Hollywood in more ways than one this year, as a batch of Oscar-nominated films focus on hope, faith and overcoming the odds. Films like "The Blind Side" and "Precious" promote the value of life ... that there are no throwaway people. The animated children's film "Up" puts viewers in touch with the deepest of human emotions ... love, loss, grief and longing … in the context of a fun movie. And this year's special effects behemoth, "Avatar," takes audiences back to a virtual Garden of Eden, and presents the possibility of a glorified, resurrected body.

Filmmaker's videos show the underlying bonds of humanity

(Paul Van Slambrouck, Christian Science Monitor) Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee discovered the power of "oneness" in jazz music. An accomplished bass player who was performing and teaching jazz by his mid-20s, he recalls with reverence those rare moments when an ensemble melds into something special that transcends the skills of the individual players. For the past five years, Mr. Vaughan-Lee has put that concept of "oneness" into practice on a larger scale: The musician has become a filmmaker. He has traveled the world producing short films that, while honoring diversity, seek to demonstrate the underlying bonds of humanity. His Global Oneness Project was born in 2005, which just happened to position it perfectly for the explosion of video on the Web.

Stars Rock Out For Tibet At Carnegie Hall

(Ryan McLendon, AP) Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, Regina Spektor and many others contributed to a potent sonic cocktail that rocked Carnegie Hall at the 20th Annual Benefit Concert for Tibet House U.S., a non-profit organization charged with preserving Tibetan culture. An avid fan of Tibetan art since his teen years, Pop said the world cannot afford to lose it. "[Tibetans have] been getting kind of a bum deal for like 50, 60 years now ... sort of losing their spot on Earth," Pop said after the Feb. 26 concert.

Lincoln focus of Lebanon native’s film

(Justin McClelland, Dayton Daily News) Caitlin Grogan knows a thing or two about honesty. As a documentary filmmaker, her job is to capture the truth. Especially when the subject relates to the 16th president of the United States, "honest" Abe Lincoln. Grogan, a 2003 Lebanon High School graduate, recently completed her directorial debut, "Life as Lincoln," a documentary exploring the lives of three Abraham Lincoln impersonators.

Bon Jovi Tour Doubles As Homeless Research Mission

(Gene Johnson, AP) Jon Bon Jovi's new tour is bringing the veteran rock star to venues he doesn't usually visit on the road. A shelter for hardcore alcoholics in Seattle. A tour of Skid Row in Los Angeles. Perhaps a squatters village in Sacramento. That's because this tour in support of Bon Jovi's latest release, "The Circle," is also a fact-finding mission. The singer plans on visiting as many homeless shelters and programs as time allows in hopes of getting ideas and inspiration to shape his own work with the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, a Philadelphia-based charity that fights homelessness by building affordable housing, establishing community kitchens and cleaning up vacant lots in blighted neighborhoods.

Supporters Try To Resurrect 'Lost' Cash Album

(Cortney Harding, Billboard) On Feb. 23, a few days before what would have been Johnny Cash's 78th birthday, Lost Highway will release "American VI: Ain't No Grave," the final recordings Cash made with producer Rick Rubin. And as fans celebrate the legacy of one of the most iconic musicians of the last century, some Cash scholars and relatives are trying to tell another, seldom-heard part of the story. They're lobbying Sony to rerelease his virtually unknown 1964 album "Bitter Tears," a protest album that lamented our nation's institutional mistreatment of Native Americans.

Darryl Worley cancer center Becoming a Reality

(Alanna Conaway, TheBoot.com) After years of ironing out the details, Darryl Worley's vision and dream of one day opening a cancer treatment facility in his hometown is finally coming to fruition. On Wednesday (Mar. 3), the groundbreaking ceremony of the Darryl Worley Cancer Treatment Center is set to take place in Savannah, Tenn. The plan for the center first began in 2005 when Darryl and representatives of Hardin Medical Center and Hardin County Community and Healthcare Foundation in Hardin County put their heads together to come up with a cost-efficient way for those diagnosed with the disease to get the local treatment needed.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: The Voice Of Pakistan

(Bilal Qureshi, NPR) All this year, NPR is bringing you the stories of 50 great voices from around the world. Of course, when you're making such a list, there's bound to be debate. But when it came to the late Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, there was a hushed reverence within our selection committee. Many Americans first heard his haunting voice in the film Dead Man Walking, but he also introduced a new generation of Pakistanis to their own traditional music.

For contest-winning UT graduate, the chicken definitely comes first

(Patrick Beach, Austin American-Statesman) Marko Slavnic, like a lot of aspiring filmmakers, is big on evangelizing about the democratization of technology. Just get a camera and start shooting, he says. Who knows? You might enter a contest and win $100,000. It happened to him. Slavnic's short video "Chicken vs. Penguin" recently beat out some 1,200 other entries in a contest sponsored by Nikon, which is why Slavnic is smiling. To better his chance, the 26-year-old University of Texas graduate and freelance videographer entered four films, but the judges fell hard for "Chicken," a gently amusing piece on two people — one in a chicken suit, the other in a penguin suit — duking it out, reconciling and exploring the first aid applications of a dead fish at two presumably competing restaurants.

Ellen DeGeneres gives 'Idol' miss a break

(Alan Duke, CNN) Family tragedy, bad timing and tough competition kept Angela Martin from moving past "American Idol's" Hollywood Week in three separate seasons. The 28-year-old mother of a special needs child learned Friday that, despite not making the top 24 again, two "Idol" judges will help get her singing career cranked up. Ellen DeGeneres, who is in her first season as a judge, invited Martin onto her talk show to discuss her struggles and to sing. And, DeGeneres said, fellow judge Kara DioGuardi will pen a song for her.

Quentin Tarantino saves L.A. theater

(John Scott Lewinski, Hollywood Reporter) Of those rooting for Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" on Oscar night, the Torgan family might be cheering the loudest. As the proprietors of the New Beverly Cinema, the Torgans operate one of Los Angeles' last havens for classic movies. And, as of recently, Tarantino is their landlord. The New Beverly, built in 1929 as a first-run moviehouse, has been the Torgan family business since 1978. But if not for the intervention of the director with the encyclopedic knowledge of film, it would be just another chain franchise.

'Soldier of Love' was a long time coming for reclusive Sade

(Steve Jones, USA Today) Sade's jazzy soul songs have often teetered between heartbreak and hope, and the title track of her just-out Soldier of Love album walks that emotional line over a crackling martial groove that returns the British chanteuse to the spotlight for the first time in a decade. She says fans were always asking when she'd release a successor to 2000's Lovers Rock, which sold nearly 4 million copies, but she was never ready to set aside a block of time to record one.

The kid behind A Brief History of Pretty Much Everything

(Chris Gaylord, Christian Science Monitor) In the beginning, there was lined paper. Then, the big bang rippled through the ream and started A Brief History of Pretty Much Everything. This new viral video may not have the professional polish of T-Shirt War or the genial charisma of the wedding dance video, but it distills the lovable, quirky charm of a creative kid with too much free time on his hands. It's a three-minute-and-12-second reminder of why YouTube is one of the most important galleries of modern culture – even without silly Super Bowl ads.

Video Game Lets You Drop Beats As You Drop Blocks

(Travis Larchuk, NPR) During a month in which the biggest video game releases include such ultraviolent titles as Bioshock 2 and Dante's Inferno, one small, beautiful puzzle game has managed to capture much of the spotlight. It's called Chime, and it's a puzzle game that integrates the music of artists like Philip Glass and Moby. The game is the first release for the video game industry charity project OneBigGame. When you download the game, about 60 percent of the purchase price goes to Save the Children and the Starlight Children's Foundation.

Azerbaijan mugham music makes revival

(Tom Esslemont, BBC News) Intoxicating. Passionate. Throaty. Those are the first words which come to mind as I attempt to describe the sound of mugham. Warbling, rousing and spiritual come next. It is my first encounter with a brand of music that has been alive for hundreds of years. Its flavour combines war chant and love song. To me, sat in a restaurant in suburban Baku, listening to mugham, it feels like I am being transported back about 800 years.

For Japan's cellphone novelists, proof of success is in the print

(Yuriko Nagano, Los Angeles Times) She likes Care Bears, doesn't wear makeup yet, and took her nom de plume from a character in the Disney classic "Bambi." And last year, 15-year-old "Bunny" became one of Japan's top authors of a genre called keitai -- cellphone -- novels. After getting its start as a tale told on tiny cellular screens, her three-volume novel "Wolf Boy x Natural Girl" has gone on to sell more than 110,000 paperback copies since its release in May, according to Starts Publishing Co.

Foxx donates instruments to high school students

(AP) Jamie Foxx wanted to entertain a group of musically inclined high school students with a few bars from his Grammy winning hit, Blame It. But since the song is an ode to the effects of alcohol, he changed the lyrics to "Blame it on the a-a-a-apple juice." The kids roared. "I changed it so you guys could sing it," he joked. Students from four high schools gathered Tuesday at Walt Disney Concert Hall, where Foxx helped present new violins, flutes, French horns, trumpets and drums valued at $500,000 to students from 16 schools nationwide. The instruments are part of the Fidelity FutureStage program, an effort by the investment firm to enrich arts education in public schools.

Molly Dilworth paints New York rooftops so art is visible from space and on Google Earth

(Erica Pearson, New York Daily News) Here's one artist who actually wants people to look down on her work. Molly Dilworth is painting city rooftops so her supersized art will be visible from outer space and captured on Google Earth's virtual globe of satellite images. "The more the better," said Dilworth, 34. "I don't want to cover the Earth, but I do want to mark territory where something is happening, and to kind of acknowledge this new view that we have." Dilworth, who grew up in Michigan, has painted three city rooftops since coming up with the idea a year ago.

'Late Show' producer on Leno-Letterman Super Bowl spot

(Lynette Rice, EW.com) EW talked to The Late Show executive producer Rob Burnett about David Letterman’s surprising decision to include Jay Leno in a promotional spot during the Super Bowl.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Why did you decide to do this?

ROB BURNETT: Well, the 10 seconds we did with Dave and Oprah for the Super Bowl in 2007 went pretty well and CBS came back and said we got 10 seconds again for this one. Nothing is more simultaneously exhilarating and fear-inducing than hearing you have 10 seconds in the Super Bowl.

'Buried Life' takes inspirational road to entertainment

(Alicia Rancilio, AP) MTV is doing a full turn from the fist-pumping, tanning shenanigans of Jersey Shore with its new documentary series The Buried Life. Cameras follow four guys -- Duncan Penn and his brother Jonnie Penn, Ben Nemtin and Dave Lingwood -- from British Columbia. The four made a list of goals they hoped to complete within their lifetimes -- and for every item they cross off their list, they help a stranger complete one. The goals range from the simple (grow a mustache) to lofty (play basketball with President Obama). "It's entertaining to watch these guys try to pull off something that frankly seems impossible," said Brent Haynes, senior vice president of series development at MTV. "It has a great mix of entertainment and poignancy."

Kenny Rogers To Mark 50 Years In Music On TV

(Caitlin R. King, AP) Country music veteran Kenny Rogers is marking 50 years in the music business with a star-studded TV special. "Pretty courageous, isn't it?" Rogers, 71, said in a phone interview, laughing. "The whole idea is to get together with some friends of mine," he added. "I really don't want it to be a tribute. That's not what my deal is. It's kind of a celebration." Friends including Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss, Lionel Richie and Wynonna Judd are already signed on to take part in "Kenny Rogers - The First 50 Years," which will tape on April 10 at the MGM Grand At Foxwoods in Connecticut.

