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This Just In...: Barbara Walters fascinated by J.K. Rowling, rightful Miss California claims her crown, Kid Rock copyright infringement case dismissed, more
Comforts of Home: Don't have a ticket for KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas concert in Los Angeles? No problem. Performances from the event will be streamed live via AT&T's blue room this weekend. Featured artists include the Shins, Bad Religion, Spoon and Feist.
Tossed Out: A federal judge has dismissed Louisiana musician Troy Landry's copyright infringement suit against Kid Rock, ruling that Landry failed to prove the rap-rocker's "Somebody's Got to Feel This" borrowed from his own music. "The works are not so strikingly or substantially similar as to preclude independent creation," U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon wrote in her ruling. Voice of Experience: Randy Jackson knows diabetes, dawg. The American Idol judge, who suffers from type 2 diabetes, has filmed a PSA for the Heart of Diabetes campaign in which he discusses his own history with the disease and encourages others to share their experiences though the organization's Website.
Passing the Sash: Miss California USA organizers corrected their voting error Thursday, crowning Miss Barstow Raquel Beezley the rightful winner of the pageant after stripping Miss Los Angeles Christina Silva of the title. "This was a human error. We have apologized for it," pageant executive director Keith Lewis said. "I believe in the integrity by which we must stand. I'm here today to right that wrong of crowning the incorrect person."
Utterly Fascinated: Barbara Walters deemed J.K. Rowling the most fascinating person of 2007 in her annual 10 Most Fascinating People special Thursday night. Despite being accorded the honor, the press-shy Rowling did not sit down with Walters for an interview and was instead honored with a montage of footage from past press appearances. Other folks with whom Walters was fascinated included Bill Clinton, Katherine Heigl, Don Imus and Justin Timberlake.
New Material : Billy Joel has released a new anti-war song, "Christmas in Fallujah," but he left the actual singing up to someone else. "I thought it should be somebody young, about a soldier's age," Joel said in a statement on his Website. "I wanted to help somebody else's career." That somebody turned out to be 21-year-old singer-songwriter Cass Dillon, who said he was "completely honored" to be asked to provide vocals.
Reupped: Bravo has given the greenlight to second seasons of reality hits Shear Genius and Top Design, the network announced Thursday. Casting for both series will begin in the coming weeks.
Another Verse: Fox wants viewers to remember Don't Forget the Lyrics! The network has ordered an additional 13 episodes of the musical game show, hosted by Wayne Brady.
Guilty Fella: Ray Liotta has pleaded no contest to one count of reckless driving as part of a plea bargain in his DUI case, TMZ reports. The actor was arrested in February after he crashed his SUV into several parked cars. He was sentenced to three years' probation and ordered to enroll in an alcohol-education class.
Taiwan showered native son Ang Lee with honors Saturday as his spy thriller "Lust, Caution" clinched seven prizes, including best film, director and actor at the Golden Horse Awards.
The normally reserved director wrapped up his acceptance speech by chanting "Go Taiwanese film!"
The success of "Lust, Caution" at the awards came after the film became a big hit in both Taiwan and China. It generated discussion about its steamy sex scenes and rekindled interest in famed writer Eileen Chang, who wrote the short story on which the movie is based.
"Lust, Caution," about an undercover activist who seduces the Japanese-allied spy chief in World War II-era Shanghai to pave way for his assassination, marks Lee's return to Chinese-language film after making "Hulk" and the gay romance "Brokeback Mountain."
He said winning at home is especially touching.
"I feel very warm in the heart to receive everyone's affirmation," Lee said.
Lee told a news conference earlier Saturday that he edited a line in "Lust, Caution," at the request of Chinese censors, to make its main female character appear less of a traitor to the Chinese.
"Lust, Caution" won seven of the 11 prizes it was nominated for Saturday.
Veteran Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai won for his portrayal of the calm, ruthless spy chief. Lead actress Tang Wei was named best new performer. The film also won best adapted screenplay, best score and best makeup and costume design.
Welcome to celeb street. Latest celebrity gossip Hollywood star news. Gossip and celebrity juicy rumor, The Gossip and Celeb Central. Celeb Info. 2007-12-09
Christina Aguilera flaunts her pregnancy in an upcoming issue of Marie Claire magazine. The 26-year-old singer is shown wearing a cropped jacket, hoop earrings and a ring on the cover of the January issue, on newsstands Dec. 11. Excerpts from the story were released Wednesday.
