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Jazz musician CHUCK MANGIONE is mourning the loss of two of his bandmates, who were killed in a tragic upstate New York plane crash on Thursday (12Feb09) night.
Gerry Niewood and Coleman Mellett were among the passengers flying from Newark, New Jersey to New York’s Buffalo Niagara International Airport on Continental Connection Flight 3407.
The 74-seat aircraft, operated by Colgan Air, crashed into a house and exploded just five miles (eight kilometres) before arriving at its destination. All 49 people on board lost their lives in the incident, as well as one person in the home.
And Mangione is struggling come to terms with the devastating news.
He says, "I’m in shock over the horrible, heartbreaking tragedy." As a result of the loss, the band’s concert in Buffalo on Friday (13Feb09) night was cancelled.

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

M.I.A. has welcomed a son, according to various Internet reports.
Indian gossip website DesiHits.com was the first to report the Paper Planes hitmaker, who performed on her due date at the Grammy Awards (08Feb09), gave birth to a baby boy on 12 February (09).
In a recent interview, the singer/rapper revealed she thought her child would be a boy, stating, "It doesn’t matter to me if it’s a boy or a girl. If it’s a girl she will be a tough girl, but I think I may have a boy because I have a pointy stomach." M.I.A., real name Maya Arulpragasam, was so worried about going into labour at the Grammys, she had an ambulance, stretcher and golf cart on standby - and her fiance Benjamin Brewer used a stopwatch to time her contractions shortly after she came off stage following her performance with Jay-Z, T.I, Lil Wayne and Kanye West.
The baby is M.I.A.’s first.
No further details were available as WENN went to press. The singer/rapper’s publicist offered WENN a "no comment" on the baby news.
M.I.A. is hoping to bounce back from giving birth to perform at the Oscars on 22 February (09).
The Sri Lankan-born star is an Oscar Best Song nominee for her Slumdog Millionaire collaboration with A.R. Rahman, O Saya. She is still scheduled to perform at the Academy Awards.

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TOM CRUISE is returning to the racetrack where he filmed DAYS OF THUNDER for a NASCAR event this weekend (15Feb09).
The movie star is expected to be in the pace car at the start of the Daytona 500 race in Florida.
The NASCAR fan recently revealed he once got the chance to really race around the track, while he was making Days of Thunder in the late 1980s.
He said, "My personal Daytona was getting up close to 200 miles per hour (and) personally driving around the track one afternoon. Having that opportunity to drive those cars on the track and meet those drivers… I loved it." And playing a part in the Daytona 500 race this weekend will give Cruise the chance to meet his ex-wife Nicole Kidman’s husband Keith Urban - the country star is performing before the NASCAR drama begins.

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Ailing PATRICK SWAYZE is the king of romantic movies - his hit film GHOST has topped a poll of the best love films ever, with DIRTY DANCING coming in second.
The 1990 blockbuster starred Swayze as a spirit who communicates with his sweetheart, played by Demi Moore, through a medium.
The film came first in a St. Valentine’s Day survey, carried out by retail giant HMV, to find the most romantic film of all time.
Swayze’s 1987 movie Dirty Dancing was second, with The Notebook - starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling - coming third. Titanic and Pretty Woman rounded out the top five.
Also making the the top 10: Love Actually, Romeo + Juliet, An Officer and A Gentleman, Moulin Rouge!, and Amelie.

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Troubled R&B star CHRIS BROWN’s father has broken his silence about the singer’s alleged weekend (08Feb09) fight with girlfriend RIHANNA, confirming his son is "reflecting on his situation" at home in Virginia.
Clinton Brown has opened up to America’s People magazine, revealing his son is "remorseful" as he contemplates what happened early on Sunday morning.
The singer has been charged with making criminal threats. His actions reportedly left Rihanna with injuries that needed medical attention.
His father, a corrections officer, tells the publication, "He’s reflecting on this situation. He’s very remorseful. He’s very concerned about the situation and he wants to make sure that (Rihanna’s) OK.
"This is unfortunate, this stumble, this situation. Hopefully, he will get past it. We all have our shortcomings. We all trip." But Brown Sr. insists not everything that has been reported is fact, adding, "There are two sides to every story." And he urges the R&B star’s fans to offer their support: "If you are on his side, you are on his side. Just because someone trips, if you are truly a fan, you are not going to demonise him instantaneously.
"He will continue to be a good person. He loves people. And like most of us, most humans, things will occur. And hopefully a person won’t be judged simply on that alone." And the singer’s dad is refusing to turn on his son for the unfortunate incidents that took place last weekend, and forced both Brown and Rihanna to pull out of appearances at the Grammy Awards.
He adds, "As a father, I couldn’t be more proud… He’s (Brown) the light of my life… He’s going to take from this situation and learn from it."

