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Legendary rock duo SIR PAUL McCARTNEY and BILLY JOEL reunited on Sunday night (19Jul09) to open New York City’s Citi Field baseball stadium - a year after they helped tear down its predecessor.
McCartney was booked to perform the first concert at the New York Mets’ new home, and introduced local resident and Mets fan Joel to join him onstage, to the delight of the sold-out crowd.
The pair then performed Beatles hit I Saw Her Standing There together, before McCartney took over and filled out a three-hour set with Fab Four tracks, songs from his time in Wings, and recent solo efforts, as well as his most recent incarnation, as The Fireman.
The 67 year old has a special association with the venue; not only did the Beatles perform the first gig at its previous incarnation - Shea Stadium - back in 1965, but Joel invited him onstage last summer (08) during his run of gigs there, the last before it was demolished.

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BLACK EYED PEAS star WILL.I.AM once broke his foot as he ran from police - after he was caught defacing a bridge with spray paint.
The My Humps hitmaker suffered a bout of depression last year (08) and in a bid to make him feel uplifted, he headed out in his luxury car to graffiti some brickwork.
But the spraying session was cut short when the hip-hop star was spotted by cops - and as he attempted to get away, he took a tumble.
He says, "I went graffiti spraying in my Bentley. At the start of 2008 I was feeling depressed, so I decided to head to the freeway to tag (spray).
"I stopped under a bridge on Route 101 and wrote â��Noâ�� in big letters using a can of black paint. Iâ��d almost finished when two cops arrived. I broke out running across the freeway, tripped and broke my fifth metatarsal bone." Asked if there were any further repercussions from the incident, a representative of will.i.am’s refused to comment.

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Rapper GUCCI MANE has hit out at reports he’s back behind bars after allegedly violating the terms of his probation.
The hip-hop star, real name Radric Davis, was freed from the Atlanta County Jail in Georgia in March (09) after serving six months for breaking the rules of his probation relating to previous charges of assault and drug possession.
Rumours circulated over the weekend (18-19Jul09) that Mane was heading back to prison and they were fuelled by fellow rapper Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em, who voiced his sadness at his pal’s apparent incarceration.
He wrote on Twitter.com, "Just woke up to some bulls**t. My n**ga Gucci back in jail.. Free Gucci!" But Mane’s attorney Dwight Thomas insists his client is not in police custody, although he admits there are some legal "issues".
He says in a statement: "Gucci Mane is not incarcerated. His attorneys are addressing all pending issues through the courts."

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THE WIRE star DOMINIC WEST had an unlikely first job after leaving school - he joined a circus.
The actor left the prestigious Eton College boarding school in England when he was 18 to herd cattle in Argentina.
His career path then took an even stranger turn - he decided to take a five-month break from acting to become an acrobat with the Argentinian travelling troupe De La Guarda.
West recalls, "I’d seen the circus perform in London and I loved the show they put on. It was a kind of rave-club circus where the performers swung around on ropes and ran around the walls. I’d always liked physical theatre, but I’d never been any good at it. But I fancied having a go at this." But West struggled with the physical demands of the circus, and was glad to return to his original acting ambitions.
He adds, "After five auditions, I was accepted. I was out of my depth really. All the other performers were dancers or athletes. I struggled with it, but I gave it my best.
"One of my moves involved jumping off a very high pole, swinging over the audience, picking someone out of the crowd and flying up again. It was a little crazy at times."

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Shamed American footballer MICHAEL VICK has been released from federal custody after completing the last two months of his prison term under home confinement in Virginia.
The former Atlanta Falcons quarterback was handed a 23-month sentence last November (08) after pleading guilty to charges of dog fighting.
In May (09), he was transferred from a Leavenworth, Kansas prison to his Hampton, Virginia residence, where a judge allowed Vick to serve out the remainder of his punishment in the comfort of his own home.
His sentence came to an end on Monday (20Jul09) and the quarterback is now planning to meet with NFL officials to reinstate him and allow him back onto the football field.

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GERARD BUTLER received professional dance training for his role in new movie THE UGLY TRUTH - from DANCING WITH THE STARS swinger JULIANNE HOUGH.
Hough, who’s about to hit the big screen herself in a remake of Footloose, was called in to show the Scottish star how to dazzle onscreen with co-star Katherine Heigl.
Butler tells WENN, "I took a few lessons because I had no idea what I was doing. I actually had a lesson from Julianne Hough from Dancing With The Stars. That took me a long way along the way but this lady here (Heigl), she was on it straight away. If I was dancing with somebody who wasn’t on it, it would’ve been a disaster."

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CHANGELING star JEFFREY DONOVAN was arrested by Florida police after ‘drunkenly’ swerving to miss a stopped cop car.
The actor was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) in Miami Beach last week (12Jul09).
Documents released to TMZ.com reveal the arresting officer was alerted to the actor’s driving after hearing "a loud tyre screech behind me" and turning to watch Donovan narrowly avoid hitting him.
The actor reportedly told the cop, "Sorry, I didn’t see the red light or your stopped car." He failed a sobriety test, despite insisting, "I really think I’m only borderline and not too drunk. I had three drinks at the Fontainebleau (bar)… The only mistake I made tonight was drinking (allergy medicine) Benadryl with three glasses of wine."

