Buzz Briefs: Tim McGraw, LeAnn Rimes
Tim McGraw Co-Writes Def Leppard's New Single
First, he did a duet with rapper Nelly and now Tim McGraw has added another odd pairing to his musical resume.
McGraw has co-written Def Leppard's new single "Nine Lives" along with band members Phil Collen, Joe Elliot and Rick Savage. The song is from the band's forthcoming album, "Songs From the Sparkle Lounge." McGraw initiated the collaboration idea three years ago through his long-time tour manager, who's the brother of Def Leppard's drummer. McGraw says Def Leppard "are simply one of the best rock bands ever and it was a great time working together."
LeAnn Rimes' New Single Highlights Good Company And Good Wine
This is the second single off her "Family" album. In a video posting on her Web site she says she'd been carrying the title around for about two-and-a-half years. She says it came to her as a random thought while she was on a plane one day. She'd had a long tour and crazy things were going on when she wrote in her journal that she "really needed a good friend and a glass of wine right now and everything would be just fine, at least for the moment."
She says the song was also inspired by a relationship with one of her girlfriends. She says they get together, eat gumbo, watch "Grey's Anatomy" and have a bottle of wine. She says "that always kind of relaxes me and sets my head in a really good place and makes the world go away for a second."
Tom Cruise To Present At SAG Awards
Cruise, a three-time Oscar and SAG Awards nominee, will help hand out the coveted Actor trophies at the Shrine Auditorium.
Previously announced presenters include Steve Carell, Russell Crowe, Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey, Forest Whitaker and John Travolta.
The SAG Awards will recognize performances in five film and eight television categories. Winners, chosen by nearly 100,000 members of the actors' union, often become front-runners for the Academy Awards.
Marcia Cross Fights For Women's Rights On Capitol Hill
Marcia Cross can't imagine what it would be like to have a breast removed and be forced to leave the hospital the same day, so she's on Capitol Hill lobbying for a proposal to end these so-called "drive-through mastectomies."
Cross has come equipped with a petition containing 20 million signatures collected by Lifetime television on their Web site. The petition supports legislation that would let a woman and her doctor decide when it's time to go home.
Cross says she can't understand why the act has been in Congress for ten years without being passed. She's lobbying opponents today to see if she can change their minds.
She says she's "very optimistic" that with health care more in the forefront in Congress, "maybe this is the moment" that the proposal will pass.
Busta Rhymes Gets Probation For Assault
A judge sentenced Rhymes to three years' probation and 10 days community service.
He was also fined about $1,200 for driving while intoxicated and with a suspended license. He also has to pay court costs.
Rhymes pleaded guilty to the charges that involved four separate incidents.
Charlie Sheen, Denise Richards In Family Court
Charlie Sheen and his ex-wife, Denise Richards, were in Los Angeles family court Tuesday.
Commissioner Harvey A. Silberman took the proceedings behind closed doors before there was any discussion about the reason for the hearing. Sheen arrived with his lawyer while Richards' attorney participated by telephone.
Sheen's publicist, Stan Rosenfield, said the 42-year-old actor would have no comment.
Sheen and Richards, 36, have two daughters, 3-year-old Sam and 2-year-old Lola.
Last September, Richards asked the court to not allow Sheen to keep the children overnight.
Sheen has complained that Richards is interfering with his relationship with his daughters.
He stars in CBS' "Two and a Half Men."
Lil Wayne Booked On Drug Charges In Yuma
Lil Wayne was booked Wednesday in Yuma on three felony drug charges.
The 25-year-old rapper, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., was being held at the Yuma County Sheriff's jail, said Capt. Eben Bratcher.
Carter was taken for a video arraignment late Wednesday morning in a justice court in Wellton, 35 miles east of Yuma.
Small amounts of cocaine, marijuana, and ecstasy and at least three guns and "a truckload" of cash were recovered from the bus. Eleven other people were on board in addition to the rapper when the bus was stopped.
He faces charges of possession of dangerous drugs, narcotics and drug paraphernalia, authorities said.
Bratcher said Carter was arrested by Drug Enforcement Administration agents at a Border Patrol checkpoint 78 miles from Yuma. Two other men were arrested with him, Bratcher said.
Sheriff's Major Leon Wilmot said he didn't know if Wayne had an attorney.
Birdman and Lil Wayne won a viewers' choice award for their song "Stuntin' Like My Daddy" at Black Entertainment Television's 2007 Hip-Hop Awards.
New R&B Artist Raheem DeVaughn Tops The Charts
Jive recording artist, Raheem DeVaughn, who recently received a Grammy Award nomination for his current single "Woman," debuts at #5 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums Chart and #3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart with his latest album, "Love Behind The Melody."
The Baltimore based singer/songwriter, who has been dubbed as one of Alicia Keys' and Big Boi's (from OutKast) favorite artists, will kick-off a major city tour with Jill Scott in Seattle at the Paramount Theatre on Feb. 5.
Link: Bringing Soul To His "Melody"
Ringo Starr Walks Off "Regis and Kelly" Show
Ringo Starr is known for being the amiable Beatle, but the rock star showed his tough side Tuesday when he walked off the set of "Live With Regis and Kelly" rather than cut short one of his songs.
Starr, who is promoting his new album, "Liverpool 8," planned to perform the title song with fellow rocker Dave Stewart. However, due to miscommunication between his publicist, Elizabeth Freund, and the musical director, Starr didn't realize the performance had to be 2 1/2 minutes or less, Freund told The Associated Press.
When told Tuesday morning that the performance had to be shortened, Freund said Starr tried to cut about a minute of the song's 4 minute, 15 second length, down to 3 minutes and 30 seconds. However, according to Freund, producer Michael Gelman said it had to be less than 3 minutes.
"We offered to cut back our chat time and asked them to fade or go to commercial. They were not willing to do that and Ringo was not willing to cut it further, so without a compromise we were not able to stay," Freund said in a statement to The Associated Press. "Ringo left saying, `God bless and goodbye. We still love Regis."'
"Seinfeld," "General Hospital" And "Crossing Jordan" Actress Dies
The woman who discovered George eating an éclair he found in the trash on "Seinfeld" has died.
In the Seinfeld episode, Lois Nettleton played the mother of a girl George was dating. She walks in on him munching the éclair that he found on top of the kitchen waste basket, prompting a debate between George and Jerry on what is trash and what can still be eaten.
She was also known as Virginia Benson on "General Hospital" and Evelyn in a recurring role on "Crossing Jordan."
She'll also be remembered for playing Norma in a famous doomsday episode of "The Twilight Zone" called "The Midnight Sun."
Nettleton had a long Broadway career as well.
Her publicist says Nettleton died of lung cancer in Los Angeles. She was 80.