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Britain’s Royal Opera bosses are developing a new production based on the life of tragic ANNA NICOLE SMITH.
The actress/model had a colourful life before she died from a drug overdose in 2007, and celebrated composer Mark-Anthony Turnage has been commissioned to turn it into an opera.
The company’s director of opera, Elaine Padmore, insists the show will be "witty, clever, thoughtful and sad." Before her death, Smith made headlines as a Playboy Playmate, wed an octogenarian oil tycoon and fought for his millions, starred in her own riotous TV show and became the spokesmodel for top U.S. diet product TrimSpa.
Her final year was one of great tragedy - her 20-year-old son Daniel died from a drug overdose in her hospital room just days after Smith gave birth to her daughter Dannielynn.

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A Los Angeles photographer is suing the owners of OK! magazine for publishing pictures he took of BRITNEY SPEARS’ former home without his permission.
Brian Jones claims he was hired by real estate firm Coldwell Banker to take pictures of a Los Angeles mansion that was on the market back in 2006.
Spears subsequently bought the place, prompting OK! Australia to reportedly publish the photos Jones took.
He has now filed a copyright infringement suit, calling for unspecified damages from the publication, according to TMZ.com.
Spears has since moved on - the house is on the market.

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MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY made a special guest appearance on late night TV in America on Thursday (12Feb09) - to introduce the first music act signed to his record label.
The movie hunk signed reggae star Mishka to his Just Keep Livin’ label in 2006 - and made a surprise appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to present the singer/songwriter, who was discovered by Oasis’ former boss Alan McGee.
McConaughey recalled hearing Mishka’s music during a trip to Jamaica in 2000, explaining, "It really turned me on and moved me and made a lot of sense to me… and I wanted to hear more of it.
"I went looking for this guy (but) I couldn’t find an album, I couldn’t find him, I called record companies (and) no one knew where he was." The actor eventually met up with the musician in Ireland four years later, when Mishka was supporting reggae greats Sly & Robbie at a Dublin gig.
He adds, "He didn’t know who I was but I knew him from his music… We became friends over the phone for about a year and then… we started working together.
"The day that we decided to work together he was saying, like, ‘How can we do this…?’ I got off the phone and called my lawyer and I said, ‘I’d like to start a record label.’ I called Mishka back and said, ‘Man, do you wanna come and sign with Just Keep Livin’ Records? Let’s make this official and go play and have some fun and make some great music.’" Mishka’s Just Keep Livin’ debut album, Above The Bones, is released in the U.S. on Tuesday (17Feb09).

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Romantic WILL SMITH got a head start on St. Valentine’s Day - the movie star and wife JADA PINKETT-SMITH began their celebrations on Thursday night (12Feb09).
Smith told reporters on the red carpet at the NAACP Image Awards that his romantic plans would start later that night - and his wife had no idea he had planned a three-day love fest.
He said, "She thinks we’re just going to Tyler Perry’s party, but after that I’ve got something hooked up… It’s three days of Valentine’s Day." And Pinkett-Smith had no idea of her husband’s plans, stating, "Every day is like Valentine’s Day for us." She revealed she’s got an upcoming wedding on her mind - and all her romantic thoughts are on that.

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Japanese actress RIE MIYAZAWA is pregnant with her first child, according to local reports.
The Twilight Samurai star, 35, is expecting the baby in June (09) and is planning to wed the father of the child before she gives birth.
Miyazawa, a former child model, was previously engaged to sumo wrestler Takanohana. The pair split in 1992.

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90210 star ANNALYNNE MCCORD is desperate to land a part in the TWILIGHT sequel - because she’s obsessed with vampires.
The actress is hoping producers of New Moon can come to an arrangement with her 90210 bosses and resolve a scheduling conflict, so she can play sexy bloodsucker Heidi, alongside boyfriend Kellan Lutz, in the sequel.
She says, "I haven’t gotten a final yes or no yet, so it’s still up in the air, but my fingers (are) crossed. I’d love to do it. I’m obsessed with vampires." The character Heidi lures humans to Volturi vampires with her beauty, according to author Stephenie Meyer’s books.
Meanwhile, Lutz, who played Emmett in the first Twilight film and will return in the sequel, also co-stars alongside pretty McCord in 90210.
Dakota Fanning is also reportedly a favourite to appear in New Moon when shooting on the sequel starts in Washington state and Italy this spring (09).