Aguilera and her husband, Jordan Bratman, were married in 2005.
The singer says she learned she was pregnant while on her recent "Back to Basics" tour.
"We were planning on starting to try after the tour. And so, I had gone off the Pill to prepare my body, because I didn't know how much time it would take. You've heard it takes some time -- except with id="morephoto"> Power Egg and Super Sperm here," she says. "... I'm like, `Oh my god, can you believe it just happened?'"
Aguilera says she became "paranoid" during the tour.
"There are so many things that could go wrong -- somebody could slip, somebody could fall, I could fall," says Aguilera, who wore a heart monitor during performances. "There was no way ... I was going to jeopardize my baby for my show."
She confirmed her pregnancy earlier this month in the U.K. edition of Glamour magazine.
Aguilera says she kept the baby news quiet for her fans' sake.
"I didn't want to make the audience uncomfortable, like, `Pregnant lady onstage! Is she going to be OK?' But I had to announce it to my band and my dancers, because I wanted to make sure they had my back," she says.
She adds: "Because I hadn't said anything, people thought I was trying to keep it this big, bad secret, and that's not the case at all. I just wasn't commenting. I'm not being like, `Hey everybody, I'm pregnant!' I'm not that girl."
Welcome to celeb street. Latest celebrity gossip Hollywood star news. Gossip and celebrity juicy rumor, The Gossip and Celeb Central. Celeb Info. 2007-11-29
Socialite Kim Kardashian has revealed that she posed nude for Playboy's December issue for reasons other than the pay.
Kim said that she decided to bare all because she wanted girls to see a normal body.
"I did it because I'm not one of those stick-skinny girls you see. I felt like girls today need to see a normal body," the New York Daily News quoted her, as saying.
The Los Angeles socialite also revealed that it was her mother who pushed her to do the shoot.
"My mom actually pushed me to do it! I think she's living vicariously through me a little bit," she said
Too Close for Comfort: New Line Cinema has asked a New York federal judge to put the brakes on the documentary, Beyond the Golden Compass: The Magic of Philip Pullman, whose video release is timed to coincide with the theatrical release of the feature film The Golden Compass. Per the Hollywood Reporter, the studio argued that Koch Entertainment violated its copyrights as well as state and federal unfair competition laws with the planned release of the video. The judge did not immediately rule on the matter.
In Mourning: Jonathan Rhys Meyers' mother, Geraldine Meyers-O'Keeffe, died at a Cork hospital Tuesday after suffering from a short illness. She was 50. The loss comes just days after Rhys Meyers was arrested at Dublin Airport for public drunkenness.
This Just In...: Donda West's doc walks off Larry King Live, no more Dancing for Jennie Garth, Hulk Hogan's son loses license, the Munchkins welcomed to Hollywood Walk of Fame, more Strike Zone: Striking writers marched down Hollywood Boulevard Tuesday on the 16th day of the WGA strike, flanked by Teamster trucks and joined by stars including Alicia Keys and Sandra Oh. The rally was a final display of force before labor leaders resume talks with studios next week.
Star Power: It's no yellow brick road, but the Munchkins have been welcomed to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Almost 70 years after The Wizard of Oz premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the actors who portrayed the diminutive inhabitants of Munchkinland received a collective star honoring their showbiz contribution. Seven of the surviving stars attended the ceremony, arriving by horse-drawn carriage and trailed by a marching band.
Unlicensed to Drive: Florida state authorities have suspended Nick Hogan's license for one year after finding him to be a dangerous driver. The 17-year-old son of Hulk Hogan was arrested Nov. 7 on charges stemming from the August crash that left his passenger, John Graziano, critically injured.
Bye-Bye, Ballroom: Dancing with the Stars is 9021-over for Jennie Garth. The erstwhile Kelly Taylor was eliminated from the competition Tuesday, leaving Mel B, Helio Castroneves and Marie Osmond to battle it out in the final round.
Clamming Up: Dr. Jan Adams, the surgeon who operated on Kanye West's mother shortly before her death, walked off Larry King Live Tuesday, citing his "tremendous amount of love and respect for the West family," who he said had asked him not to go forward with the interview. Though Adams indicated to the Los Angeles Times this week that he believes he knows "exactly what happened" to Donda West, he told King he won't elaborate on his theory unless the family feels comfortable with him doing so.
