Buzz Briefs: Jessica Simpson, Suri Cruise
Jessica Simpson Takes On Country Music
Pop singer Jessica Simpson has headed to Nashville to start recording her first country album, according to Billboard.com.
The 27-year-old, who is currently dating Dallas Cowboys star Tony Romo, is taking the opportunity not only to pursue a new genre, but she's taking another stab at writing some of her lyrics.
"I am a country girl," she told Billboard.com. "I grew up in Texas, and country music was what I listened to. I always wanted to make a country album, but I wanted to wait until the time was right."
Simpson' new country album will follow her 2006 "Public Affair" album, which wasn't well received by her fans.
Suri Cruise's Voice May Be Featured In An Animated Movie
Katie Holmes and Suri paid a visit to the one-year-old polar bear, who was sadly rejected by its mother, at the Berlin Zoo. After their visit, the cute and cuddly animal began gaining more attention.
Knut was on the cover of Vanity Fair and a children's book was based on him (Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World.)
According to the German newspaper B.Z., producer Ash R. Shah and his firm, The Animation Picture Company, which brought the movie version of Garfield, offered the Berlin Zoo $5 million for the rights to Knut's story, People.com reported.
The offer, which would involve an animated film about climate change and melting polar ice caps, is still under consideration.
McCartney Continues To Deal With Matters Of The Heart
According to TMZ, McCartney endured a coronary angioplasty at the London Clinic to unclog his arteries.
The 65-year-old had a quick recovery and felt healthy enough to perform with Kylie Minogue on New Year's Eve.
In the last year, McCartney has dealt with a highly-publicized and nasty divorce to Heather Mills McCartney.
Paris And K-Fed Had A Friendly Exchange On New Year's
It was reported that the two were seen talking and that Hilton gave K-Fed a kiss on the cheek.
Her sister, Nicky Hilton and Brody Jenner were also in attendance at the nightclub.
Recently, Hilton was chummy with K-Fed's ex, Britney Spears when they celebrated Spears' 26th birthday by partying and club hopping.
Link: Access Hollywood
MC Hammer, Entrepreneur
Hammer, whose real name is Stanley Burrell, is choreographing a new career as co-founder and chief strategy officer of Menlo Park-based DanceJam.com.
The Web site, scheduled to debut in mid-January, will try to upstage YouTube and become the Internet's hub for sharing and watching dance videos. DanceJam then hopes to make money by grabbing a piece of the rapidly growing Internet advertising market, which is expected to rake in $27.5 billion in 2008, according to eMarketer.
At 80, Tom Bosley Still "Happy"
Tom Bosley wants to show he still has it at 80. Last year, the actor best known for playing Richie Cunningham's father on "Happy Days" co-starred with Michael Learned in a seven-month national tour of "On Golden Pond."
Now he's starting off the new year with a starring role in the TV movie "Charlie & Me," airing Saturday on the Hallmark Channel.
Bosley plays a charismatic grandfather who, despite suffering a near-fatal heart attack, is determined to mend the relationship between his workaholic, widowed son and his feisty 12-year-old granddaughter before he dies.
"Although I love my home, my family and everything about my non-work life, I also want to keep acting as long as God will let me," said Bosley, who played Father Frank Dowling on "Father Dowling Mysteries."
"It's what still drives me," he said in a statement issued to the cable channel. "I want to prove to myself that I can still do it."
Jan. 1, 2007
Emeril Lagasse Spices Up Rose Parade As Grand Marshal
The 119th edition of the Tournament of Roses Parade wowed spectators along a 5.5 mile route down Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, Calif., on New Year's Day. Part of the attraction was celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, who was grand marshal of the extravaganza with the theme "Passport to the World's Celebrations." Lagasse rode in a vintage car along with his wife and son, and waved to the crowd -- lined 10 people deep-- along the parade route.
Holiday Weekend Proves Popular For Tropical Proposals
Photos: Rose Parade
Roselyn Sanchez and fellow actor Eric Winter got engaged during a holiday vacation on the island of Vieques, just east of mainland Puerto Rico, according to a statement released Tuesday.
The couple, who have been dating for two years, will talk about a date and location for their nuptials once they return to Los Angeles, according to Brenda Rodriguez, Sanchez's publicist in Puerto Rico.
Sanchez appears in the CBS series "Without a Trace" and produced the 2007 movie "Yellow." Winter has appeared in a variety of TV shows, including "Days of Our Lives."
And it looks like San Francisco is about to lose its most eligible bachelor. Mayor Gavin Newsom proposed to his girlfriend, actress Jennifer Siebel, while the couple was vacationing over the weekend in Hawaii. A personal friend says a wedding date has not been set.
Photos: Celebrity Weddings, Engagements
It will be Siebel's first marriage and the second for Newsom, whose four-year marriage to legal analyst Kimberly Guilfoyle ended in divorce in March 2006.
Rick James Estate Settles Lawsuit Over Licensing
Rick James can still throw down, even though he's no longer with us. His estate has settled a lawsuit that claims the late funk singer was being ripped off.
The suit claimed a music publishing company collected money from licensing James' songs without permission. An attorney for the estate announced the
settlement in court late last week. Trial had been set to begin
this coming Monday. Dozens of James' compositions, were involved in
the lawsuit against Brooklyn Music Publishing Group. However, his
biggest hit, "Super Freak" wasn't among the songs allegedly used
without proper clearance.
Rick James died of heart failure at his home in Burbank,
California in 2004. He was 56.
Hollywood PI Seeks To Represent Self
Hollywood private eye Anthony Pellicano is seeking to represent himself in his trial for illegally wiretapping celebrities. Pellicano filed a request with a federal court Friday, Dec. 28, 2007, to replace lawyers Michael Artan and Steven Gruel. A hearing on the request is set for January 7.
Pellicano is in federal custody pending trial. An indictment accused him of tapping phones and bribing police to get information on celebrities including Sylvester Stallone and comedian Garry Shandling.
Pellicano and five co-defendants have pleaded not guilty to wiretapping and conspiracy.