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Reformed rockers ALICE IN CHAINS and MOTLEY CRUE are to headline this year’s (09) Rock On The Range festival in Ohio in May.
The two acts will join Slipknot, Korn and Avenged Sevenfold on the impressive bill at Columbus’ Crew Stadium.
More than 35 bands are scheduled to perform on three stages over the two-day event (16-17May09).
Motley Crue star Nikki Sixx insists his band have signed up to perform at the third annual Rock On The Range after fans told them it was a festival they should be a part of.
He explains, "We try to listen to our fans and they’ve been saying for years that we should play at Rock On The Range. We’re really excited to play one of America’s great rock festivals." Also billed to play are Shinedown, Buckcherry, The Used, Atreyu, Chevelle, Saving Abel and Hoobastank.

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British pop idols GIRLS ALOUD have silenced repeated rumours of a split - by signing a new three album record deal.
Recent reports suggested the five-piece were on the verge of breaking up, as bandmembers pursued their own non-musical projects.
Cheryl Cole is a judge on British talent show The X Factor, Sarah Harding has landed an acting role in a BBC drama, and Nadine Coyle has moved to Los Angeles, where she has launched a chain of Irish pubs.
But the Love Machine hitmakers have reassured fans they are sticking together for a few years yet - by committing to the deal with their label, Universal imprint Fascination, which guarantees at least one new record in 2009.

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The director of troubled R&B star CHRIS BROWN’s new movie is standing by his man.
After Brown’s well-publicised weekend (08Feb09) fight with girlfriend Rihanna cost him his Got Milk? ad campaign, and forced bosses at gum firm Wrigley to shelve commercials featuring the singer, he can rest assured his film career is still intact.
Melvin James, the writer/director of Brown’s upcoming movie Caramel, insists he’s planning to keep the star in his film.
He tells Life & Style magazine, "Chris’ current situation hasn’t had any effect on things in terms of the film. We’re still planning on working with him.
"We’re looking to shoot around September. We got pushed back a little bit because of other projects. Chris plays the male lead, Cali. He has a love story with the title character, Caramel. Caramel is a modern-day version of the film American Graffiti. It’s a coming-of-age story about young people, their music, their cars, and there’s a love story in there." Brown has been charged with making criminal threats and faces jail time. He’s due in court to face charges in March (09).

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Singer/actress MANDY MOORE is considering asking her ex to DJ at her wedding.
Moore announced her engagement to rocker Ryan Adams earlier this week (begs09Feb09) and now she’s thinking about the music for her big day.
Speaking on Los Angeles DJ Valentine’s morning show on Friday (13Feb09), the Saved star said, "I could ask my friend Adam (Goldstein, aka DJ AM)… I have many options." But she insists that whatever happens, her wedding day won’t be a big deal, thanks to the fact she has married in the movies.
She adds, "I’ve never been that kind of girl… I kind of feel, like, because I’ve been able to get married in a few films, I kinda got that whole giant wedding fuss out of my system; the real thing can be considerably less of a big deal.
"Hopefully it can happen and slip by unnoticed by everybody… I guess we have to be kinda sneaky about it but I’ll see what I can accomplish."

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British Grammy winners ADELE and DUFFY have discovered music awards don’t count when it comes to celebrating St. Valentine’s - they’ll both be single and sad on the romantic day.
Both singers admit they’re not fans of Cupid’s Day - because they’ve spent it without a date for so many years, and it looks like 2009 will be another loveless day for the pair.
Adele says, "I don’t like Valentine’s Day. Well, I don’t like Valentine’s Day if I’m single, but if things sort themselves out by the 14th, then who knows." And Welsh singer Duffy, who won a Best Pop Vocal Album prize at the Grammys on Sunday (08Feb09), has a bizarre Valentine’s Day planned - with a bunch of gay men.
She explains, "I am playing Heaven, it’s a gay club in London. So I’m playing this concept with all these beautiful men who are all unfortunately not really into me in a romantic sense. But here’s hoping." Duffy admits, like her friend Adele, she’s no fan of the most romantic day of the year: "It never worked for me."

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Pregnant pop star M.I.A. is hoping for a St. Valentine’s Day (14Feb09) baby after she failed to go into labour at the Grammy Awards on Sunday (08Feb09).
The Paper Planes hitmaker was due to give birth at the Grammys, where she performed with Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, T.I. and Kanye West, and she started having contractions backstage.
But, five days later, the singer/rapper’s publicist insists there’s no baby news and "no comment" about the impending birth.
M.I.A., however, has her sights set on a St. Valentine’s Day delivery.
Speaking backstage at the Grammys, where she revealed fiance Benjamin Brewer was timing her contractions with a stopwatch, M.I.A. said, "Maybe if we’re not going to have the baby at the Grammys, it could be a week late and come on Valentine’s Day. Yeah, you never know."

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)