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THE WHO rocker PETE TOWNSHEND is planning the release of his first solo album in 13 years, despite the material not making a "particularly powerful record".
Townshend recently recorded the first Who album since 1982, ENDLESS WIRE, with frontman ROGER DALTREY, and is now considering using leftover tracks for his new solo disc, his first since 1993’s PSYCHODERELICT.
He tells Billboard, "A lot of the songs either I excluded from presenting to Roger or that Roger passed on once he’d heard them, they don’t actually make a particularly powerful record, but wow, they would make an extremely interesting record.
"So I might actually look at the possibility of putting out a solo record.
But again, the only reason I would do that is if I felt I could support it."

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G-UNIT rapper LLOYD BANKS returned to his high school in Jamaica, New York last week (ends08OCT06) to encourage students to stay in school.
Banks spoke to an auditorium full of students at August Martin High School and offered words of encouragement, as well as a $100,000 (£5,500) donation to the school library.
He said, "I wanted to be a writer. I loved English. I wanted to know how to count my money, so I love math.
"You got to take what you want out of (school) and it will definitely put you in the right direction."

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Country singer WYNONNA JUDD is considering having a child with her second husband DR ROACH - but admits they may have to adopt because her daughter is demanding a black brother or sister.
The singer already has two children ELIJAH JUDD, 11 and PAULINE GRACE, 10, from her first marriage to ARCH KELLEY and would love to have another baby with second husband Roach.
The TO BE LOVED BY YOU hitmaker tells America’s Ladies Home Journal magazine, "Grace says, ‘I’d like a black sister or brother’ - she’s around my singers, and most of them are black - and I say, ‘Be quiet and do your homework’. But I do think I may adopt."

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R&B star USHER was forced to cancel several appearances in the Broadway musical CHICAGO over the weekend (ends08OCT06) after a bout of the flu.
The singer, real name USHER RAYMOND, has been playing slick lawyer BILLY FLYNN in the production since 22 August (06).
Fans lined the streets near the Ambassador Theatre in New York City each night demanding refunds after discovering Usher’s understudy would be performing.
According to entertainment news website TMZ.com, doctors ordered the singer to be on bed rest for the remainder of the week. He may not be able to return to the stage at all.
Usher was originally scheduled to perform through 1 October (06), but extended his run until 14 October (06), which is also his birthday.
The shows have been sold-out for weeks and Usher is reportedly the highest paid actor to play the role of Billy in Chicago.
There is no word on whether he will make up the sick days and extend his Broadway run again.

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Veteran singer SIR ELTON JOHN and late US TV anchor PETER JENNINGS were both honoured with Disney Legends Awards in Los Angeles yesterday (09OCT06).
CROCODILE ROCK star John was recognised alongside lyricist TIM RICE for his soundtrack to THE LION KING.
Jennings was honoured for his decades of service at ABC News. He died of lung cancer in August 2005.
Nine others collected Disney Legends Awards, including actors TOMMY KIRK, KEVIN CORCORAN, TIM CONSIDINE, DAVID STOLLERY and GINNY TYLER.

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LATEST: Police in Detroit, Michigan will not press charges against rapper EMINEM regarding an incident last month (SEP06) involving his niece.
Tempers flared between the rapper, real name MARSHALL MATHERS, and his niece at the Macomb Township home of his estranged wife, prompting a police investigation on 24 September (06).
According to a police report, Eminem tapped his niece, the daughter of estranged wife KIM MATHERS’ sister, on the head for hanging up the telephone on him.
Sheriff MARK HACKEL said of the 13-year-old girl, "There was no indication she was harmed or hurt in any way." According to reports from the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office, Eminem went to his estranged wife’s home after getting into an argument with his niece, whom he is a legal guardian of.
To get her attention while at the home, he tapped her on the side of the head, Hackel said.
In the reports, Eminem’s niece claimed he threatened to kill her and that after "poking me in the head" he appeared to raise his hand as if to strike her.
Eminem has denied the threat and said the two were arguing over the girl’s school clothing.
After the rapper left the home, his niece told her grandmother about the incident, who then called her daughter, Kim Mathers.
She called police to file a domestic violence claim, which was not pursued after an investigation by the Sheriff’s Office and Macomb County prosecutors.