Frontier Gandhi brings Pashtun peace icon to life

(Emma Graham-Harrison, Reuters) Badshah Khan was so close to Mahatma Gandhi they shared reading glasses, inspiring jokes about their shared vision, but unlike his friend, the Pashtun champion of non-violent struggle has been almost forgotten by his people. Now Canadian filmmaker Teri McLuhan hopes to drag the man dubbed "Frontier Gandhi," and his role in winning independence from British rule, back into the limelight. Khan's message of peace, which won him a Nobel prize nomination in 1985, is still vital both in the conflicted areas where he spent most of his life, and in the West where it can help explode stereotypes about the Muslim world, she says.

Stars remake "We Are The World" for Haiti victims

(Dean Goodman, Reuters) Star-struck singers, rappers and actors, including Barbra Streisand, Kanye West and Miley Cyrus, checked their egos at the door on Monday to record a new version of "We Are The World" for Haiti earthquake victims, 25 years after the song raised awareness of the famine in Africa. None of the singers of the original song were invited to participate in the update, which was recorded at the same Hollywood studio once again under the oversight of Quincy Jones and the song's co-writer Lionel Richie. In all, more than 70 stars lent their voices to the song, and they all seemed in awe of each other.

Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, Eminem Join "We Are the World" Remake for Haiti Relief

(Rolling Stone) Lady Gaga, Eminem, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake and Barbra Streisand are just a handful of the 100-plus stars scheduled to take part in a re-recording of "We Are the World" to benefit Haiti, producer RedOne told Rolling Stone yesterday at the Grammys. Other artists contributing to the new "We Are the World" — a remake of the 1985 USA for Africa charity single that was co-written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie — include Celine Dion, Fergie, Wyclef, Enrique Iglesias and more musicians who attended yesterday’s 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.

Neil Young Honored by Wilco, Chili Peppers, Dave Matthews and More at MusiCares Gala

(Rolling Stone) In what was a staggering display of star power and rock & roll might, dozens of music luminaries gathered on Friday night to celebrate Neil Young as MusiCares Person of the Year. The pre-Grammy dinner and tribute concert, which starts at $1,250 per plate with proceeds going to musicians in need, boasted the best attendance yet since the annual fete had its first seating in 1989 (honoring Young’s longtime friend and bandmate, David Crosby, appropriately enough), and featured 20 performances by heavyweights such as Wilco, John Mellencamp, Jackson Browne, Dave Matthews, Elvis Costello, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, James Taylor, Sheryl Crow and several supergroup combos..

Label turns forgotten music into gold

(Ashley Fantz, CNN) There are burglar bars on the windows of Second Mount Olive Baptist Church. It takes a good shove to open its rusty metal door, identical to all the other offices in this rundown strip mall just off the highway in south Atlanta. A fan whips up pages of a mildewed Old Testament lying open on one of the pews. An overturned Culligan water tank, Mount Olive's donation jar, is empty except for some change and a wadded buck. The Rev. Johnny L. Jones, 73, looks out at his congregation of about 15. He slips in his dentures. And then the old man disappears.

Tom Hanks' cash gift pushes Great Lakes Theater Festival over top on Hanna Theatre campaign

(Tony Brown, Cleveland Plain Dealer) Tom Hanks came up with something better than a box of chocolates when he made a last-minute Christmas gift to Great Lakes Theater Festival on Dec. 24. Hollywood’s most bankable star — who came to Cleveland in 1977 as a college intern for Great Lakes — stuffed enough money in Great Lakes’ stocking to push a campaign to renovate the historic Hanna Theatre over its $19.3 million goal. "I was sitting in front of my computer about 5 o’clock in the afternoon, and up popped an e-mail from Tom," Great Lakes producing artistic director Charles Fee said Tuesday." ‘Charlie, it’s Christmas Eve. Here it is.’ "

Fans Flock as ABBAWORLD Theme Park Opens in London

(AP) Is it possible to have too much ABBA? Knowing me, knowing you, the answer is no. The spangly Swedish quartet that gave the world "Waterloo" and "Dancing Queen" has sold 400 million records since its 1970s heyday and spawned the hugely successful stage and film musical "Mamma Mia!" And now there's ABBAWORLD — a new museum-cum-theme park in London with enough music, mementoes and memory-lane appeal to satisfy even the most fervent ABBA fan. ABBAWORLD's Swedish organizers promise the exhibition — which opens to the public on Wednesday — will be "a place for total interaction" with the band.

John Travolta Flies Jetliner Carrying Relief Supplies to Haiti

(AP) John Travolta has flown a jetliner carrying relief supplies into the Haitian capital, along with doctors and ministers from the Church of Scientology. The 55-year-old actor piloted his own Boeing 707 from Florida with six tons of ready-to-eat military rations and medical supplies for survivors of Haiti's devastating Jan. 12 earthquake late Monday. His wife, Kelly Preston , was also aboard. "We have the ability to actually help make a difference in the situation in Haiti and I just can't see not using this plane to help," Travolta said.

Radiohead Rock For Haiti at Small Los Angeles Benefit Show

(Rolling Stone) Even Radiohead can be surprised by the difference a rock band can make. On Sunday, the forward-looking Oxford quintet took a break from recording sessions for its next album to perform at the Henry Fonda Theatre in Hollywood and raise desperately needed funds for Haiti earthquake relief. "This is how much money we made," singer-guitarist Thom Yorke announced late in the two-hour concert, as he was handed a card with a final tally.

Springboro teen gives a positive spin to rap

(Terry Morris, Dayton Daily News) Gary King said he has recorded thousands of singers and musicians. Austin Puckett reminds him of "a young Will Smith," the recording engineer at ReFraze Studios in Kettering said. "He’s a throwback with an upbeat rap. It comes across as fresh again. There’s a happy tone in his voice that makes it distinctive. It’s like, ‘I’m telling a story. Just check it out.’ " Puckett, a senior at Springboro High School who turned 18 on Thursday, Jan. 22, wishes more people would check it out. He self-recorded his first album, "Million Dollar Dreams" at ReFraze last year and has it up on his Web site (www.pucksmilliondollardreams. webs.com).

Disney Picks Buzz Lightyear Patch to Fly to Space Station

(Robert Z. Pearlman, Collectspace.com) Buzz Lightyear, the animated space ranger who, in action figure form, flew to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2008, now has an official mission patch courtesy of an 11-year-old artist. Adam Carr of Tampa, Florida was announced Tuesday as the winner of the Walt Disney Company's "Mission Patch Design Challenge" that invited elementary school students to design an emblem for the 12-inch Buzz Lightyear's 468- day stay aboard the orbiting outpost.

Cowell to produce charity record for Haiti

(CNN) British television mogul Simon Cowell is producing a record to raise funds for the earthquake recovery effort in Haiti. At the British National Television Awards in London Wednesday, Cowell said he had received a request from Prime Minister Gordon Brown to consider a charity record. "We had a request from the prime minister and The Sun newspaper, 'Would we put a record together?' We haven't got a lot of time but we are going to do something and attempt to raise as much money as possible," Cowell said, according to the UK's Press Association.

Jimmy Wayne Finds Happiness on Cross-Country Walk

(Alanna Conaway, TheBoot.com) Fifteen days after Jimmy Wayne began his 'Meet Me Halfway' campaign to bring awareness to teens who age out of the foster home system, he hopped on a plane to Abilene, Texas, to headline the 2010 West Texas Rehab Telethon. The morning of his performance, Jimmy sat down for his first one-on-one interview with The Boot since beginning the walk on New Year's Day. "I tell you, the experience has been kind of what I thought it would be, but it's better than I thought it would be," says the singer. "I thought that I would be more alone, but I'm not."

Against all Odds: Dancing with Cerebral Palsy

(Katie Bosland and Jake Whitman, ABC News) Living with cerebral palsy his entire life, 31-year-old Gregg Mozgala is no stranger to the feeling of being onstage as he walks down the street. Mozgala said all his life he's received "stares and looks" because of his uncontrolled walk caused by the debilitating brain disorder that has no known cure. However, last month, people stared for a different reason. Mozgala performed as the lead in the ballet performance of "Diagnosis of a Faun" at New York's La Mama Experimental Theater Club. It was a role even Mozgala never dreamed possible because of his cerebral palsy.

Couple's love story an act of faith and PHAMALy

(John Moore, Denver Post) It's a story as undeniably adorable as Lyndsay Giraldi and Jeremy Palmer themselves. Two striking young actors from Denver's nationally renowned handicapped theater company fall in love and marry. Now the affable duo are starring together as the adorably love-struck newlyweds in Neil Simon's "Barefoot in the Park." Meet the Palmers, the first family of PHAMALy — the Physically Handicapped Actors and Musical Artists League. Boy, it would just ruin this whole story if they weren't, in fact, affable and adorable. Wait: Director Edith Weiss assures us that they are.

From George Clooney to Lance Armstrong, celebrities tap star power to urge giving

(Tyler Maltbie, Christian Science Monitor) As the first wave of international aid reaches Haiti’s shores, Hollywood is mobilizing its own "Help Haiti" juggernaut. Celeb tweeting, benefit concerts, and even round-the-clock street magic shows are helping to make the current fundraising effort the most successful post-disaster response in years. Celebrities across the fame spectrum have harnessed social-networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook to rally support for the Haitian people, announcing their personal donations or directing their fans to contribute to deserving aid groups.

Jimmy Wayne Headlines Annual West Texas Rehab Telethon

(Alanna Conaway, TheBoot.com) This weekend (Jan. 16), Jimmy Wayne takes a break from his 'Meet Me Halfway' trek halfway across America, to headline the 40th Annual West Texas Rehabilitation telethon. Other performers throughout the evening include Texas legend Red Steagall, The Boys in the Bunkhouse, Bill and Susan Hayes ('Days of Our Lives') and Brad Maule ('General Hospital'). Charlie Chase, longtime co-host of the popular 'Crook and Chase' talk show, will return for the 10th year to host the five-hour special, which raises money for people who can't otherwise afford physical therapy and other rehabilitation services.

Cher Gives Cash Boost To Orphanage

(Rona Dougall, Sky News) A new orphanage for children whose parents died from Aids has opened in Kenya this week, thanks to the singer Cher. The Togetherness School in Ukunda is now home to 360 children aged between two and 14 years. Many of them have HIV themselves. It was originally the dream of a Scottish couple who went to Kenya on holiday. Moved by the plight of the children, Robert and Eleanor Wood, from Fife, set up a small orphanage on rented land. Four years ago, after spending their life savings and with the orphanage in danger of shutting down, they appealed on Sky News for help.

Stiller, Pitt, other celebs urge Haiti relief

(AP) Oprah Winfrey, Paris Hilton, Ben Stiller, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are among the celebrities and artists urging support for survivors of the earthquake in Haiti. Doctors Without Borders announced Wednesday that Pitt and Jolie were contributing $1 million to the organization's emergency medical operations responding to the earthquake. The organization said it is dispatching additional emergency staff, including a surgical team and equipment to establish a 100-bed inflatable tent hospital with two operating rooms.

Can a Rock Concert (and a Vegas Producer) Remake China's Image?

(Simon Elegant, Time.com) Nobody would accuse Rick Garson of thinking small. The Las Vegas–based music producer is planning a benefit concert in Beijing on April 17 that will rival — and possibly exceed — such celebrity-spangled extravaganzas as Live Aid and Live 8. The ebullient Garson is well aware that China has what might politely be described as a mixed record when it comes to public performances by foreign artists; 2009 alone featured a trail of government last-minute cancellations. Notable among them was the nixing of Oasis concerts in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, reportedly because of one band member's attendance at a Tibet benefit concert in 1997. But Garson says this event, dubbed Show of Peace, will be different.

