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Country star GARTH BROOKS will play all five of his sold-out Los Angeles charity shows in under 30 hours due to scheduling conflicts with the city’s top basketball teams.
The singer made Staples Center history on Saturday (01Dec07) when all 85,000 tickets for his January (08) concerts sold out in just 59 minutes.
But he’ll have to race through shows so as not to upset the schedules of the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, who both use the Staples Center as their home court.
The proceeds from the shows will benefit the California 2008 Fire Relief Campaign, and go towards helping those left homeless by the recent wildfires.

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Newly-reformed rock supergroup LED ZEPPELIN are to play their first U.S. show since the summer of 1977 at the Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, Tennessee next June (08), according to reports.
Industry sources claim Led Zeppelin are in talks to perform on the same bill as Metallica.
The British rockers reformed this summer (07) for secret rehearsals. They’ll perform at a tribute concert for Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun in London next week (10Dec07).
Reports suggesting the group will tour America with The Cult next year (07) have been confirmed by Cult frontman Ian Astbury, but Led Zeppelin have yet to acknowledge the rumours.
A planned Led Zeppelin tour would have to be worked around dates for frontman Robert Plant’s concerts with country star Alison Krauss, which are currently being booked, according to Billboard.com.
Led Zeppelin bass player John Paul Jones has become a regular at the Bonnaroo festival - he formed a jam band with Ben Harper for this summer’s (07) event.

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VELVET REVOLVER rocker SCOTT WEILAND has been charged with driving under the influence after crashing his car last month (Nov07).
The troubled star smashed his vehicle on a Los Angeles highway on 21 November (07). Nobody was injured in the accident.
According to police, Weiland refused to take a blood or urine test and was arrested at the scene for "driving under the influence of a drug".
He was released after posting $40,000 (£20,000) bail and is due in court on 13 December (07).
Weiland, whose battle with hard drugs is well-documented, has previously been convicted of DUI in 2003 and for buying crack cocaine in 1995. He was charged with domestic violence in 2001.
Earlier this year (07), he hit the headlines again after his wife Mary was arrested on arson charges after setting fire to Weiland’s clothes outside the couple’s Toluca Lake, California home - following an argument with the rocker.
She blamed her behaviour on an imbalance in medications used to treat her bipolar disorder.

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Rapper 50 CENT keeps a friendly reminder of his rivalry with hip-hop star KANYE WEST in his office - a stuffed teddy bear.
The G-Unit frontman keeps the soft toy - a reference to the mascot regularly featured in West’s album artwork - next to pictures of friends and fellow entertainers Justin Timberlake, Madonna and Jessica Alba.
But unlike his other memorabilia, the In Da Club hitmaker isn’t a fan of the cuddly bear - he uses it as a ventriloquist dummy to mock West.
Showing off the toy during a special edition of MTV’s Cribs last week (29Nov07), the rapper stood next to a picture of King Kong saying, "Kanye wants to say goodbye", before kicking the small bear under a desk.

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BRITNEY SPEARS has been accused of stealing four white coats from designer KATJA BERGLUND following her 26th birthday celebrations in Los Angeles at the weekend (01-02Dec07).
The pop star partied at the Scandinavian Style Mansion on Saturday night (01Dec07) with old pal Paris Hilton - but is alleged to have picked up a few extra coats, costing a total of $28,200 (£14,100), for her and her friends as she left the venue, according to Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet.
And this isn’t the first time Spears has been caught up in theft allegations - last week (ends30Nov07), she was reported to have swiped a wig off a mannequin as she stormed out of Hollywood sex shop Hustler.

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Actress KEIRA KNIGHTLEY wants to ditch romantic movies and try a stint in comedy, after becoming inspired by WILL FERRELL farce, BLADES OF GLORY.
Knightley, who has made her name starring in period dramas, claims she hated comedies until she saw the figure-skating film.
She tells the New York Post’s gossip column Page Six, "I always say I’ve no interest in doing a comedy because I don’t watch very many. But actually I think I am lying because the other day I saw Blades of Glory and thought it was brilliant."