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ZACH BRAFF struggled with the sex scene in new movie THE LAST KISS - admitting feigning intimacy with sexy co-star RACHEL BILSON was "awkward".
The SCRUBS star has no idea why anyone finds such scenes titillating, because he insists it was simply full of "fumbling and elbows everywhere".
Braff says, "Filming that scene was awkward. But that’s one of the things I like about the way the sex scene is done- the honesty of it. It’s not one of those sex scenes where he lays down on the bed and everything’s beautiful, shot through filters. It’s a fumbling, awkward, elbows everywhere kind of scene."

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Actress ANNE HATHAWAY would love to star in a musical because she believes singing relieves stress and will save her money on therapist bills. THE PRINCESS DIARIES star is desperate to try her hand at a song and dance extravaganza because she associates singing with joy.
Speaking to Empire magazine, Hathaway says, "My mother and I share the belief that as long as you’re singing you don’t need a therapist. So I’d love to do a musical just to cut down on those bills."

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Ageing lothario HUGH HEFNER knows he getting old because he now prefers playing dominoes with his partners to having sex.
The 80-year-old, who opened his Playboy Club in Las Vegas on Saturday (07OCT06), lives with three blonde babes but has grown tired of sex after decades spent bedding numerous beauties.
He says, "I’m bored of the hanky panky. I’m still active but it’s different I like to play dominoes with my girlfriends."

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KATE WINSLET decided to become an actress when she just five years old, when she realised she only needed to recreate her mother’s daily chores to be successful.
The TITANIC actress was taking a toilet break when the revelation hit her, and she insists she still does most of her best thinking while in the rest room.
She says, "I clearly recall the moment. I was five and on the toilet. I do most of my best thinking there.
"I thought, ‘If (my mum doing housework) were on TV, people would think she is a good actress because she’s doing these things but being real.’ "And I realised that I wanted to do that."

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Actor RUPERT EVERETT convinced film-makers to transform 1950s British movie franchise ST TRINIAN’S into a gritty modern day drama dealing with teenage pregnancy and drug abuse.
The original series of films were set in an all-girl boarding school where students ran riot and performed hilarious pranks on their teachers.
But Everett, who will play headmistress MILLICENT FRITTON in drag, knew the upcoming remake had to leave the past behind if it was to be relevant to young people today.
He says, "I disagreed with everyone over whether to retain some of the innocence of the original, or to update it.
"I wanted to turn the schoolgirls into drug dealers and prostitutes and what have you. Others disagreed but in the end it was decided that my way is how it will be.
"I think the new film will be shocking, but you’ve got to remember that the original St Trinian’s films were also shocking in their day because people didn’t think girls would behave like that."

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THE LORD OF THE DANCE star MICHAEL FLATLEY will marry NIAMH O’BRIEN on Saturday (14OCT06), after dating the dancer for five months.
The 47-year-old first met O’Brien, 32, on the set of his RIVERDANCE spectacular 13 years ago (93) and there was an immediate attraction - but they only became an item in May (06).
He says, "Fate took a hand and the timing was just right. When you are ready on the inside, you seem to know.
"She’s been my leading lady for years - we had feelings for each other ever since we met. We’ve loved each other for years.
"She’s the most beautiful girl in the world, inside and out. She is exactly what I was hoping my wife would be." Flatley, who is believed to be worth $630 million (£350 million) split from ex-fiancee LISA MURPHY late last year (05).

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British comic actor ADRIAN EDMONDSON has joined cult 1960s band THE BONZO DOG DOO-DAH BAND for their upcoming 40th anniversary UK tour.
THE YOUNG ONES funnyman will step in for late frontman VIVIAN STANSHALL on vocals, and will perform their surreal hit I’M THE URBAN SPACEMAN in British venues throughout November (06).
A band spokesperson says, "Ade has long been a Bonzo fan so he’s fulfilling a lifelong ambition."