Wyclef Jean's tweeting for Haiti galvanizes Web

(AP) Wyclef Jean is one of Haiti's most famous sons, and his tweeting about the earthquake there has been a galvanizing force on the Web. Jean is most famously a member of the now-defunct Fugees (FOO'-jeez). Publicist Leslie Chasky says he arrived Wednesday in Haiti and is focusing on his family, his Haitian charity and responding to the disaster.

Jessica Biel, Emile Hirsch summit Mount Kilimanjaro to draw attention to the global water crisis

(Joanne Fowler, People.com) Jessica Biel, Emile Hirsch and Isabel Lucas reached the summit of 19,340 –foot Mt. Kilimanjaro Tuesday, the sixth day of their trek up Africa's tallest peak, in their quest to raise awareness of the global water crisis. Jessica Biel, Emile Hirsch and Isabel Lucas reached the summit of 19,340 –foot Mt. Kilimanjaro Tuesday, the sixth day of their trek up Africa's tallest peak, in their quest to raise awareness of the global water crisis.

Actor Corbin Bernsen producing movie to help save Akron's soap box derby

(Joe Guillen, Cleveland Plain Dealer) Actor Corbin Bernsen, of "Major League" fame, promoted a film project Saturday that he hopes will help save the All American Soap Box Derby, a Rubber City institution facing money problems. Bernsen planned to meet with potential investors this weekend to help fund production of "25 Hill," a movie about a boy whose interest in soap box racing coincides with a family tragedy. The actor is hoping the movie will raise money and renew interest in the derby to help it survive.

Young Pianist Thrust Into Elite Group

(Daniel J. Wakin, New York Times) Odd, the pianist Kirill Gerstein thought. A music critic from Houston was coming to interview him in Jacksonville, Fla. Mr. Gerstein’s manager had arranged the meeting, at the Omni Hotel’s J bar, to coincide with a run of concerts last November. Might as well meet the writer, the pianist thought. But instead of a critic waiting at the bar, it was the man from the Gilmore festival. And in his hand was an envelope proclaiming Mr. Gerstein the latest winner of one of the arts world’s great windfalls: the $300,000 Gilmore Artist Award, given every four years to an unsuspecting pianist.

Jimmy Wayne Braves the Cold as 1700-Mile Walk Continues

(Donna Hughes, TheBoot.com) Jimmy Wayne continues his 'Meet Me Halfway' trek, in spite of temperatures dipping into the single digits and snow flurries floating around him. He began his nearly 1700-mile journey to Phoenix, Ariz. on New Year's Day in Nashville and has gone nearly 60 miles west of Nashville, sleeping outdoors at night and walking during the day. It was so cold Sunday night that Jimmy awoke Monday morning with ice on top and inside of his lightweight tent -- made from the moisture of his breath! His management team made an executive decision, telling Jimmy to spend the night at a hotel in McEwen, Tenn. Monday night.

Visual Music: Sign language interpretations of today's pop hits

(Sumaiya Malik, Good News Gazette) "These videos come the closest I've seen to actually conveying music with the sound off." That’s the type of feedback Michael Chase DiMartino receives from fans of his sign language music videos on YouTube, as he makes pop music from the likes of Britney, Lady Gaga and Kelly Clarkson accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing. It’s easy to see why sign language comes so naturally to DiMartino. He’s an animated conversationalist who frequently talks with his hands. "I’m Italian," he says with a smile.

Clever work might make student's dreams come true

(Nicole Brodeur, Seattle Times) Ashton Kutcher and Ben Stiller were Tweeting the other day -- you know, in Hollywood. Kutcher says to Stiller, "Wish YouTube existed when I was in high school." And Stiller says, "We are all going to be working for Javier Caceres in five years." Javier Caceres -- you know, the filmmaker. If you haven't heard of him, you probably will. He's the senior at Shorewood High School in Shoreline, Wash., who helped conceive, choreograph and shoot Shorewood Lip Dub -- a music video of the song You Make My Dreams Come True by Daryl Hall & John Oates -- that was shot forward but is shown backward.

Rumors abound that new Leonardo da Vinci painting has been found in Boston

(Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post) Is the world about to gain another Leonardo da Vinci painting? The multitasking Renaissance genius who produced the most famous portrait in the world -- Mona somebody -- left us only 10 to 20 other paintings. Yet if current whispers bear out about a picture in Boston, that number may increase by one more. Art experts say it's the equivalent of stumbling upon a surprise Shakespeare play or a lost Homeric epic.

Jimmy Wayne is asking you to meet him halfway

(Sumaiya Malik, Good News Gazette) Country music recording artist Jimmy Wayne today launched his "Meet Me Halfway" campaign as he kicked off his solo walk halfway across America, from Nashville, Tennessee to Phoenix, Arizona -- a journey of almost 1,700 miles -- to raise both awareness and funding to benefit organizations that support homeless youth.

Better than the Oscars, says Sir Peter Jackson

(Lincoln Tan, New Zealand Herald) Peter Jackson has come a long way from his low-budget roots to being one of the most dominant film-makers in the world. For his services to film - and many would argue his contribution to New Zealand goes much further than movies - Jackson has been awarded a knighthood in the New Year Honours. The winner of more than a dozen Academy Awards is thrilled to be made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. "This is an incredible moment in my life. I didn't think anything would surpass the 2004 Academy Awards, but I was wrong," he said.

Theater program reaches out to homeless in act of kindness

(Katie Byard, Akron Beacon Journal) The moment she saw the line for the soup kitchen next to the line for the theater, Holly Barkdoll was struck by a simple notion that theater is food for the soul. Several years later, the Magical Theatre Company in Barberton, where Barkdoll is co-director, spends about $20,000 a year connecting folks in shelters with plays. One program offers a free play, as well as dinner. Local churches host the evening.

The dancing queen: Queens great-grandmother Gert Hendry, 86, still teaching kids all the right moves

(Brendan Brosh, New York Daily News) At 86, Gert Hendry sure knows how to stay on her toes. The Queens great-grandmother has taught generations of kids to tap and pirouette — and still puts on a tutu twice a week to pass on everything she knows about dance. "Life didn't start until I was 50," said Hendry, who began teaching in 1973 after raising her family and working as a bookkeeper. "The Lord is good. He keeps my legs going." Her legions of former pupils started a Facebook fan site for the neighborhood legend.

Brad and Angelina Donate $100,000 to Foster Care Organization

(Mary Green, People.com) Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie felt the spirit of giving this holiday season. The famously generous couple donated $100,000 to the American SOS Children's Villages, an alternative foster care organization with locations in the U.S. in Illinois and Florida. "We have seen firsthand the remarkable job SOS does to raised orphaned and abandoned children and keep families together," Jolie, 34, said in a statement. "No one "ages out" of an SOS Village. Vocational training, advanced education, living assistance and more support are there forever."

Keith Urban: Country Rock Star and Secret Santa

(Angela Yorke, International Business Times) Keith Urban did his part to spread the season's greetings and cheer around when he went shopping in Brisbane on Saturday morning. The rocker, who is also known as Nicole Kidman's husband to non-fans of country rock music, was in town for a series of well-received concerts. According to the owner of the store, Tym Brennan, who spoke to ABC Radio, Urban had strolled in with his band and tried out guitars. At the same time, a young shopper was also trying out a fuzz pedal.

Chicago students treated to performance on rare violin

(Krystyna Slivinski, Chicago Tribune) It's not easy getting teens to listen to classical music. But at Ogden International School in Chicago, the gift of having a Grammy-nominated violinist perform for free at the school on an instrument valued at $18 million was too good to pass up. "We're always seeking art opportunities for students," said Anthony Vandarakis, assistant principal. With an ongoing state budget crisis, public schools have to be creative about those opportunities. In this case, a parent stepped forward. Suzanne Fushi, executive director of the Stradivari Society in Chicago, asked if there was interest in bringing an up-and-coming violinist to perform at the school.

In Iran, a blind musician leads the way for a women's orchestra

(Borzou Daragahi, Los Angeles Times) Every Friday, the young women gather at the blind man's home in a fading district of a sleepy city once famous for its poets and wine. They unpack vessels of wood, string and stretched hides. They cradle them in their arms. And as the afternoon wears on, they fill the alleyways with song. My Bahar, my daughter, wake up! Put on a sweet smile and stir emotions. The song is an old one, a bittersweet melody of grief and hope about a girl, Bahar, whose name is synonymous in Persian with the season of spring.

Jimmy Page To Play 'Show Of Peace' Concert In China

(Gary Graff, Billboard) An array of artists, including Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, will take part in the first annual Show Of Peace Concert, a globally televised event that will take place April 17 before an expected crowd of 100,000 at the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing, China. More performers and other details will be announced at a Jan. 13 press conference in Beijing. The concert's official web site lists nearly five dozen target artists to be invited, including Prince, Green Day, Beyonce, Coldplay, Black Eyed Peas, Kenny Chesney, Mariah Carey, Justin Timberlake and many others.

A black princess for little girls of every age

(Natasha Fatah, CBC News) When I was a very young girl living in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, my father and I had a Friday ritual that I looked forward to all week long. We would drive to the movie rental store and pick something to watch over the weekend. He leafed through bootleg copies of American action movies and Bollywood romances, always getting something new for he and my mom to enjoy together. Me, I made the exact same selection week after week: Disney's beautiful animated 1950 movie Cinderella.

Stephen King pays for troops’ holiday trip home

(AP) Author Stephen King and his wife are donating money so 150 soldiers from the Maine Army National Guard can come home for the holidays. King and his wife, Tabitha, who live in Bangor, are paying $13,000 toward the cost of two bus trips so that members of the 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Unit can travel from Camp Atterbury in Indiana to Maine for Christmas. The soldiers left Maine last week for training at Camp Atterbury. They are scheduled to depart for Afghanistan in January.

Shakira owes all to family bankruptcy

(Daniela Deane, CNN) Colombian singer Shakira, whose hit "Hips Don't Lie" is the most played record in American radio history, became a musical sensation and a global philanthropist because of her family's bankruptcy when she was eight years old. When the singer was 18, she founded the Barefoot Foundation, a charity to help poor children in her native Colombia get an education. Later, she expanded her reach to become a UNICEF goodwill ambassador. And it all started when she had the rug pulled out from under her as a kid in Barranquilla, Colombia.

Mich. rocker Kid Rock shows some good horse sense

(Karen Workman, Oakland Press) Animals may not have any concept of holidays, but if they did, some local animals might find themselves thanking Kid Rock this holiday season. "I've always tried to help out where I can locally; I do a lot of things nationally and worldwide, too, but if I can't start out by helping in my hometown, then why bother?" said Robert Ritchie, the Clarkston area resident and Romeo native better known as musician Kid Rock. After reading in The Oakland Press about the faltering economy impacting peoples' ability to care for their horses, Ritchie felt compelled to help.

USO feeds troops starved for entertainment

(Michael Ventre, MSNBC.com) One of the harsher truths about life overseas for United States military personnel is that they rarely have all they need. It isn’t just about enough weapons and ammo, bulletproof vests, Humvees or other equipment to help them thrive in combat. There are always shortages of letters and packages from home, of recreational opportunities and furloughs and of general contact with the free world outside of military bases. There is also a dire need for entertainment.

Stevie Wonder named UN 'Messenger of Peace'

(CNN) Singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder has a new title on his resume: United Nations Messenger of Peace. Wonder -- blind since birth -- will promote U.N. ideals and activities with an emphasis on championing for people with disabilities, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. When his installation announcement was briefly interrupted by a fire alarm in the U.N. Secretariat Building in New York on Thursday, Wonder broke the tension with a joke. "I'm trying to figure out a new melody," he said.