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WILL SMITH blew $6 million (£3 million) after finding fame as a teenage rapper, and was left so poor he couldn’t pay his tax.
The movie star claims he was too young to handle the kind of money he was earning as one half of DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - but he had fun spending it.
Smith says, "I had a hit single on the radio for 30 days before I graduated from high school. That’s dangerous. It just seemed easy.
"The tide turned at 19. The IRS (Internal Revenue Service) came and took all my stuff. They wanted $2.8 million and I had two dollars and eighty three cents.
"I went through five or six million, but I had the best time."

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DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES star DOUGRAY SCOTT has ruled out ever undergoing cosmetic surgery to preserve his handsome looks, branding actors who go under the knife "sad".
The 42-year-old is adamant he will grow old gracefully, and won’t succumb to the popular Hollywood trend.
He says, "It’s crazy. It’s sad for actors. I can understand why women do it.
For guys though, it’s never been a problem. I’m a bit oblivious to it with guys.
"Someone pointed out an actor I know who’s had some work done. I couldn’t believe they’d had Botox. I’m not saying who though."

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MAX VON SYDOW is the only actor to have played Jesus Christ and the Devil on the big screen - and he much preferred the dark side.
The Swedish actor claims his role as Satan in 1993’s Needful Things gave him so much more freedom than playing Christ.
Von Sydow - who took on the role of Jesus in 1965’s The Greatest Story Ever Told - tells the New York Post, "It’s more fun to play the devil, you have more leeway.
"Playing Jesus was a very interesting experience - it was my first film outside Sweden, and it took nine months to make.
"But it’s an impossible part. Everyone has their own idea of Jesus, and you have to fight these fixed images."

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Screen siren ANNE HATHAWAY has confessed to a secret crush - on ageing movie co-star ALAN ARKIN.
The 25-year-old actress shot love scenes in Becoming Jane with heartthrob James McAvoy, but insists her head was turned more by 73-year-old Arkin, her co-star in Get Smart.
Hathaway tells the New York Post’s gossip column Page Six, "He was absolutely my favourite leading man so far. Even though I am talking, I will totally admit that I loved kissing him. Actually. I think there is someone I’m working with who’s hotter: Alan Arkin.
"Seriously. I’m doing Get Smart with him right now and he is so sexy, it’s actually a little distracting."

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Actress EVA MENDES found fame so difficult to deal with, she turned to a therapist to help her through her struggle.
The 33-year-old considered quitting the industry after starring alongside Will Smith in the 2005 movie Hitch - but saved her career by seeking professional advice to address issues about her celebrity.
She says, "I see a therapist once a week or I speak to her if I’m not around.
"And I want to encourage people to go it; it doesn’t mean you are out of control. I just think it’s healthy way to be and even when everything is OK, I still go.
"It’s great to have somebody who is completely objective coming up with guidelines for you."

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KNOCKED UP actress KATHERINE HEIGL has hit out at the comedy movie that made her a Hollywood star, dubbing it "sexist".
Heigl plays a TV journalist who becomes pregnant after a one-night stand with an unemployed slob, played by Seth Rogen.
The movie was a massive hit and helped Heigl’s earnings rise from $300,000 (£150,000) to $6 million (£3 million).
But she tells Vanity Fair magazine, "It’s a little sexist. It paints the women as shrews, as humorless and uptight and it paunts the men as lovable, goofy, fun-loving guys.
"It was hard for me to love the movie."

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JORJA FOX fears leaving TV hit CSI will be the biggest mistake of her life.
The 39-year-old actress is quitting the show after seven years of playing forensic scientist Sarah Sidle - but she admits the big step could just be a mid-life crisis.
Fox says, "I’ve been thinking about leaving for a year and a half. I had to get up the courage. Maybe I’m just having a midlife crisis. Maybe this will be the worst decision I ever make." But the star is planning to use the break from TV to return to theatre, go to college, and even have kids.
She tells the New York Post’s gossip column Page Six, "Theater is one of my loves, so I’m open for that after 11 and a half years of working in prime time TV. I’ve never been to college so I think about that.
"But I kept putting it off, and I am also thinking about having a child, and that’s really important. Also I want to do a lot of travelling and surfing two of my hobbies."