Double Down: An apparent contract dispute has gotten Ne-Yo booted from R. Kelly's Double Up tour after only two shows. "I am disappointed that I won't be able to perform for my fans," Ne-Yo said in a statement. "I love being on stage in front of fans because of the immediate feedback you get." A rep for Kelly said that the dispute was with the tour promoter, not with the R&B star. "R. Kelly had nothing to do with it," he said. The Double Up tour, also featuring Keyshia Cole and J. Holiday, is expected to wrap up in January.
Courthouse: Muse Productions, Inc. is suing Frances Ford Coppola for breach of contract, claiming it's still owed a share of the profits from his daughter Sofia's directorial debut, The Virgin Suicides. Per the lawsuit filed Monday, Coppola's production company, American Zoetrope, contracted with Muse and assigned the motion picture rights AZ had obtained for Jeffrey Eugenides' novel. Muse is requesting an accounting of the 2000 film's profits. Welcome to celeb street. Latest celebrity gossip Hollywood star news. Gossip and celebrity juicy rumor, The Gossip and Celeb Central. Celeb Info. 2007-11-25
You're Hired: The poorly kept secret of the cast of Celebrity Apprentice is officially out. Among the 14 famous folk prepared to face down The Donald in the boardroom: original Apprentice contestant Omarosa, Gene Simmons of KISS and Sopranos star Vincent Pastore. Rather than competing for a job, the celebs will compete in business-oriented tasks around New York to raise money for their favorite charities. The show premieres Jan. 3.
This Just In...: Kanye West makes emotional return to the stage, Nicole Kidman tells tale of aggressive paparazzo, Jonathan Rhys Meyers arrested for public drunkeness, Beowulf devours the box office, more
In Mourning: In his first return to the stage since his mother's untimely demise, Kanye West performed in Paris Saturday night, but broke down in tears while trying to dedicate "Hey Mama" to his late parent. "This song is for my mother," the rapper said, before visibly losing his composure. While his band played on, West left the stage for about 15 minutes, returning to complete the show with a performance of "Stronger." He is expected to return to the States for Donda West's funeral in Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Drunk and Disorderly: Jonathan Rhys Meyers was arrested Sunday at Dublin Airport and charged with public drunkenness and breach of the peace, police said. He was released on bail and ordered to return to court Dec. 5. The Tudors star was admitted to rehab in California in April and released the following month.
Kudos: Maybe they should start calling them the American Idol Music Awards. Carrie Underwood picked up three trophies at the AMAs Sunday, including Best Country Album and Best Female Country Artist, while Chris Daughtry's self-named band was also a triple winner, taking home awards for Best Pop-Rock Album, Best Breakthrough Act and Best Adult Contemporary Act.
Shutterbugged: It sounded like something out of a horror movie, but Nicole Kidman was describing a real-life experience when she testified in a Sydney court Monday about being pursued by an aggressive paparazzo two years ago on her way to dinner at her parents' home. "I was frightened and I was worried there was going to be an accident," the actress said, as she told of crouching down in the back seat of a car to avoid being spotted by photographer Jamie Fawcett. Kidman said she was "in tears and distressed" by the time she reached her destination. Her testimony was part of the shutterbug's defamation suit against a local newspaper that slammed him for allegedly hounding the Oscar winner. "I have had this happen in relation to this particular man…so many times," Kidman said, adding that he was one of the reasons she finds it necessary to employ 24-hour security guards.
A So-Called Series: Knowing it can't survive on Deal or No Deal alone, NBC—whose store of new episodes seems to be drying up faster than its competitors in these writer-less times—is planning to air the Web series Quarterlife early next year. The drama about six 20-something artists was created by My So-Called Life and thirtysomething masterminds Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz; its first eight-minute episode premiered Nov. 11 on MySpace, and new ones are rolling out each week. A total of 36 webisodes are planned, for now, with Herskovitz telling Reuters that they will be edited together to form hour-long episodes. Meanwhile, NBC honcho Ben Silverman says that the deal was in place before the WGA strike began.
Hungry Like the Wulf: In what turned out to be another lackluster pre-holiday weekend at the box office, down nearly 30 percent from this time last year, Robert Zemeckis' 3D- and nude-Angelina-enhanced Beowulf beat back most of the competition with $28.1 million in ticket sales. Bee Movie and American Gangster dropped to number two and three, while the Coen brothers' No Country for Old Men seemingly settled in for the long haul, moving into the top 10 with a gross of $3.1 million in only 148 theaters. It opens in wide release next week.