Victoria and Albert Museum opens doors on a world of ravishing luxury

(Maev Kennedy, The Guardian) When the Victoria and Albert Museum asked its visitors what "medieval" meant to them, the result was depressing: plague, war, religion, darkness, mud and – possibly thanks to some hazy memory of Blackadder's and Baldrick's cherished turnips – potatoes. However, the world conjured up by the £31.7m suite of 10 new galleries occupying an entire wing of the London museum looks very different. The galleries have taken seven years to fill with more than 1,800 ravishing objects. In the central courtyard, light streams through the glass roof on to a fountain surrounded by sculptures from the gardens of kings and merchant princes.

Susan Boyle's 'I Dreamed a Dream' tops U.S. album chart

(Edna Gundersen, USA Today) Susan Boyle's I Dreamed a Dream sold 701,000 copies its first week, the biggest sales week of 2009, in another chapter to the Scottish singer's fairy-tale rise to stardom. Her debut album, which hit shelves Nov. 23, handily beat the year's previous leader, Eminem's Relapse, which racked up 608,000 copies in May, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Dream had the best-selling first week since AC/DC's Black Ice entered Billboard with 784,000 in October 2008. It's also the biggest debut by a woman since SoundScan began tabulating sales in 1991.

Operation Christmas Child grows, thanks to VeggieTales

(Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA Today) "What if December looked different this year? What if we all gave Christmas away?" That's the refrain from the theme song of a new Christmas video from VeggieTales, the animated children's stories that share gentle Gospel messages. But the video, Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving, is doing more than entertaining. As befits its theme song, Give This Christmas Away, it has become a vehicle for giving – and providing a boost to the world's largest children's Christmas outreach ministry, Operation Christmas Child.

'Bohemian Rhapsody,' Muppet-Style

(Dan Fletcher, Time) While the lovable felt monsters of Sesame Street celebrate their 40th anniversary this year, Jim Henson's other creations, the Muppets, have been largely out of the spotlight. Let's be honest: the last time most people have seen a Muppet was in a TV commercial (and even then, it was Kobe and Lebron, not Kermit and Miss Piggy). That changed this week with an assist from Queen's songbook. The puppet ensemble released a cover of the classic Queen anthem "Bohemian Rhapsody" to commemorate the death of Freddie Mercury 18 years ago. Whether it's Muppet nostalgia or a love of rock ballads, the video clearly struck a chord: it's had some 7 million plays in just a week's time.

Teen Singer Records Holiday Tune for Charity

(FoxNews.com) While most teenagers look forward to the holidays for a break from school and presents from mom and dad, one New Jersey girl is working hard to raise money for charity instead. Fifteen-year-old singer Annalisa de Sena has released a recording of the original holiday song "There’s Still Christmas" in an attempt to raise $100,000 for the Ronald McDonald House, which she says got her attention for donating money not only to help sick children, but their families as well.

'Seven-year-old Picasso' Kieron sells his art for £17,000... in 14 minutes

(Daily Mail ) A boy of seven has been hailed a genius after selling his paintings for £17,000 in just 14 minutes. Buyers from as far afield as Japan and Canada paid more than £1,000 each to buy one of Kieron Williamson's 16 watercolours, oils and pastels of Norfolk landscapes. It follows a sealed bid auction of his work this summer, when 19 of his paintings were sold for £14,000. Adrian Hill, who runs the Picturecraft gallery in Kieron's home town of Holt, where the sale took place, said: 'He is red-hot. The last child artist in this bracket was Picasso.'

Debbie Allen's Middle Eastern adventure

(Aspen Steib, CNN) Imagine being a Hollywood star complete with Tony and Emmy award nominations and multiple trips to the Oscars. Reaching that pinnacle of success in your career, but believing none of it compares to what you are doing now. Enter Debbie Allen. The mere mention of her name probably has the "Fame" theme stuck in your head: "Fame! I'm gonna live forever, I'm gonna learn how to fly, high." Allen was the only character to reprise her role in all three versions of the "Fame" franchise. She's also worked on reality show "So You Think You Can Dance," Mariah Carey's World Tour and choreographing the Academy Awards numerous times.

Slash brings his considerable Rolodex to LAYN benefit at Avalon

(Los Angeles Times) Onstage at the Avalon during Sunday night's benefit for the Los Angeles Youth Network, comedian George Lopez assured the audience that donations to the homeless-services organization worked promptly. "If you donate tonight, you can save Paula Abdul," Lopez said, to general snickering. "She was sleeping under the 101 last night." The ex-"American Idol" host might be looking for work these days, but the real goal of the benefit -- a round-robin concert hosted by Slash with a bevy of classic-alt guests including Dave Navarro, Tom Morello, Chester Bennington and Billy Idol -- was to keep the organization's doors open in light of both tough financial straits and a big uptick in the need for its services.

Ten-Year-Old Prodigy Plays Carnegie Hall

(Bill Whitaker, CBS News) Everyone knows it takes years of practice and a very mature talent to reach Carnegie Hall. Everyone, that is, except a young pianist from California and the music lovers who can't hear enough. Marc Yu is just a 10 year old who loves toy pigs. But this little kid has big dreams to match his outsized talent. "Of course I still want to be a concert pianist and I wish I can play with important orchestras," Yu said. We first introduced you to Marc one year ago: a piano prodigy from the suburbs of Los Angeles, who could barely reach the pedals and had to stretch his tiny hands to span the notes.

Susan Boyle album sets pre-order record on Amazon

(Reuters) The upcoming debut album by British singing sensation Susan Boyle has become the largest global CD pre-order in the history of Amazon.com, the online retailer said on Thursday. Boyle's album "I Dreamed a Dream" will be released on November 24 by Sony Music Entertainment. It is the first album since the dowdy 48 year-old church volunteer from Scotland took the Internet by storm with her unlikely star turn on the TV show "Britain's Got Talent" in April. Amazon said that Boyle's album was not only the top CD pre-order in the United States, but also the biggest around the world in the 14-year history of it's web site.

Chili Pepper's music school has kids hoppin', learning

(Denise Quan, CNN) The Silverlake Conservatory of Music is a quaint storefront nestled in a hipster block of Los Angeles called Sunset Junction. Just before 3:30 p.m. on weekdays, kids stream through the front door toting drumsticks, violins and guitar cases, the latter taller than they are. They're here to learn the traditional fundamentals of playing an instrument. In the corner, a wiry man with tattooed knuckles is playing the piano. It's Flea, the bass guitarist from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He founded the nonprofit music school in 2001 with his childhood friend, Tree, aka Keith Barry, who teaches and serves as the Conservatory's dean.

Madonna wants to help Rio slums, says governor

(Rodrigo Viga Gaier and Stuart Grudgings, Reuters) Madonna, who has promoted school building in the African country Malawi, is now turning her star power onto projects to improve the notorious slums of Rio de Janeiro. The 51-year-old star is in Rio to visit some of the Brazilian city's slums, or "favelas," and meet with one of the country's richest businessmen to discuss setting up social projects, said state Governor Sergio Cabral. "She will get to know some social projects; she is enchanted with Rio and wants to help," Cabral said.

Sesame Street Is Now 40 Years Young

(Martha Teichner, CBS News) Even if you were watching "Sesame Street" when it first went on the air in 1969, I'm betting 40 years later every character, every Muppet is still as imprinted on your now-middle-aged brain as the letters of the alphabet they all taught you. Almost from the beginning, there were celebrity visitors to the neighborhood, such as a thin Jay Leno with black hair riding around on a tricycle in a cowboy suit. Funny how they've aged, but Big Bird and company haven't. Is it something in the water?

A 'literary miracle' crowned by Oprah

(Eileen Pollack, Special to CNN) Even among the hundreds of applications, this one stood out. Most applicants to creative writing programs submit stories about the angst of their suburban childhoods. This writer's stories concerned the daily ordeals of a boy living with his family on the streets of Nairobi, Kenya, and the horrific plight of a Rwandan girl whose mother is Tutsi and father Hutu. Not only did the applicant have what writers call "material," he was blessed with an uncanny ear for human speech and the poetry to describe his characters' very unpoetic lives.

Ansel Adams: The Black-and-White Master, in Color

(Richard Lacayo, Time) Ansel Adams was the poet of the gray spectrum, the man who dipped the American sublime into the inkpot of black-and-white photography and by that means made it new again. So persuasive were his methods that because of him we tend to think of the national parks the way we think of the Great Depression, as something we can barely conceive of in color. He almost made us believe that the whole of creation comes in the palette of a cinder block — and to be glad about it.

Simon Cowell Brings Happiness To Hospice

(Gareth Deighan, Sky News Online) X Factor judge Simon Cowell showed off his softer side when he became patron of charity Children's Hospices UK. At a visit to CHASE hospice care based in Surrey to announce his patronage, the talent show judge was a surprise guest for the families and children who used the centre. Speaking to Sky News, Cowell, who recently celebrated his 50th birthday with an A-list bash, said: "I came into the room - there were probably about 80 families there, and they gave me a real grilling."

Tickets to U2’s free Berlin show gone in 3 hours

(AP) Lucky U2 fans have found what they were looking for. The 10,000 tickets for the Irish rockers' free Nov. 5 show in front of Berlin's landmark Brandenburg Gate were snapped up in just three hours. Hopeful concert-goers went online at 9 a.m. EDT to get tickets for the four-song show, at one point crashing the Web site operated by German ticket company Eventim. All the tickets were gone by noon.

Don Cheadle's poker playing has benefits

(David Daniel, CNN) "Hotel Rwanda" star Don Cheadle got a first-hand view of horror when he traveled to the devastated Darfur region of Sudan in 2005. He saw what it's like in an area in which tends of thousands have died and many more have been rendered homeless. He came back inspired to try to help. And this Thursday, he'll return to one of the efforts that has had the most impact. Playing poker.

It takes two to make an international treasure

(Natasha Fatah, CBC News) It demands a close embrace, a standoff and a slithering walk across the dance floor. I am talking here about South America's sexiest export — the tango. When we think of the tango, most of us conjure up images of seductive Latin rhythms and sultry moves on sweaty dance floors in South American barrios. But the music and dance have a long and complicated history, and now, fortunately, thanks to a jolt of international diplomacy, a well-preserved future.

Lost your job? Documentary details layoffs’ sweet side

(Kate Vander Wiede, Christian Science Monitor) Even though everyone at his Boston advertising agency knew layoffs were coming, Erik Proulx was still shocked when he lost his job as senior copywriter last October. With no steady salary and lots of free time on his hands, the 30-something husband and father of two fired up his computer, created a website, and began blogging about his experiences. "I’ve heard so many people express some kind of despair after losing their jobs. I was one of them," Mr. Proulx says. "It was important for me to discover in myself that this could be the best opportunity of my life – with the right attitude."

Madonna opens new Malawi school

(BBC News) Pop star Madonna has marked the start of construction at the girls school she is building in Malawi. The 51-year-old cut a ribbon and planted a tree at the groundbreaking ceremony at the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls. The star's four children including David, 4, and Mercy, 3 - whom Madonna adopted from the country - were also present at the event. It is thought construction of the $15m (£9.2m) academy will take two years.

Woman rediscovers love for music through YouTube

(Ellyn Pak, Orange County Register) Jennifer Lindsay needed a YouTube experience to remind her of her love for music. For a while, the Fountain Valley native had pushed aside the instrument that she had grown up playing since she was a 3-year-old. But being part of a revolutionary, Internet symphony orchestra this spring encouraged her to pick up where she left off. Lindsay, a 28-year-old systems engineer by day, was selected at the last minute to replace someone who couldn't be a part of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, to which thousands of people online vied to be a part.