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Veteran singer TOM JONES has hit out at long-time accusations he has little substance as an artist, insisting he could never have enjoyed a 40-year career without depth to his talent.
The IT’S NOT UNUSUAL hitmaker is convinced he has come in for criticism because he is famed for flashy Las-Vegas style concerts.
He says, "(People say) I’m more showy than talent. The problem with an image sometimes is that people think it’s flash and no substance.
"That’s a misconception because you have to have substance to last."

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Freed rapper LIL’ KIM was inspired during her recent 10-month incarceration in prison to turn her attention to America’s youth, and now she’s joined a project aiming to guide foster children.
THE NAKED TRUTH star travelled to Washington DC earlier this month (OCT06) to address the Keeping The Promise To At-Risk Youth Conference, and to participate in workshops dealing with issues effecting foster children.
She said, "During that 10-month stay in prison I realised I had to become strongly involved in the children of our future so that they would not have to endure the struggles and pain that I had to go through during the difficult times in my life.
"It’s not what happens to you, but how you handle it that matters. A lot of times, we all make bad choices, but it’s the experience that helps you make the right choice the next time."

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British girl band SUGABABES have blasted TAKE THAT frontman GARY BARLOW for his rude behaviour when they supported the boy band at their comeback concerts earlier this year (06).
The sexy trio got on well with Take That heart-throbs MARK OWEN, HOWARD DONALD and JASON ORANGE - but were left outraged when Barlow, 35, refused to talk to them or even sign an album.
Singer HEIDI RANGE says, "Three of them are lovely blokes. AMELLE (BERRABAH) asked for an autograph for a CD one of her friends had bought and he was rude to her." Berrabah blasts, "One of them was a right old c**t. He was really rude. He was up his own a**e. He was like, ‘See you later love and why are you even speaking to me?’"

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LATEST: British TV presenter GLORIA HUNNIFORD has defended singer/songwriter CHRIS DE BURGH against criticism, after he claimed to be able to heal sick people by touching them with his hands on her show.
THE LADY IN RED star stunned viewers when he revealed his amazing ability on British show HEAVEN AND EARTH on Sunday (08OCT06) - and he has already come under fire.
Doctor SHAWN TREWEEK of British charity Sense About Science says, "No one should be promoting therapies, alternative or otherwise, based on a singular case." But Hunniford says, "Chris wasn’t making any fantastic claims other than he felt he had some sort of an ability to help cure people.
"He said he had discovered his of laying on the hands because he has always worked with his hands and has developed a great sensitivity."

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VH1 paid tribute to a host of hip-hop icons including AFRIKA BAMBAATAA, THE BEASTIE BOYS and WU-TANG CLAN at the network’s third annual Hip-Hop Honors awards ceremony on Saturday night (07OCT06).
EAZY-E, RAKIM, MC LYTE and RUSSELL SIMMONS were also honoured, and performed a selection of their classic hits - with the late NWA star’s son LIL’ EAZY-E stepping in for his father.
LIL’ KIM gave her first performance since being released from prison with a cover of MC LYTE’s LYTE AS A ROCK alongside REMY MA and DA BRAT.
MC Lyte told AllHipHop.com, "I feel great. What other way is there to feel when you’re in a space where everyone is showing their love and want to honour you.
"The foundation was laid, and it is important for people to see how well respected you are by today’s artists as well." Actor FOREST WHITAKER paid tribute to WU-TANG CLAN onstage and bandmember RZA, who collaborated with Whitaker on the movie GHOST DOG, said, "It’s a super honour because I live hip-hop.
"I lived these streets of New York, writing, performing, break dancing, DJing - every component of it. Some of these people I grew up admiring them. Some of these people got twenty years in.
"I got what? Ten, 12 years in. To be honoured with them, that means that in maybe half the amount of time I’ve achieved the same." Footage of the Hip-Hop Honours will be broadcast on VH1 on 17 October (06) in America.

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