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Actress EVA MENDES avoided a charge of hit-and-run at the weekend (01-02Dec07) after accidentally pranging a car as she attempted to park her own vehicle she left a note with her contact details on for the other driver.
Mendes was running errands in Los Angeles when the traffic offence occurred, and although no damage was caused, she decided to leave a message for the car’s owner instead of risk legal action from her crash victim.
According to TMZ.com, the handwritten note reads: "This person slightly hit your right front tire (sic) but nothing happened. Just wanted to let you know.
Happy Holidays. Call with questions if any."

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An Australian contractor has held a one-man protest in Sydney, after accusing director BAZ LUHRMANN’s production company of failing to pay him $16,000 (£8,000) for work on the filmmaker’s new movie AUSTRALIA.
Darren Foster, a marine salvage operator, claims he was asked by Bazmark Films to supply props and other equipment for the Nicole Kidman-starring project earlier this year (07). But while hire fees were paid for the use of two of the contractor’s historic boats, the firm refused to pay the remaining amount owed to him.
Foster says, "The company has since told me that the person who made the booking was not authorised to do so." And he was so outraged by the $2,000 (£1,000) settlement he was offered by Bazmark Films, he decided to get his voice heard by protesting outside Fox Studios last Thursday (29Nov07), holding banners reading, "Australia film over budget so I don’t get paid!" and "Baz Luhrman Australia film very un-Australian!".
He adds, "The money crunchers have continuously brushed me off so I’m now hoping that maybe some of the cast, or Baz himself, might hear me out.
"I’ve travelled thousands of kilometres and left my new-born baby behind, because this is now a matter of principle." Foster has since been offered $10,000 (£5,000) for his troubles, but has declined.

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U.S. TV personality JIMMY KIMMEL has been showing his support for striking staff of his talk show JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! - he’s been paying their wages since they formed the picket lines almost four weeks ago.
Members of the Writers Guild of America have been on strike since 5 November (07), when discussions between the union and show producers broke down over a royalty dispute.
And while fellow chat show hosts David Letterman and Conan O’Brien have it known that they are paying their staff’s wages out of their own pocket, Kimmel has been keeping his kind gestures low-key.
Kimmel is alleged to be keeping those worst hit by the strike - like junior production assistants and receptionists - on the pay roll, while the show’s network, ABC, is continuing to pay the host’s more senior staff, reports TMZ.com.

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British rockers MAXIMO PARK are celebrating their forthcoming gig in their hometown of Newcastle, England, by launching their own brand of beer.
The band will see their image printed on bottles of the new Maximo Brown Ale - a rebranded version of the famous Newcastle Brown Ale - and distributed across the U.K. later this month (Dec07).
Tyneside Brewers, who produce the beverage, invited the group to design their own brand of beer ahead of their concert at the city’s Metro Radio Arena on 15 December (07).
Frontman Paul Smith says, "So many amazing things have happened for our band in a short space of time and to have our image emblazoned on a Brown label is another addition to that list.
"It would be great for our band to be as synonymous with Newcastle as the mighty Brown Ale, and it’s both amusing and an honour to be able to deface the label in this manner!"

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DAVID BOWIE’s supermodel wife IMAN was such an "ugly ducking" at school, her prom date had to be paid hundreds of dollars to take her on a date.
The stunning Somalian’s skinny looks were a turn-off for boys in her class, so her dad had to step in and open his wallet.
Iman says, "When I had my prom, my father had to pay my own cousin to take me to it.
"He had to pay him lots of money, at least a couple of hundred dollars. No one wanted to take me out. I was an ugly duckling compared to the other girls.
The other girls were fatter than me. They like them round in my country."

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