Country singer aims to break down barriers

(Ashley Hayes, CNN) A sealed envelope awaits in Rissi Palmer's Bible. It's her Grammy acceptance speech, the one she wrote as a 12-year-old. She vowed not to open it until she could read it from the stage accepting her award. Sixteen years later, the time may be nearer when Palmer can open the envelope. The road has been a long one, starting with her standing on a milk crate as a child so she could sing solos in the church choir. But these days, she is an up-and-comer in country music -- and a rare African-American performer in the genre.

Never Mind the Pity: How a dying teenager’s dream turned into the making of a miraculous album

(David Amsden, New York Magazine) Woodstock, Halloween night, 2008. The town’s main streets, a quaint cluster of earthy boutiques and cafés, are closed to traffic, allowing the teenagers of the Catskills to take part in an annual tradition known as the Shaving Cream Rave. With dance music pumping from massive speakers, kids gather at the triangle where Tinker Street merges with Rock City Road, impish grins on their faces and cheap metallic cans of shaving cream in hand. Then chaos: shaving cream shooting into the air, covering the streets, slathered and slapped on bodies, rendering all costumes unrecognizable, obsolete. Among those looking forward to this bit of community-sanctioned madness is a 15-year-old boy named Killian Mansfield, lanky, sardonic, inquisitive-looking.

Bill Cosby prides himself on comedy that has no shelf life

(Cindy Clark, USA Today) To hear Bill Cosby tell it, he got his comedic start as a bartender in 1960 with "about 10 great dirty jokes." But to be clear, those jokes probably wouldn't be considered dirty in today's culture. "Your dirty jokes are loaded with profanity," Cosby says. "Our dirty jokes had innuendo. They were stories and you could see it because they would paint a picture." The 72-year-old comedian's brand of familial humor has earned him countless awards and accolades and made him a household name.

Obamas rockin’ White House with music series

(AP) Michelle and Barack Obama sat one table over from J. Lo and Marc Anthony, and all four of them were rocking in their seats as Sheila E. shook the house — well, really the tent. The latest installment of the White House music series was too big for the East Room, so a high-wattage assortment of Latin musicians sent pulsating, can’t-help-but-bob-along rhythms tumbling out of a giant tent on the mansion’s South Lawn. As it happens, music of all sorts — rock, jazz, country, classical — has been busting out of the White House all year long.

U2 to stream entire concert live on YouTube

(Mike Collett-White, Reuters) U2 will stream an entire concert live on the YouTube video sharing site this weekend, the Irish band said on their website. Sunday's show at the Rose Bowl in California is already a sellout, with an audience of 96,000 expected, and U2 said it would be the first time for such a large show to be streamed live.

Shaheen launches singing scheme

(BBC News) Britain's Got Talent star Shaheen Jafargholi is helping to spearhead an initiative to encourage fellow pupils to develop their vocal talents. CanSing was launched by Shaheen, 12, and Education Minister Jane Hutt at his school in Swansea. The project, being funded by the Welsh Assembly, is costing nearly £500,000.

Garth Brooks says he will resume music career

(Andrew Stern, Reuters) Garth Brooks, the best-selling solo musician in U.S. history, said on Thursday he was coming out of retirement and was expected to announce an extended concert run at the Wynn Las Vegas casino and hotel. "I know this is a young industry, so I'm not sure I'll be welcomed back but, if the fans want me, I still want to pursue my music," Brooks told reporters at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. A two-time Grammy winner and winner of 11 Country Music Association awards, Brooks' brand of rock-tinged country music topped the charts in the 1990s. He has sold 113 million albums, putting him second to the Beatles in all-time U.S. sales.

U2 Makes Outer Space Call

(Clara Moskowitz, Space.com) As if being an astronaut wasn't already a dream job, add personal calls from the band U2 to the list of perks in space. U2 members Bono and The Edge, along with Bono's sons Eli and John, stopped by NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston Tuesday to call up to the spaceflyers on the International Space Station. "We've had our breath taken away this morning to be led in here into this place," Bono told the astronauts. "It is an amazing church of possibilities. We're here to pay homage."

Finger points to new da Vinci art

(BBC News) A new Leonardo da Vinci portrait may have been discovered after a fingerprint found on it seemed similar to another discovered on his work. A Paris laboratory found the fingerprint is "highly comparable" to one on a da Vinci work in the Vatican. Antiques Trade Gazette reported that the work, previously catalogued as "German, early 19th Century", could be worth tens of millions of dollars.

Make Drew Carey give away $1 million

(Breeanna Hare, CNN) It's a good thing he didn't go with "@andrew." Drew Olanoff, cancer-fighter and blogger, is auctioning off his enviable Twitter username "@drew" to benefit the LiveStrong foundation. Its value has already been raised to $1 million, thanks to that other Drew -- last name Carey. "I thought we would find a Drew who would bid $10,000 on the last day and that was it," Olanoff said. "I certainly didn't think Drew Carey would get wind of it." Get wind he did.

Orlando Bloom named goodwill ambassador for kids

(Jill Serjeant, Reuters) Actor Orlando Bloom, star of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Lord of the Rings" movies, was named a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations children's organization UNICEF on Monday. The 32-year-old British actor has supported the work of UNICEF since 2007, visiting projects in Nepal, Russia and Sarajevo that bring clean water, education and shelters to children.

Optician, artist donates sculptures to nonprofits

(Katherine Ullmer, Dayton Daily News) Life is not your everyday grind for Kevin Harrington. Leaving the grinding of lenses for eyeglasses he sells in his Downtown Dayton Optical shop to others, he gets his pleasure from the artful glass work he does in the back after work. He donates his stained-glass art to nonprofits, which auction it off for charity causes. Taking commissions and selling his art is "too much like work," he said. "It’s very hard to create something that somebody else has in their mind."

TV Icon Bob Barker Gives $3 Million to Military Brain Injuries Hospital

(Ari Pinkus, ABC News) Bob Barker, famed TV icon and former host of "The Price Is Right," has given $3 million to finish funding the construction of a new hospital in Bethesda, Md., to care for the brain injuries of military personnel. Barker, a naval aviator who served during World War II, contacted the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund last week after learning that it was struggling to come up with the last $3 million for the new treatment center.

Blues musician keeps long-ago past vibrant

(John Bena, CNN) As you walk down Prince Street in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, it may be easy to forget that it's 2009. You might find a wooden-wheeled carriage rolling by, drawn by a mule. Holding the reins and telling the history of the town is a woman dressed in clothing of an era long past. Gas lanterns burn and adorn intricate woodwork on townhouse entrances. Cobblestone streets preserving the past lead the way to the waterfront, where the old Torpedo Factory lies. And if you listen carefully, you can hear the sounds of the past echoing in the alleys and old tunnels.

Using Music To Mentor Venezuela's Poorest Youth

(Enrique Rivera, NPR) The Los Angeles Philharmonic welcomes its new music director with a special concert Saturday evening. Gustavo Dudamel is the closest classical music comes to "hot" — he's handsome and charismatic, and he has a reputation for energizing orchestras. Dudamel comes from Venezuela and is a product of something called El Sistema — The System. It's a music education program for the country's poorest children that began in a garage more than 30 years ago. More than 250,000 people have passed through its doors.

Nat King Cole's Daughters Spread Love of Music to Next Generation

(Phil Keating, Fox News) Sometimes, musical dreams come in pairs — especially if they're the daughters of a musical icon. Timolin and Casey Cole are the youngest daughters of Nat King Cole, the legendary performer who has sold millions of records around the world, and now they are helping to spread his love of music to future generations. "He was the first African American to have his own television show, 'The Nat King Cole Show' in 1957," says daughter Timolin Cole, who says her father helped paved the way for younger artists.

Homeless man becomes a millionaire after writing hit symphony... with no musical training

(Daily Mail) A self-trained musician who slept rough on the streets for a decade has been hailed a genius after writing a symphony. Stuart Sharp, 67, saw a vision of the musical masterpiece in his mind after his baby son Ben died 35 years ago. He could not read or write music but the tunes were so vivid he was determined to turn the 'imaginary' sounds into a symphony in memory of his lost child.

Electric fiddler keeps violin current

(Justin Rocket Silverman, New York Post) For a girl who doesn’t like techno music, Caitlin Moe sure knows how to tear up a set. Not on the turntables — she leaves that up to the actual deejay. Instead, the 21-year-old beauty grips the neck of her electric violin and plays over the pounding bass with enough raw female fury to hypnotize a club full of even the most jaded ravers. As the Fashion’s Night Out crowd at a packed DKNY store discovered, it’s nearly impossible to look away once Moe’s face becomes flushed with concentration.

A Hollywood ending: How LeBron James helped Kris Belman survive film school

(Patrick Goldstein, Los Angeles Times) "More Than a Game" is a soul-stirring documentary about a close-knit group of Akron, Ohio, grade school kids who grow up to be the greatest high school basketball team of their generation. It doesn't hurt that one of the kids is LeBron James, who was such a prodigy that he went straight from high school to NBA stardom. The movie depicts James, who even in fifth grade looked like a man among boys, in all his youthful glory.

Celebrities frame up for charity

(Anna Leask, New Zealand Herald) Kiwi celebs have surrendered their old specs in a bid to help restore sight to people in poverty-stricken countries. Paul Ellis, Peter Urlich, Simon Dallow and Shortland Street's Amanda Billing were among those who donated their old glasses to OneSight, an organisation dedicated to improving vision.

Eddie Vedder gives 7-year-old boy & his father a night they'll never forget

(Travis Hay, EarCandyBeat.com) If you were at Pearl Jam's concert Monday night you'll recall Eddie Vedder pausing before "Off He Goes" to give a 7-year-old boy a guitar pick. That boy's name is Matthew and he was attending his first ever concert with his father Jeff, an Ear Candy reader. This is their story, as written by Jeff Tuesday morning. It is a story that doesn't just convey the power of Pearl Jam, but the power of music in general.

Rare gorillas make Facebook debut

(BBC News) Uganda is preparing to make internet stars of its endangered mountain gorillas - with the help of some human stars from Hollywood. Officials are launching a "Friend a Gorilla" website to allow readers to become friends with the animals on the Facebook site, for a $1 (£0.60) fee. Jason Biggs, star of high school comedy American Pie, was among the actors in Kampala to help with the launch.

Jessica Biel to climb Kilimanjaro

(Sandy Cohen, AP) When Jessica Biel, Lupe Fiasco and Isabel Lucas get together in Africa, they'll have nowhere to go but up. The entertainers have signed on to climb the continent's highest peak — Mount Kilimanjaro, at more than 19,000 feet — to raise awareness about the need for clean water worldwide.

'The Wizard of Oz' turns 70 with fanfare, remastered releases

(Mike Clark, USA Today) As movie buffs celebrate the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz this year, it's important to recall that at first, few were willing to bet Dorothy's Kansas farm on the success of a movie musical version of L. Frank Baum's story. The Wizard of Oz was initially a popular but costly break-even enterprise for MGM until it found a bigger audience upon its re-release in 1949.

When Spike met Maurice: Bringing 'Where the Wild Things Are' to the screen

(Chris Lee, Los Angeles Times) When bestselling children’s author Maurice Sendak contacted Spike Jonze at the start of this decade and broached the idea of a big-screen adaptation of his illustrated classic "Where the Wild Things Are," the filmmaker demurred. The book was a childhood favorite for Jonze, but how could he possibly translate a sweet story of a mere 10 sentences into a feature-length film?

African author Uwem Akpan says humbled by Oprah pick

(Belinda Goldsmith, Reuters) Nigerian author Uwem Akpan, who is a Jesuit priest, said he was "humbled" that his debut collection of short stories was chosen by influential U.S. talk show host Oprah Winfrey for her book club. Oprah picked "Say You're One Of Them" as her 63rd book club selection, the first time she has chosen a book of short stories, saying these stories "left me stunned and profoundly moved."