A Sad Thing: Martha Kostyra, mother of multimedia maven Martha Stewart and an expert multihyphenate homemaker in her own right, died Friday at a Connecticut hospital after suffering a small stroke. The Polish-American mother of six was 93. Stewart, the second-oldest sibling, often credited her mom's influence in her magazine and numerous how-to books and featured her as a guest on her TV shows. Kostyra is survived by all of her children, 13 grandkids, a great-grandchild, a sister and a brother. Stewart posted video clips of the two cooking together on her blog over the weekend.
I Did: Julianna Margulies went the quiet route, swapping vows in a normal, unpublicized fashion with attorney Keith Leiberthal in a traditional ceremony Nov. 10 in Massachusetts. The former ER star is seven months pregnant with the couple's first child, so the champagne toast will have to wait until later.
Say What?!: "The elephants get drunk all the time. It is becoming really dangerous. We need to stop making alcohol available to them." –Paris Hilton, on the problem of Indian elephants that imbibe farmers' homemade rice beer and then go on drunken rampages.
Back to the Ballroom: Marie Osmond returned to Dancing with the Stars Monday after missing last week's results show following the death of her father. Osmond said she found comfort in the Bible after randomly opening to a passage reading: "There is a time to mourn and a time to dance." Be that as it may, she finished at the bottom of the pack, while Helio Castroneves wowed the judges, earning perfect 10s for his quickstep.
Collision Course: The persistent pursuit of Britney Spears ended badly for a pair of shutterbugs Monday. A paparazzo on a motorcycle was injured after another paparazzo in a Range Rover made an illegal right turn and crashed into him as they were both chasing Spears in Beverly Hills. The injured man was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center with scrapes on his legs and arms, a police spokesman said. Spears was not deemed to be responsible in any way for the smashup and no arrests were made, nor any citations issued. This Just In...: Lindsay Lohan begins community service, Britney Spears' red light-running under review, Boy George charged with false imprisonment, more
Kudos: Richard Gere was honored with the Marian Anderson Award in Philadelphia Monday in recognition of his work for Tibetan independence and HIV/AIDS care. "I can't tell you how this makes me feel," the actor said upon accepting the award. "My heart is so wide open."
Not Seeing Red: More behind-the-wheel woes for Britney Spears. Kevin Federline's lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, has indicated he may try and subpoena video footage that apparently shows the pop princess running a red light while her two sons are strapped in the back seat of her car. Kaplan could ostensibly use the footage to support his request that Spears be prevented from driving with the boys.
Not Taking the Blame: A plastic surgeon who claimed to have operated on Kanye West's mother, Donda West, before her death told TMZ he performed a standard tummy tuck and breast reduction. Dr. Jan Adams said he did nothing wrong during the operation and that West's death was likely the result of other medical factors. Another surgeon, Dr. Andre Aboolian, said West approached him months ago about having cosmetic surgery, but that he declined to perform the procedure because she had a preexisting medical condition that could cause a heart attack during surgery.
Legal Hangup: Boy George was charged Tuesday with falsely imprisoning a 28-year-old male escort after he allegedly chained the man to a wall in his apartment back in April. The singer was ordered to appear in court to answer to the charge on Nov. 22.
Paying the Price: Lindsay Lohan has started fulfilling her community service as part of the plea deal for her two DUI convictions in August, People reports. The actress was spotted at an American Red Cross blood services facility Monday afternoon, where she spent about seven hours, departing with a book aptly titled BLOOD tucked under her arm. Lohan was sentenced to the mandatory minimum of four days behind bars for her second DUI conviction, but prosecutors agreed to allow her to do 10 days of community service in lieu of two of those days. Lohan was also given credit for one day served after her July arrest, leaving her with 24 hours left of her sentence. She has until January to turn herself in.
Baby on Board: Brooke Burke and fiancé David Charvet are expecting another baby this spring, her rep confirms to E! News. The couple welcomed daughter Heaven Rain in January, and Burke also has two daughters from a previous marriage.