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PAULA ABDUL reportedly demanded $20 million (£13.3 million) from AMERICAN IDOL bosses to stay on the judging panel of the hit U.S. show.
The 47 year old is in negotiations with TV executives to resume her place on the series for the 2010 season, alongside Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi.
But discussions have come to a halt, with Abdul’s manager David Sonenberg declaring, "Very sadly, it does not appear that she’s going to be back on Idol." And now new reports claim the reason behind Abdul’s delayed signing for the show is because she is demanding $20 million - $10 million (£6.6 million) more than bosses are willing to offer her, according to RadarOnline.com.

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Actress MISCHA BARTON has lashed out at reports her "medical issue" last week was sparked by a three-day cocaine binge, with her representative branding the rumours "preposterous".
The 23 year old was allegedly placed on involuntary psychiatric hold on Thursday (16Jul09), after suffering a meltdown and calling cops to her Los Angeles home the night before.
A spokesperson for the former The O.C. star has confirmed Barton received help for a "medical issue", but has refused to comment further.
The silence prompted claims Barton had been hospitalised after feeling "suicidal" following three days of hard partying.
A source told the New York Post’s gossip column PageSix, "She’s in very bad shape. She’s running out of money and can’t find love, so now she is looking for a good time to escape her misery. She is on a downward spiral. She is a mess. She is a suicidal, uninsurable mess." However, Barton’s rep has slammed the drug claims, telling OK! magazine the reports are "completely preposterous".
The denial follows reports the star’s mystery illness has pushed back production on her new TV programme The Beautiful Life, which was scheduled to begin on Wednesday (22Jul09).

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British singer LILY ALLEN is embroiled in a row with French festival organisers for allegedly pulling out of a planned appearance on Sunday (19Jul09).
Organisers of the Les Vieilles Charrues festival near Brittany say the Smile hitmaker was due to perform at the weekend, but announced to fans she had pulled out at the last minute.
Festival press director Yves Collin says, â��We had already printed up all of the flyers with her name on them. Many fans who had already bought tickets were livid when they found out she had cancelled. A lot of people asked for refunds, which we couldn’t do as the festival is for charity.â�� But representatives for Allen, who missed her slot at Spain’s Benicassim festival on Friday (17Jul09) due to illness, have dismissed the claims - insisting the 24 year old was never slated to appear.
And Allen took to her personal Twitter.com page on Monday (20Jul09) to refute the festival organiser’s claims.
She writes, "This is rubbish, I am sorry for pulling out (of Benicassim) yesterday, I am ill though. I’ve never heard of this French festival."

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Music photographer and art director TOM WILKES, who designed album covers for the ROLLING STONES, JANIS JOPLIN and GEORGE HARRISON, has died. He was 69.
Wilkes died after suffering a heart attack on 28 June (09) in Pioneertown, California according to his daughter, Katherine Wilkes Fotch.
He designed album covers including the Rolling Stonesâ�� Beggars Banquet, Dave Masonâ��s Alone Together, George Harrisonâ��s Concert for Bangladesh, Neil Youngâ��s Harvest, Joe Cockerâ��s Mad Dogs & Englishmen, and Janis Joplin’s Pearl - which he shot just hours before the singer’s fatal drug overdose in 1970.
Marking another moment in rock ‘n’ roll history, Wilkes - hired by the Mamas and the Papas manager Lou Adler - designed what became iconic imagery for a pioneering music festival in 1967. Posters for the First Annual Monterey International Pop Festival - which took place two years before Woodstock - promoted acts including Jimi Hendrix, The Who, and Otis Redding, among others.
In addition to his daughter, Wilkes is survived by a brother, Dennis, and three grandchildren.

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FERGIE was determined to get in shape for the BLACK EYED PEAS tour - she’s shed a massive 17 pounds (7.7 kilograms).
The group has performed a number of shows in Europe over the last few months and hits the road again for a U.S. tour from August to October (09).
Frontwoman Fergie embarked on a strict new diet to prepare for the band’s energetic routines, dropping 17 pounds from her frame - and credits working out alongside husband Josh Duhamel with helping her lose the weight.
She says, "I dropped 17 pounds to prepare for our new tour. There�s no easy way to lose weight. You have to work out and eat less. At the moment I�m drinking Skinny Water. With a name like that it has to be good, right? Josh and I work out together."