Hip-hop subway series rumbles on A train for free show

(Nancy Dillon, New York Daily News) Don't like hip hop? You might want to avoid the back of a Brooklyn-bound A train around 6 p.m. on Sunday night. But fans of rap need nothing more than a MetroCard to enjoy an hour-long performance on wheels - the latest in a series of jam sessions known as the Hip Hop Subway Series.

Ridiculopathy as a life pursuit

(Daniel Rubin, Philadelphia Inquirer) When the houselights rose and the audience at the Society Hill Playhouse on Tuesday evening roared, Tina Brock stepped forward for a bow and the chance to catch her breath. As the Old Woman in Eugene Ionesco's play The Chairs, she'd sprinted for 80 minutes, dragging furniture, climbing window ledges, and seducing imaginary guests in a tattered wedding gown and scarlet athletic socks. "Brilliant," The Inquirer's Toby Zinman wrote of Brock's direction, "breathtakingly brave" of her acting. What's amazing to me is that Brock wasn't asleep on her feet.

Run, Izzard, run and run again

(Claire Heald, BBC News) It's the last leg of Eddie Izzard's 43 marathons in 51 days. How did the less than athletic comic pull off such a feat of endurance? Running into London's Trafalgar Square on Tuesday, Eddie Izzard took the last of 1.6m steps, from the 43 marathons he has completed in 51 days. He has run at least 27 miles a day, six days a week, over the past seven weeks, covering more than 1,110 miles of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The aim - to raise what he calls, in classic whimsical Izzard style, "billions" for charity Sport Relief.

92-year-old Dame Vera Lynn tops U.K. album chart

(BBC News) Forces sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn has become the oldest living artist to top the UK album chart. The 92-year-old, who told BBC News she was "surprised" at going to number one, knocked last week's chart-toppers Arctic Monkeys into fourth place. She achieved her success with her album, We'll Meet Again - The Very Best of Vera Lynn, which has been steadily climbing the chart in recent weeks.

Astoria musician to belt out one tune a week for a whole year online

(Arianna Davis, New York Daily News) In a quiet, bright apartment in Astoria, an inspired mind began a year-long project 10 weeks ago that she would document online. This is not the Julie/Julia project - where an amateur chef from Queens follows in the culinary footsteps of Julia Child. This is Jamie Stellini, a 32-year-old musician who is writing and recording one song per week for an entire year and posting the work on her Web site, theweeklysong.com.

Song inspired by feathered flock strikes a chord with listeners

(Claire Bates, Daily Mail) A musician has proven he is quite the songbird by creating a composition inspired by a feathered flock perching on some telephone wires. Jarbas Agnelli from Brazil, 46, spotted a picture of the birds in a newspaper and noticed they were arranged like notes on a musical score. 'I cut out the photo and decided to make a song, using the exact location of the birds as notes,' he said.

Read more...

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

Edward Norton plays marathon man to fund African conservation

(Doug Gross, CNN) Actor Edward Norton already wanted to be in better shape for his 40th birthday than he was on his 30th when the idea hit -- why not join members of an African tribe famous for its runners and run the New York marathon? Before he knew it, the star of "The Incredible Hulk" and "Fight Club" had signed on to the effort, despite never having run a marathon before. "The idea picked up traction pretty quickly," said Norton, who turned 39 in August. "Then, I was like, 'Wait a minute. What have I just done?'"

Rapper Ludacris, dealership give away 20 cars to drivers in need

(Ashley Fantz, CNN) Jobless for nearly a year, Michael Rivers was about to walk out of his house a few weeks ago to catch the bus for another daylong employment hunt when a radio announcement stopped him. "This is Ludacris, and I'm giving away 20 free cars. ..." The famous rapper was pulling an Oprah in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. The rapper announced that if listeners were able to pay the taxes, registration, tags and insurance, they should go to his nonprofit Ludacris Foundation Web site and write 300 words about why they deserved new wheels.

A great day with Green Day: Santa Cruz kid pulled on stage to play in concert

(Wallace Baine, Santa Cruz Sentinel) You don't get pulled out of the stands at AT&T Park and put in to play center field for the Giants. You don't get a call from the White House inviting you for a lunch with the president just to chat about whatever's on your mind. And you don't just get invited to play guitar with one of the world's most popular rock bands in front of 50,000 screaming fans. The world just doesn't work that way. That's why we dream at night. That kind of stuff never happens. OK, almost never.

Susan Boyle's album tops Amazon bestsellers list... months before release

(Lizzie Smith, Daily Mail) Its the most hotly anticipated album release of the year. And the success of Susan Boyle's first album is now beyond all doubt, after it topped Amazon's bestsellers list - nearly three months before release. I Dreamed A dream does not even go on sale until November 23, but tens of thousands of copies have been sold to fans pre-ordering on the U.S. edition of Amazon.

Music Written For Monkeys Strikes A Chord

(Richard Harris, NPR) Music has great power to alter our emotions — making us happy or sad, agitated or calm. Psychologists have tried in vain to figure out why that happens. Now, a composer says he's has a clue. And he got it by writing music not for humans, but for monkeys. David Teie plays cello with the National Symphony Orchestra and even on occasion with the heavy metal band Metallica. He's also a composer.

Jay-Z announces 9/11 charity concert

(Doug Ganley, CNN) Jay-Z wants everybody to remember the first responders who answered the call on September 11, 2001. So, this year the hip-hop artist will hold a charity concert at Madison Square Garden in New York on the anniversary of the attacks. He announced the show, named "Answer the Call," at a press conference with government officials Monday morning at the Midtown New York venue.

Kitty Wells blazed trail for 'girls'

(Peter Cooper, The Tennessean) In 1952, Muriel Deason — known in the music business as Kitty Wells — had a plan that didn't involve becoming a pioneering legend of country music. "I was going to stay home, be a homemaker, stay with the children," she told an audience of well-wishers at the Ernest Tubb Record Shop's Texas Troubadour Theatre on Sunday afternoon, where friends, fans and family came to celebrate the Nashville native's 90th birthday. "It was hard for a girl to get started in the business at that time."

 

Carrie Underwood shocks Checotah students with visit, donation of instruments

(Jennifer Chancellor, Tulsa World) Carrie Underwood’s hometown sang the country music superstar’s praises Friday morning. More accurately, they screeched them. Hundreds of young Checotah Public Schools music students screamed with glee as Underwood shocked them with $117,000 worth of instruments for the band and vocal music programs. "I love my job," said intermediate music teacher Kathy Cooper from the auditorium stage in the small high school from which the singer graduated.

Musicians play for peace to mark WWII anniversary

(Simon Hooper, CNN) A unique collection of some of the world's top classical musicians will gather in Krakow, Poland, on September 1 for a special performance under the baton of Russian maestro Valery Gergiev to mark the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II. Bringing together 95 musicians from 35 countries and 75 orchestras, the World Orchestra for Peace was founded in 1995 by legendary conductor Sir Georg Solti, a Jewish-Hungarian émigré who fled his homeland in 1939 as Europe plunged into conflict, to mark the 50th anniversary of the United Nations.

Celebrities keep spotlight on New Orleans 4 years after Katrina

(Doug Gross, CNN) It was a love affair begun long before the levees broke. Before the images of a crowded and toxic Superdome and desperate survivors waving down help from rooftops, entertainers the world over had a special place in their hearts for New Orleans -- the sultry Louisiana city that served as muse to musicians, playwrights and novelists for more than a century before Hurricane Katrina roared into the city four years ago this week.

Watch out X Factor! Girl, 2, dubbed next Kylie Minogue after shock win in singing contest

(Daily Mail) This two-year-old singing sensation might be too young for X Factor - but she has already been dubbed the next Kylie Minogue after winning a singing contest against much older performers. Faye Le Provost was on holiday in Cromer, Norfolk, with grandmother Linda when she wowed talent show judges with her rendition of DJ Otzi's Hey Baby. Organisers agreed to bend the rules stipulating that contestants had to be aged between five and 15, which meant Faye was competing against 19 children much older than her.

Toby Keith Makes Good on Promise to Soldier

(Vernell Hackett, TheBoot.com) Toby Keith is a man of his word. Just ask the McKenna family in Purcell, Okla. Toby met Sgt. Robby McKenna when he was on his seventh USO Tour last April, and the young man asked a special favor of his fellow Oklahoman. He gave Toby a birthday present for his stepmother and asked if the country star would mail the package once he got back to the U.S. The singer promised that he would.

Duo's marital bliss: songwriting

(Moira E. McLaughlin, Washington Post) Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks do it. Kathleen Edwards and Colin Cripps do it. And Faith Hill and Tim McGraw definitely do it. Often. And in front of thousands of people. Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks do it. Kathleen Edwards and Colin Cripps do it. And Faith Hill and Tim McGraw definitely do it. Often. And in front of thousands of people.

Guitar heroes in tune for "Loud" music documentary

(Dean Goodman, Reuters) "What's gonna happen? Probably a fist-fight," Jack White, the frontman with rock duo the White Stripes, mutters from the back of his limousine. Prisoners being led to their execution seem only slightly more nervous. But the guitarist awaits a fate for which most rock fans would sell their souls to the devil: a summit with axmen, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin and The Edge of U2. The trio's private gathering on a Hollywood soundstage was filmed 18 months ago for a documentary, "It Might Get Loud," which opens in New York and Los Angeles on Friday before rolling out across North America.

Men and women play juvenile games

(Stephanie Chen, CNN) Spongy red balls wait in a queue, separating two teams wired to smack their opponent. Within seconds, the players dip and dive like dolphins until one player stands alone, relishing in victory. It's the classic game of dodge ball, but these aren't fifth-graders during PE class in Sparks, Nevada. The childhood sport of dodge ball made a comeback four years ago in this bedroom community among adults in their 20s and 30s -- and even a few players who reached retirement.

Chaka Khan is on a mission to educate kids - and there Ain't Nobody better to do it

(Michael J. Feeney, New York Daily News) Chaka Khan is bringing her act to New York - without singing a single note. The songstress known for hits like "I'm Every Woman" and "I Feel for You" said Tuesday she plans to expand her foundation for underachieving kids to cities across the nation, including New York.

Three top Hollywood studios bring films to Web

(Paul Thomasch and Sue Zeidler, Reuters) It is a dash of Hulu and a sprinkle of YouTube, features a crystal clear picture, can rewind or fast-forward at lightning speed, and doesn't require a download of any special software. But epixHD.com, the soon-to-launch video website, will have its success dictated more by the movies, concerts and original programs it offers than the technology behind it, said the executive charged with creating and running the site.

 

Reviving Malawi's music heritage

(Nikki Jecks, BBC News) You might not think you know much about Malawian music, but chances are you have heard it, or at least musicians influenced by it. African music in general first came to international attention in the 1950s with the popularity of "kwela" in the urban townships of Johannesburg. South Africa claims kwela for its own, but Kenny Gilmore, the director of a documentary that charts the history of Malawian music, says kwela was actually popularised in South Africa by Malawian musicians.

New Radiohead song honors World War I veteran

(Michael D. Ayers, Billboard) Radiohead fans got their first taste of new studio material Wednesday, when the group made available "Harry Patch (In Memory Of)" for download via its online store. Unlike "In Rainbows," fans will have to pay for this track and won't be allowed to set a price: The 5-1/2-minute digital file costs one pound ($1.70). Proceeds will be donated to the Royal British Legion, which promotes the welfare of former military personnel and their dependants.