Welcome to celeb street. Latest celebrity gossip web siteGossip and celebrity juicy rumor, The Gossip and Celeb Central. Celeb Info. 2007-11-13
Put away your assumptions about Macaulay Culkin. The former child star's girlfriend says he's a homebody. Culkin, star of the 1990 comedy "Home Alone," has been dating actress Mila Kunis for nearly six years; Kunis, who co-starred on TV's "That 70's Show," says they make a low-key couple.
Friends and admirers of Luciano Pavarotti joined in a chorus of grief as the world paid homage to the thrilling voice and exuberant personality of the great Italian tenor who died Thursday.
Amid an outpouring of tributes, the Vienna State Opera raised a black flag in mourning and his northern Italian hometown of Modena, where he died at age 71 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, said it would name the city's theater after its native son.
Newscasts and Web sites across the globe, from Israel to the U.S. to Europe, led with news of his death. Radio stations aired his unmistakable recordings in tribute to his memory.
"The whole world will be listening today to his voice on every radio and television station. And that will continue. And that is his legacy. He will never stop," said conductor Zubin Mehta, who directed Pavarotti in Rome and Los Angeles for his "Three Tenors" concerts with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras.
"I always admired the God-given glory of his voice -- that unmistakable special timbre from the bottom up to the very top of the tenor range," Domingo said in a statement from Los Angeles. "They threw away the mold when they made Luciano. He will always be remembered as a truly unique performer in the annals of classical music."
Carreras told reporters in Karlstad, Sweden, that "there is no doubt that he has been one of the most important tenors of all times."
"I remember that last time I was visiting him in his town in Modena, at his home, he was preparing some special bread and tomato for me together with prosciutto. He was entertaining also in the gastronomic aspect that he liked very much," Carreras said. "We have to remember him as the great artist that he was, the man with such a wonderful charismatic personality, very good friend and a great poker player."
Mirella Freni, an opera great and one of Pavarotti's close childhood friends, told The Associated Press: "The world has lost a great tenor, but I've lost a great friend, a brother. We grew up together, studied singing and God blessed us with great careers. I've lost a brother."
For fans and colleagues, the beauty of Pavarotti's voice and his charismatic performances made him the ideal interpreter of the Italian lyric repertory, especially in the 1960s and '70s when he first achieved stardom.
"It was incredible to stand next to it and sing along with it," soprano Joan Sutherland said of Pavarotti's voice at the time.
A 14-week tour of Australia with Sutherland and her husband, conductor Richard Bonynge, gave Pavarotti the recognition he needed to launch his career. He also credited Sutherland with teaching him how to breathe correctly.
Nicole Kidman says she was engaged to a mystery man in between breaking up with Tom Cruise and marrying Keith Urban. "I didn't really want a relationship," the 40-year-old actress says. "I just wanted my kids to have me, and I didn't feel comfortable having some person in that small hubbub."
"And then I got engaged to somebody ... but it just wasn't right," she continues in Vanity Fair magazine's October issue, on newsstands Sept. 11. "I wasn't ready. We weren't ready."
Details, please.
"I get engaged and I get married -- that's my thing," she says, declining to reveal her former fiance's identity. "I don't want to date. I'm interested in a very, very deep connection."
Kidman and Cruise divorced in 2001 after 10 years of marriage. They have two adopted children, Isabella, 14, and Connor, 12; Cruise has a 1-year-old daughter, Suri, with actress-wife Katie Holmes.
Kidman, who married country singer Urban in June 2006, says she has no regrets when it comes to her marriage to Cruise.
"My agents told me, `Once you become Mrs. Tom Cruise, you do know your career is going to die,'" says Kidman, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in 2002's "The Hours."
"I was appalled," she says. "I was like, `Hello? I'm in love, and I don't care if it's shooting myself in the foot. I'd much rather be married and have a family.'"
The couple "lost a baby early on, so that was really very traumatic," she says. "And that's when it came that we would adopt Bella."
Cryptically, she adds: "There's a complicated background to that, given that I never speak much about many things. One day maybe that story will be told."
Kidman hopes to have a baby with Urban.
"I'm yearning to have one," she says. "I think I would be very sad if I wasn't able to have a baby. Keith knows I want one, and he has been getting there slowly."
First-time director Tony Gilroy was more interested in a story about making peace with how you earn a buck in his legal thriller "Michael Clayton," rather than some tale about corporate evil.
"All these corporations that you talk about, they are all inhabited by people. It is not some other occult superpower that is deciding this," said Gilroy, who also wrote the script. "Every day, they go back and make a small paper cut on their morality."
