Buzz Briefs: Amy Winehouse, Heath Ledger

Winehouse's London Home Burglarized

Amy Winehouse's spokesman says the singer's home in north London was broken into while she was on vacation in the Caribbean.

Spokesman Chris Goodman says Winehouse has reported guitars and music-recording equipment stolen.

Goodman said Friday the home was left empty when Winehouse was on her much-publicized vacation on the island of St. Lucia.

He says Winehouse's neighbors spotted the burglars Thursday and called police. Officers found the front door kicked in. No arrests have been made.

Winehouse shot to stardom with the multi-Grammy-winning album "Back to Black" in 2006 and has a fortune estimated by the Sunday Times at 10 million pounds ($15 million).

Heath Ledger Insurance Suit Settles

An agreement has been reached in a lawsuit involving Heath Ledger's $10 million life insurance policy.

The confidential settlement was revealed in court documents filed Wednesday in Los Angeles. Ledger's attorneys are seeking a closed hearing next month to establish a court guardian to represent the actor's 3-year-old daughter, Matilda Rose, who is the policy's beneficiary.

An attorney for Ledger sued ReliaStar Life Insurance Co. last year, claiming the company was refusing to pay the actor's death benefits. The attorney claimed the insurer was refusing to pay because it wanted to investigate whether Ledger's death was a suicide.

A coroner ruled Ledger's death last January was from an accidental prescription drug overdose.

William Shernoff, who represented Ledger's attorney, said Thursday that both sides were pleased with the settlement. He declined to discuss specifics of the deal.

Tom Jones To Get Up Close & Personal

Tom Jones is taking his show on the road again.

The 68-year-old singer will launch a U.S. tour in February to promote his new album, "24 Hours."

Jones plans to play intimate clubs rather than sprawling arenas during the 15-date tour. And that's not the only change this time around.

"I've just stopped dyeing my hair," he said.

The white-haired Jones also said Thursday that he's learned a thing or two after touring and performing for more than 40 years. For one, he no longer does two shows a night: "You're working with tired (vocal) cords on that second show."

Aretha Considers Parting With Inauguration Hat

Aretha Franklin says she's considering donating to the Smithsonian Institution the hat she wore while belting out "My Country,'Tis of Thee" at President Barack Obama's inauguration.

The gray, felt hat with a Swarovski rhinestone-bordered bow drew widespread attention after the Jan. 20 inauguration and prompted hundreds of calls to the Detroit millinery shop where the hat was made.

The "Queen of Soul" says the Smithsonian wants the hat for an exhibit on Obama's inauguration. Franklin says in a statement Friday it would be hard to part with the hat since the day was "a crowning moment in history."

But, she says, she's considering the request.

Val Kilmer: From Batman To Bacchus

The actor who once played Batman will soon be sporting a different kind of costume.

Val Kilmer, star of 1995's "Batman Forever," has been named this year's King of Bacchus.

His reign will include Kilmer, decked out in royal apparel, riding through New Orleans on a float in the annual Krewe of Bacchus parade. It rolls on Feb. 22, two days before Mardi Gras.

The 49-year-old Kilmer is no stranger to New Orleans. He's filmed at least two movies in the city - "Deja Vu" with Denzel Washington, Paula Patton and James Caviezel in 2006 and "The Bad Lieutenant" with Nicholas Cage last year.

Last year, wrestler and reality television star Hulk Hogan was the krewe's celebrity king.

Pittsburgh University Upset Over Grisham Novel

Officials at Duquesne (doo-KAYN') University in Pittsburgh are upset that best-selling author John Grisham mentions the school in connection with a fictional gang rape in his latest novel.

Grisham's "The Associate" deals with a character who attended the private Catholic college and was involved in a drunken rape scene in an off-campus apartment in 2003.

Duquesne University spokeswoman Rose Ravasio says it's unfortunate Grisham "chose to use our name and associate it with a fictional incident of this nature."

Grisham told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he chose the school because he saw it once, and has been to Pittsburgh for Steelers and Pirates games. The novel contains several other references to Pittsburgh.

ABC's "General Hospital" Getting A Makeover

The prognosis for the medical facility depicted for the past 45 years on ABC's "General Hospital" isn't good.

The daytime soap's long-standing hospital set is flat-lining as part of an explosive story line. Following a fiery crisis, the show's crew has ignited the clinical den of drama, and producers plan to construct a totally new interior.

"This story really became an opportunity to take a shot at revising the look of the hospital and refreshing it," said executive producer Jill Farren Phelps. "It felt like the right time to update it. The style of the nurses' station has been the same for 45 years. In daytime, space is money. This new version will incorporate a lot of usable new space."

The fresh new set, created by production designer Chip Dox, will debut in April. It will incorporate several expansive elements, including a nurses' station, emergency room, hospital room, elevators and stairs. Phelps said that on the show, the wealthy Quartermaine family will donate the cash necessary for the hospital's plastic surgery.