After Chance Meeting, Singer’s Tribute Will Benefit an Animal Sanctuary

(Fernanda Santos, New York Times) It all began last fall with a chance encounter between a rocker and an animal-rights advocate in their hometown, Louisville, Ky. Jim James — singer, songwriter and guitarist of the band My Morning Jacket — was dining out with relatives when the activist Jenny Brown, whom he had never met, approached him with a proposition. How about holding a concert to benefit the farm animal sanctuary that she ran in Woodstock, N.Y., Ms. Brown asked him. Mr. James gave her his e-mail address, told her to keep in touch and went his way, but the proposal intrigued him.

Analyst: Music pieces probably composed by young Mozart

(Shelby Lin Erdman, CNN) The music isn't new, but the discovery that a young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart "almost certainly" composed it is a stunning revelation. The two compositions -- a concerto in G and a prelude in G -- have long been in the files at the International Mozarteum Foundation in Salzburg, Austria, as anonymous works and were even published in the book "New Mozart Edition" in 1982. Now Ulrich Leisinger, director of the foundation's research department, believes the works actually were composed by Mozart before he was old enough to write music, and that Mozart's father, Leopold, transcribed them.

Meryl Streep emerges as summer box-office sensation

(Jay A. Fernandez, Reuters) A partial list of this summer's best box-office bets: Optimus Prime, Manny the Woolly Mammoth and Meryl Streep. It's understandable if that prompts a double take, but the actress most synonymous with Oscar quietly has become one of the most reliable warm-weather draws at the multiplex. Streep, who turned 60 in June, drummed up nearly $1 billion in worldwide revenue from her previous two summer outings: Fox's "The Devil Wears Prada" in 2006 and Universal's "Mamma Mia!" in 2008.

Russell Crowe is real life Robin Hood as he gives slice of his wealth to cancer charity

(The Telegraph) The Hollywood actor donated £1,000 of his own personal fortune to a charity shop near the set of Nottingham, the Ridley Scott film which is being filmed in England. At first, volunteers at Cancer Research UK, in Sunningdale, Berkshire, didn't recognise the Oscar-winning actor when he strolled into the shop and hand them a cheque. Crowe, who was on a break from filming in nearby Virginia Water, had been eating lunch at a café close by before he wandered in to look around.

'Legend,' Bob Marley's best-of album, lands on a milestone

(Edna Gundersen, USA Today) Released in 1984, Legend: The Best of Bob Marley and the Wailers didn't stir it up on the charts. It entered Billboard at No. 168 and peaked at No. 54. But the reggae icon's posthumous collection has lived up to its name by becoming only the 17th album to exceed sales of 10 million copies since Nielsen SoundScan began tabulating in 1991. It's quite a feat for an artist who never had a top 40 single and didn't win a Grammy in his lifetime.

The art of making music fun

(Arminta Wallace, Irish Times) Learning to play a musical instrument can be a bit of a chore. But if you’re four years old and your music lessons involve chasing up and down a tree with five hungry monkeys, landing a Boeing 707 without injuring any of the passengers, walking on your hands and a spot of juggling . . . well, that’s a different story altogether. Fun is the starting point of a new illustrated music tutor called Michaela’s Music House. Based around the musical adventures of the eponymous four-year-old Michaela, its pages fairly bubble and crackle with mischief.

'My Girl' star Anna Chlumsky all grown up in acting comeback

(Natasha Stoynoff, People) She broke your heart and won rave reviews as the earnest kid in the coming-of-age drama "My Girl." And then, a few years later, Anna Chlumsky had her own heart broken -- by Hollywood. "Show business got really tainted for me," the actress, now 28, says. Growing up with her mother as her acting coach and manager didn't always help, and scoring Hollywood fame at the age of 10 was in some ways more of a burden than a joy.

A Wilde discovery of letters

(Belinda McKeon, Irish Times) He may have excelled at the unexpected, but even Oscar Wilde himself would have to bow down to this delicious irony. Several of Wilde’s working drafts and personal letters were thought, by scholars, to have been lost for over half a century, until a gift to the Morgan Library and Museum in New York revealed otherwise. Here were the drafts, nine of them in all, and here along with them were four precious letters, comprising some 50 pages of handwritten Wilde, beautifully bound in a red leather volume.

 

Mirimichi golf course is "the coolest thing" Timberlake has ever done

(John Beifuss, Memphis Commercial Appeal) Justin Timberlake has been a hit as a pop music, TV and movie star, but he’s apparently not ready for City Hall. Asked by a reporter today if he’d be willing to end Memphis’ political turmoil by running for mayor, Timberlake sputtered and smiled and put forth a different candidate. "I’d be the first to appoint my dad," he said, referring to stepfather Paul Harless. "His record is way cleaner than mine." Timberlake may not have political ambitions, but the 28-year-old former Millington resident and "SexyBack" singer was happy to be described as "an ambassador and a champion for the city of Memphis" as he introduced his new eco-friendly, state-of-the-art Mirimichi golf course to the media this morning.

Art of boy with cerebral palsy in traveling show

(Maria Sciullo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) When Alex McKay paints, there is imagination, control and expression evident on the paper. He often chooses blues, greens and purples. So it's probably no coincidence that his award-winning painting, "V.W. Beetle," embraces such a palette. Alex, of Washington, is 12 and has been taking classes at Monart in Washington for almost three years. Born with cerebral palsy, he learned to grasp a marker or paint brush using various devices that compensate for weakness in his left hand.

Perry's greatest accomplishment has nothing to do with business

(Andy Segal, CNN) Tyler Perry is known today as the first African-American to own a major film and TV studio. He's a pioneer whose own life story is a rags-to-riches tale that reads like a screenplay. Now a writer, actor, director and producer -- Perry's success grew out of a troubled home in a poor neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana. Strong on faith, Perry named his first play "I Know I've Been Changed," after an old Negro spiritual. It was a gospel musical about two adult survivors of child abuse.

Tyler Perry sending rebuffed day-care kids to Disney World

(Susan Candiotti and Jean Shin, CNN) Tyler Perry, the star, writer and producer of films such as "Madea Goes to Jail" and the television show "House of Payne," could be adding philanthropist to his growing list of credits. According to his publicist, Perry is sponsoring a Disney World trip for 65 Pennsylvania children at a largely minority day-care center after a swim club canceled pool privileges for the children. "He wanted to do something nice for them and let them know that for every negative experience, there are people out there who want them to succeed regardless of the color of their skin."

'Daily Show' host Jon Stewart aids fan suffering leukemia, promotes bone marrow drive

(Elizabeth Hays, New York Daily News) Funnyman Jon Stewart is pitching in to help a fan with something that's no laughing matter. The "Daily Show" star heard a big fan is fighting leukemia and is doing his part to cheer him up - and urging New Yorkers to show up at a bone marrow drive Sunday.

Violinist David Garrett channels Michael Jackson

(Shanon Cook, CNN) Not every classically trained musician has the gumption to interpret Michael Jackson on the violin. But German-born virtuoso David Garrett re-imagines "Smooth Criminal" with such fervor that you'd think Jackson had intended the song to be played by the instrument all along. "I always loved his performances because as a lot of classical musicians are perfectionists, he was," said Garrett of the late singer. "He was really one of those people who was really old school, always looking for better performances. [He was] definitely a big influence [on me]."

Jim 'Nostradamus' Bartek of Maple Heights has listened to a Judas Priest album 391 straight days

(John Petkovic, Cleveland Plain Dealer) Jim "Nostradamus" Bartek never could have predicted this. The 49-year-old Maple Heights resident has parlayed about 1,000 hours of headbanging into 15 minutes of fame. Bartek, you see, has listened to the same album at least once a day for 391 consecutive days.

Study: Wii Sports, DDR games better for kids than TV

(Nanci Hellmich, USA Today) Children burn about three times more calories playing some exercise-oriented video games than they do just sitting around watching TV, a study shows. In fact, when kids play Nintendo's Wii Sports boxing or Dance Dance Revolution, they get the same amount of exercise as they would taking a brisk walk.

Young at Heart offers musical performances as therapy for shut-ins

(Richard Scheinin, San Jose Mercury News) Ginny Mitchell arrives at the White Blossom Care Center with a guitar in one hand, pulling a small amplifier on wheels with the other. "Welcome to my world," she says, smiling as another day's work begins. A singer-songwriter from Santa Cruz, Mitchell has had her hair smartly done in preparation for a week's worth of gigs in hospitals, assisted-living facilities, memory care units and skilled-nursing facilities like this one on Fruitdale Avenue in San Jose.

Bloomfield Man, 70, Recalls Being Michael Jackson's Chauffeur

(Stan Simpson, Hartford Courant) Robert Farmer didn't watch this week's tribute to Michael Jackson. The 70-year-old Bloomfield resident has his own cherished memories of The Gloved One, including the spring day in 1988 when Jackson gave Farmer the hat off his head, after an MJ concert at the Civic Center. That black fedora, size medium, with the lettering MICHAEL JACKSON on the inside band has been stored in a plastic bag in Farmer's raised ranch for the past two decades.

All Around London, an Invitation to Make Music

(Sarah Lyall, New York Times) The piano was standing innocently near the Millennium Bridge, minding its own business except for a cheeky come-on — "Play Me, I’m Yours" — printed on its side. For a 24-year-old Australian tourist named Lauren Bradley, it was as alluring as a sign saying "Free Chocolate." "I live away from home and don’t have my own piano, so any chance I get to tinker, I take it," Ms. Bradley said, spotting the piano after crossing the bridge. Without even sitting down, she pounded out the beginning of “Ain’t Misbehavin” as passers-by recorded her brief performance on their cellphones.

Shaheen Jafargholi, the boy from Wales, lives a dream come true

(Patrick Foster, Tim Teeman and Simon de Bruxelles, Times Online) The biggest night of 12-year-old Shaheen Jafargholi’s life was meant to come next Monday; he was due to duet with Michael Jackson at the singer’s comeback London concerts at the O2 Arena. Instead, the Britain’s Got Talent finalist found himself on stage as the sole British performer alongside the grandees of showbusiness at Jackson’s memorial service yesterday.

Spreading the love of music

(Celia R. Baker, Salt Lake Tribune) Music moves Jimena Arellano. It's not easy for her to describe the feeling, but playing the piano gives her the emotional outlet she craves. "When I play a certain type of music, sometimes the way I play it is like the way I feel," Jimena said. "I just feel connected. I feel like I can express my feelings through music." Jimena's need for self-expression found a positive channel because there's now a piano in her Glendale home - a piano that wouldn't be there without the help of the Mundi Project, a new Salt Lake City nonprofit arts group.

The Chuck Berry of the Engineering World

(Susan Kinzie, Washington Post) Bruce Jacob had a few songs he wanted to record, tunes that had been jangling around in his head for years. He bought a guitar, but the notes he played never sounded as good as the music he had imagined. Here's how Jacob, 43, describes the sounds a guitar makes: "If you have a bunch of paints, you can create any paint you want from the three or four fundamental colors. With guitars, it's the exact same thing. You can make any sound you want out of three or four colors. But most guitars have one color." So, the University of Maryland engineering professor decided to create a better guitar.

Brit loses Jackson lottery, but wins stranger's gift

(Aspen Steib, CNN) Melvin Price registered for the Michael Jackson memorial ticket lottery in England on Friday and jumped on a flight to the United States over the weekend. But Price, who did not beat the long odds to win tickets, will still get into the Staples Center event Tuesday because of a stranger he met on a Los Angeles street.

Jackson maintains chart dominance

(BBC News) Michael Jackson domination of the UK music charts has continued 10 days after his death, with 13 of his songs among the top 40 best selling singles. His 1988 track Man in the Mirror climbing from number 11 to two.