The film, about a New York corporate law firm's attempts to settle a multimillion-dollar class-action suit against one of its clients, stars George Clooney, who plays a burnt-out, in-house fixer for the firm, the guy who cleans up embarrassing and damaging problems for major clients.
After 17 years on the job, he hasn't been made partner, and he's left with mounting debt from gambling, a divorce and a failed business venture.
Tilda Swinton co-stars as Karen Crowder, the firm's chief counsel whose career rests on the settlement. Tom Wilkinson plays Arthur Edens, the lead trial attorney in the case whose manic episode sets off the crisis, and Sydney Pollack appears as a commanding senior partner.
Swinton, whose character takes the greatest moral dive, said she loved the way Gilroy's script gave her character private moments when she "puts on her identity."
In the opening sequence, Karen is pictured in a bathroom, sweating profusely and as she contemplates the enormity of her actions.
"When I read the script ... here was this bad guy, woman, and (Gilroy) did the thing I always wondered about -- that is, how do they face themselves in the mirror in the bathroom in the morning?" Swinton said.
Clooney was cautious about getting involved with a first-time director, but said Gilroy immediately inspired confidence.
"Being a director is so much like being a general. Are you going to follow this guy up a hill or not," Clooney said.
An acclaimed scriptwriter who wrote "The Bourne Identity" and its sequels, Gilroy called Clooney "the bodyguard," whose name gave the picture clout and helped get it made.
Clooney, who didn't get paid to make the film but will take a cut of any profits, waved off his contributions.
"You gamble on the film making money," Clooney said. "If not, you do it for free. `The Good German' didn't' make money. In that sense, I'm the bodyguard. I want to get films made.'
Toward the end of the movie, Clooney's character speeds away from another mess he's had to clean up, as if trying to get away from himself. But something catches his eye. He gets out of his car and climbs a hillside toward three horses, which stand still and allow him to get close. While the scene has a nearly divine quality, Gilroy said the movie provides little redemption.
"I don't think there are happy days ahead for Michael Clayton," Gilroy said. "The price he pays for the crippled redemption he has at the end is very, very high."
"Michael Clayton," which made its world premiere Friday at the Venice Film Festival, is set for worldwide release in October.
Barack Obama has the aura of a rock star, says George Clooney, who also had some kind words for other Democratic presidential candidates.
"You've been in a room once in a while with a rock star. He walks into the world, and he takes your breath away. I'd love him to be president, quite honestly," the actor told reporters Friday at the Venice Film Festival, where his legal thriller "Michael Clayton" was premiering.
Clooney, who banked a check for Obama at a private $1.3 million fundraiser in Beverly Hills last February, praised the U.S. senator for speaking out early against the Iraq war.
But with more than a year until the election, Clooney also said he liked Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and former Sen. John Edwards -- and pondered whether former Vice President Al Gore might vie for the presidency again.
"It could be interesting," he said.
The politics of war was in the air at Venice, with two U.S. films competing for the Golden Lion dealing with the impact of the Iraq conflict.
Clooney -- who said he made "Syriana" and "Good Night, and Good Luck," out of anger that he was labeled a traitor for questioning the decision to go to war -- told reporters he thinks change is coming.
He said he believes Americans are now in the process of fixing the mistakes of the last few years.
Fixing things, "that's what Americans have been really good at," he said.
George Strait, who had his 55th No. 1 single this year and was recently inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame, was nominated Thursday for five Country Music Association Awards, including for entertainer and male vocalist of the year.
Strait tied Brad Paisley for the most nominations, and Paisley said he feels honored to share the spotlight this year with Strait, a Texan who debuted in 1981.
"Had he not existed, I don't know who I would be," Paisley said in a phone interview Thursday with The Associated Press. "He's one of the reasons I wear a cowboy hat."
Strait was also nominated for musical event of the year, for aperformance with Jimmy Buffett and Alan Jackson; album of the year for "It Just Comes Natural"; and single of the year for "Wrapped," his 55th career No. 1 single.
Paisley's nominations included entertainer of the year and male vocalist. He also received nominations for his album "5th Gear," best single for "Ticks" and best music video with "Online."
The video centers on an out-of-shape pizza delivery driver, still living with his parents, who becomes a Hollywood hottie as soon as he hits the Web.