Jedi Mind Trick Do You Can

(Don Kaplan, New York Post) The Force can be with anyone now. Later this summer, anybody anywhere will have the ability to physically move stuff with their minds like characters do in "Star Wars." No joke. A new toy that harnesses the same technology doctors use to monitor brain waves will arrive in stores in August. The toy moves when it senses a change in the user's brain-wave patterns.

'Internetainers' Make Money Off YouTube Hits

(NPR) Many viral Internet videos become famous by accident, such as the YouTube hit of Susan Boyle, who sang on a British television show one night and was watched by millions online the next day. But a growing number of filmmakers are finding ways to profit from the Internet by creating content that is professional, poignant or just plain funny. Few are more successful than Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal.

Bon Jovi Records Version of "Stand by Me" for Iranian People

(Adam Bryant, TV Guide) With nearly wall-to-wall coverage of Michael Jackson's death, it might be easy to forget the ongoing struggle taking place in Iran. But rocker Jon Bon Jovi hasn't forgotten. Earlier this week, Bon Jovi and bandmate Richie Sambora recorded a version of Ben E. King's classic "Stand by Me" with Iranian superstar Andy Madadian. Their mission: to send a message of global solidarity to the people of Iran who are caught in the midst of debate and protest over the country's recent election.

Kevin Bacon performs on 14,110-foot Pikes Peak

(Catherine Tsai, AP) Actor Kevin Bacon hiked 14,110-foot Pikes Peak Saturday to play a concert at the top as part of an event to raise money for a cancer charity. Bacon woke up around 4:30 a.m. to make the roughly six-hour climb with his brother, Michael, and about 95 hikers at an event to raise money for the Love Hope Strength Foundation cancer charity.

He paints paradise, then makes it 'useful'

(Tom Hawthorne, Globe and Mail) A woman stepped forward to brush stray white hairs on Ted Harrison's head. Then another did the same. A few minutes later, a third pressed down the cowlick. Mr. Harrison, 82, seemed to enjoy their gentle petting. The artist was dapper despite the wayward coiffure. He wore white socks inside black loafers, kept his navy-blue blazer closed at the belly with a brass button and sported a spiffy black-and-gold tie for the occasion.

It's a rap, with 'moon man' Buzz Aldrin and Snoop Dog

(Marco R. della Cava, USA Today) Apologies to American Idol's Randy Jackson, but yo, dawg, check it! MC Buzz is out of this world and in the house. And, admittedly, just a little bit pitchy. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, 79, who has had his share of rendezvous with pop culture, launches three projects today, including a rap video that features Snoop Dogg, Soulja Boy and Quincy Jones.

Jolie, Pitt give $1 million for Pakistan refugees

(Alex Dobuzinskis, Reuters) Celebrity couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt donated $1 million to a U.N. refugee agency to help Pakistanis displaced by fighting between troops and Taliban militants, the agency said on Thursday.

Album blends voices of street musicians

(Nekesa Mumbi Moody, AP) When European street performer Clarence Bekker was asked to participate in an album of mashed-up performances by anonymous musicians from around the world, he didn't think much of its prospects for success. But Grammy-winning music producer Mark Johnson's grand vision for the global, street-level tapestry of seminal songs became clear to Bekker the first time he saw footage of "Stand by Me." "I was blown away," said Bekker, who was born in the African nation of Suriname, but spent much of his life in Amsterdam, and now lives in Barcelona, Spain. "From then on, I started to believe in the project totally."

Click here to see the latest "Playing for Change" video

Making sweet music is kid’s play for prodigies

(Michael Ventre, msnbc.com) It is appropriate that "Yuto" sounds a little like "YouTube," because the former is definitely a hit on the latter. There is Yuto Miyazawa, ripping his ax on "Crazy Train": more than 1.4 million views. There he is again, tearing it up on "Crossroads" with blues legend G.E. Smith and Moonalice, and picking on "Freebird," and wailing on Jimi Hendrix’s version of "The Star-Spangled Banner." Not bad for a 9-year-old.

Jordan Thomas, 18 years old, a teacher and student of music

(Monica Yant Kinney, Philadelphia Inquirer) Now here's a graduation story for the ages. This week, Jordan Thomas will trade his ID card at the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts for a sweatshirt from the renowned Peabody Institute. But the 18-year-old harp virtuoso is also a teacher. And the student he'll leave behind? Audrey Johnson Thorton, age 83.

School helps sax player take his own giant steps

(Daniel Rubin, Philadelphia Inquirer) They were nervous, that's understandable. They'd driven half the day to what seemed like the middle of nowhere for their one shot at impressing the Gods of Music. They were five players from Camden Creative Arts High's mighty big band, and just getting an audition for Oberlin College's prestigious conservatory was an honor. But when Wendell Logan, the Ohio school's chair of jazz studies, asked them if they wanted to play anything special, they froze.

Scorsese and The Auteurs put film classics online for free

(Mairi Mackay, CNN) Social networking, Martin Scorsese and cinema classics on demand: this is the enticing mix on offer at new movie Web site The Auteurs. The self-styled "online cinematheque" allows users to watch art house films from directors like Michael Winterbottom, Francois Ozon and Walter Salles, while Facebook-style profile pages and discussion forums encourage movie debate. With their innovative approach, The Auteurs hope to introduce art house cinema to a whole new audience.

Bill Cosby loves to make people laugh, but not at the expense of his principles

(David Martindale, Dallas Morning News) There's nothing quite as satisfying as watching a roomful of people respond to his jokes, says Bill Cosby. "Interesting things happen when people get to laughing too hard," the iconic funnyman says. "Their stomach muscles start to hurt. Their face muscles start to hurt. Tear ducts start excreting those good juices. People reach the point that they almost have to say, 'Wait a minute. I have to clean myself up before I can laugh anymore.' That's when I lay the next punch line on them."

'Lil Food Dude

(Maxine Shen, New York Post) A 14-year-old chef from East Hampton is get ting his own reality show. Last week, Greg Grossman, an eighth grader who's been in the catering business since he was 11, signed a deal to develop and star in his own series, which will be based on his culinary life. Grossman, whose parents work in the fine arts business, is a self-taught chef who specializes a new type of cooking called molecular gastronomy.

Hip-hop mogul, lawmaker team up to help youth

(Khadijah Rentas, CNN) The power of music and the power of politics met Tuesday, with a hip-hop mogul and one of the most prominent leaders in Congress joining their considerable forces to spotlight issues facing youth in America. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attended a youth conference co-sponsored by entrepreneur and entertainer Russell Simmons in Washington. The one-day event, called Keeping the Promise to Our Children, brought legislators together with entertainment A-listers, including Oscar-nominee Terrence Howard, who used their celebrity to advocate a variety of causes: foster care, health care and education among them.

Julia Roberts Keeping Newman's Dream Alive

(CBS News) Julia Roberts has a brand new role: philanthropist. The starlet is reaching out to children -- and keeping the dream of another beloved Hollywood star alive. On The Early Show Monday, Roberets discussed her involvement with Hole in the Wall Camps, a charity for ailing kids started by screen legend Paul Newman, who died last year.

In Iraq, Colbert Does His Shtick for the Troops

(Campbell Robertson, New York Times) It was Sunday night in Baghdad, and President Obama was ordering Gen. Ray Odierno, the commander of the American troops here, to shave Stephen Colbert’s head. (Not to give everything away, but the general is not as brutal with an electric razor as one would expect a bald man to be; Mr. Colbert’s hairdresser, on the other hand, has a merciless streak.) He is taping four episodes of "The Colbert Report," the Comedy Central show featuring his egotistical, fake-macho, nationalist blowhard alter ego, in Baghdad this week.

Van Cliburn 2009: Performers from China, Japan share top prize at piano competition

(Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News) The two youngest contestants in the final round of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, 20-year-old Nobuyuki Tsujii and 19-year-old Haochen Zhang, both took first prizes in the Sunday evening awards ceremony at Bass Performance Hall. Each received a $20,000 cash prize, three years of concert management and a contract for a compact-disc recording.

See related story on winner Nobuyuki Tsujii here

The human iPod: Derek Paravicini is blind and severely disabled yet can master any song after hearing it once

(Harry Mount, Daily Mail) Thirty years ago, Derek Paravicini was within a heartbeat of death. No other baby born in the Royal Berkshire Hospital 14 weeks prematurely had ever survived. His twin sister was dead at birth. When Derek came along a few minutes later, the doctor presumed that he, too, could not possibly live. And yet, and yet... just when his mother Mary Ann had given up hope, she heard the faintest of whimpers, the tiniest of muffled squeaks. He had made it. Three decades on, Derek no longer makes muffled squeaks. Instead, he brings a rapt audience in St George’s concert theatre, Bristol, to their feet again and again, with a dazzling range of music — an Oscar Peterson arrangement of Greensleeves, his own version of Bach’s Air in the key of G, a jaunty ragtime taste of Debussy.

25 Years of Tetris: From Russia With Fun!

(Scott Olstad, Time) Sputnik burned up in the atmosphere, Berlin is now one city, but 25 years later, the Soviet-designed Tetris remains one of the most popular and ubiquitous video games ever created. It has sold over 125 million copies, been released for nearly every video-game platform of the past two decades and even been played on the side of a skyscraper. Yet creator Alexey Pajitnov almost never saw a ruble for his creation.

Jane's Addiction Joins Trent Reznor's Transplant Charity Push

(Gary Graff, Billboard) Jane's Addiction has joined Trent Reznor's effort to raise money for a fan who's urgently in need of a heart transplant. Reznor has been selling special VIP packages to nine inch nails' NIN/JA tour with Jane's Addiction to raise the funds for Eric De La Cruz, the 27-year-old brother of former CNN reporter Veronica De La Cruz, who alerted Reznor of his plight. De La Cruz, who will die without the transplant, has been unable to secure a heart because he's on Medicaid, which will not pay for the transplant search and procedure. Reznor has raised nearly $860,000 by selling three tiers of VIP packages for the tour.

Two unpublished Poirot short stories found in Agatha Christie's holiday home

(Maev Kennedy and Katie Allen, The Guardian) There were more "leetle grey cells" than anyone dreamed of: two previously unpublished Hercule Poirot stories have emerged from a mass of family papers at Agatha Christie's favourite home. Poirot, Christie's dapper detective, insufferably proud of his equally luxuriant brain and moustache, has been reincarnated in myriad radio, television and film incarnations, most famously by the actor David Suchet. Now the Belgian sleuth has risen again, this time from the crates of letters, drafts and notebooks stored by Christie at Greenway, her adored holiday home set in a seaside garden in Devon, which she called "the loveliest place in the world."

Oscar-winning director sees film's positive impact

(Rituparna Bhowmik, Reuters) A short film about a poor Indian girl with a cleft lip fetched filmmaker Megan Mylan her maiden Oscar this year, and now she can't wait to do more films that could help improve people's lives. Her 39-minute "Smile Pinki" documentary shows how the life of its outcast heroine, Pinki Sonkar, changes after she is taken to a hospital that provides free surgery to fix the deformity for thousands of children. The film also helped increase awareness about the condition, gave Sonkar the chance of a better education and brought improvements to her remote village.

Where One Man’s Trash Is Preschoolers’ Art Material

(Winnie Hu, New York Times) These found objects are not lost. They have a purpose. In bulging trash bags and recycling bins, they make their way to the fourth-floor attic of a brownstone one block east of Union Square: bottle caps and wine corks, wood scraps and pebbles, vinyl records and even someone’s dental X-rays. This is the Materials Center at Beginnings Nursery School, where things that outlive their original use come to be cleaned, sorted and repurposed for children’s art projects and life lessons about second acts.