Paisley said the main character, played by "Seinfeld" star Jason Alexander, who also directed the video, is much more autobiographical than most people realize.
"I was a big `Star Trek' fan, not a star athlete (in high school)," Paisley said. "We all have moments in our life when we feel like outcasts."
Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban rounded out the entertainer of the year category. CMA industry members have nominated only male entertainers of the year since the Dixie Chicks got a nomination in 2001.
The Chicks, who have had a troubled relationship with the country music industry since Natalie Maines' derogatory comments about President Bush in 2003, got their first nomination since then for best vocal group.
Chesney earned four nominations, including male vocalist, music video for "You Save Me" and musical event of the year with Tracy Lawrence and Tim McGraw.
"I've known Tracy and Tim practically since I got to Nashville," Chesney said in a statement. "Those old boys struggled with me, took off before me and never forgot who their friends were."
Josh Turner joined Chesney, Paisley, Strait and Urban as nominees for male vocalist of the year.
Alison Krauss was nominated for female vocalist of the year, along with Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire and "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood.
The CMA Awards will be presented Nov. 7 in Nashville. The show will air on ABC.
Top nominations were announced in New York on ABC's "Good Morning America" by Sara Evans and Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland.
The rest were announced at Nashville's Sommet Center by duo Montgomery Gentry and 17-year-old Taylor Swift, who was nominated for the Horizon Award for new artists.
Montgomery Gentry, who were nominated for vocal duo, lauded Strait's career and said he was one of the hardest working entertainers in country music.
"He's the Energizer Bunny of country radio -- he keeps going and going," said Eddie Montgomery.
Kate Walsh says she had a Bridezilla moment while prepping for her upcoming wedding.
"I had a fitting a few days ago and who knew someone could get that hysterical about a bra!" the 39-year-old actress tells syndicated TV show "Entertainment Tonight" in an interview that was to air Wednesday.
"I said, `It's not the right bra, it's not the right bra.' The sad part was there was a mirror there, so I had to see my face turn to stone, snakes coming out of my hair. It was bad. I can't believe I had a meltdown over a bra!"
Walsh became engaged to studio executive Alex Young in May. "I'm living a very good dream," she tells "ET."
She stars in the new ABC series "Private Practice," a spinoff from "Grey's Anatomy." She continues to play her popular "Grey's" character, Dr. Addison Shepherd, who leaves Seattle for work in Los Angeles.
"Private Practice," which also stars Taye Diggs and Tim Daly, premieres Sept. 26.
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Home - Welcome to celeb street. Gossip and celebrity juicy rumor 2007-08-30
Christy Turlington, who relies on yoga to keep her healthy and balanced, is among a group of celebrities hoping to bring those benefits to the world.
Turlington, Russell Simmons and Ziggy Marley are participating in the Global Mala Project, an international effort that aims to use yoga-centered events to raise awareness and funds for global causes on the United Nations' International Day of Peace. Events will be held in 30 countries, including Israel, Africa, India, Australia and the United States, beginning Sept. 21.
"With so many people involved, the impact is going to be quite astounding as a collective consciousness," Turlington told The Associated Press. "There will be an energetic charge."
"Selfless service" is part of the yogic tradition, the 38-year-old supermodel said, "so if anyone can lead in this way, this is the group to start with."
Dozens of events will benefit charitable groups dedicated to fighting global warming and AIDS.
Kristen Bell is going from solving mysteries to being a part of one. The 27-year-old actress, who starred for three seasons as teenage detective Veronica Mars on the now-canceled show of the same name, will appear in a multi-episode arc on NBC's "Heroes" this fall.
"This was not easy to pull off. But since we're an ensemble show, with many arcs playing out through the year, we found a way to jump into a small window in her schedule," Tim Kring, the show's executive producer and creator, said in a statement Monday.
Kring said Bell's character, Elle, will appear in October and will be "a sexy, intriguing, mysterious young lady" who will commit a terrible crime, but it won't be clear whose side she is really on.
"Heroes" won't be the Detroit-area native's only TV work this fall.
She's providing the voice of the narrator (something she also did on "Veronica Mars") for the CW's new "Gossip Girl."
Bell also has some big-screen projects in the works, including a turn as the title character in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," a comedy produced by Judd Apatow ("The 40 Year-Old Virgin," "Knocked Up").
Socialite Kim Kardashian has revealed that she posed nude for Playboy's December issue for reasons other than the pay.