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AKON has confirmed he’s set to become a father for the sixth time - the R&B singer is expecting a baby boy with a Ugandan woman he met during a tour of the country.
Reports in May (09) alleged the Lonely hitmaker, real name Aliaune Thiam, enjoyed an intimate relationship with Susan Owori, the younger sister of fashion designer Sylvie Owori, earlier this year (09) after a visit to the African nation.
The Senegal-born star has now revealed the pair will soon welcome a son, confirming, â��Itâ��s a boy…" Akon also used the opportunity to hit back at reports he’s a bad father to his other five children, from three previous relationships, telling the New York Daily News, "I think kids are a blessing. I never ran away from my responsibilities and I never plan to. Everything I am doing now is for (my other five kids) anyway, so the more kids I can have, the better. I just love them."

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MOTLEY CRUE star NIKKI SIXX has blamed the internet for ruining the surprise on the group’s current U.S. tour - because fans can use modern technology to preview their shows.
The rockers’ Crue Fest 2 trek kicked off in New Jersey on Sunday (19Jul09), and runs through the summer into September (09).
But the bassist is angry that many devotees will turn up at the concerts knowing what to expect - because social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.com will give them a sneak peak online.
Sixx says, "The first thing I did when I walked into the arena to work on the set, I said, ‘It’s 2009 and there’s a million iPhones with a million opportunities to take a picture of our show and ruin Christmas.’ "I’m so over the internet. Twitter is ridiculous and there’s too much info out there. Celebrities, movie stars and rock stars are losing their mystique.
"We want to control as much as we can of what’s getting out there about us so that people who come are blown away."

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DOMINIC WEST was once injured while participating in Spain’s Running of the Bulls - by a patrolling policeman wielding a truncheon.
The Wire star admits he is a daredevil but was terrified of being trampled or gored at the annual event, in which the wild beasts are allowed to run down closed-off streets in Pamplona, Spain.
West did sustain an injury - but it wasn’t a bull who delivered the blow.
He recalls, "One of the best times I’ve ever had was running with the bulls. It’s an amazing moment when the rocket goes off and all the bulls are let loose into the narrow street. The idea is that the crowd runs in front of the bulls, getting as close as possible without getting gored by their horns.
"I was determined to see the whites of their eyes and I did get that close. People do get killed sometimes, usually because a bull goes berserk. As I was waiting for the bulls to come into view I felt this crack on the back of my neck. I looked around to see a policeman on a horse. He was whacking people with his truncheon. So it was the cops and not the bulls who got me in the end."

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Silver screen star BEVERLY ROBERTS has died. She was 96.
The actress passed away of natural causes at her home in Laguna Niguel, California on Monday (20Jul09).
Roberts kicked off her Hollywood career in The Singing Kid with Al Jolson in 1936, before co-starring with Humphrey Bogart in Two Around the World that same year.
She left Warner Bros. studio in 1940 to pursue a career as a singer, touring the U.S. with the Dorsey Brothers band.
The star was later appointed an administrator of the Theater Authority union, a job title she kept for 25 years.
Roberts never married and had no children.

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ANNA PAQUIN is warning fans not to befriend hackers posing as the actress online - because her real accounts have all been listed under a fake name.
The True Blood star admits she logs on social networking websites to connect with pals but is asking her peers to stay clear of pages listed under her real name, because they’re filled with lies.
She says, "I have a private Facebook page that’s obviously not listed as Anna Paquin but there is also somebody on Facebook who is pretending to be me. In the last month I’ve been ‘engaged’, I’ve been in the hospital and evidently my ‘manager’, who is indeed writing on it, can’t spell or use grammar. They have this whole world going about me, and things that I’ve said and pictures of the ring when I got ‘engaged’. It’s awesome." Paquin also urges fans to take a close look at pictures posted by hackers before befriending her online - insisting she’d never upload photos of herself from the tabloids.
In a sarcastic rant, she adds, "Obviously, if it were my Facebook page I would use paparazzi and magazine pictures of myself, because I’m just that conceited."

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Award-winning screenwriter and playwright JUDI ANN MASON has died after suffering a ruptured aorta. She was 54.
Mason, who became one of the first female African-American sitcom writers, died on 8 July (09) in Los Angeles.
She was just 19 when she penned her first successful script, Livin’ Fat, produced off Broadway in 1976 by the Negro Ensemble Company and the winner of a comedy award sponsored by the Kennedy Center and television producer Norman Lear.
As a playwright, her works were seen on the New York stage in several off-Broadway productions, including The Daughters of the Mock, Jonah & the Wonder Dog, and A Star Ain�t Nothin� But a Hole in Heaven - the first winner of the Kennedy Center�s Lorraine Hansberry Award for plays about the African-American experience.
More success followed after Lear hired Mason as a writer for hit U.S. TV series Good Times, starring Esther Rolle, John Amos and Jimmie Walker. She also wrote for popular TV series including Sanford, A Different World, the Cosby Show, Beverly Hills 90210, and Iâ��ll Fly Away. Mason’s film credits include Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, starring Whoopi Goldberg and Emmy Award nominated Sophie And The Moonhanger.
She is survived by her daughter Mason Synclaire Williams and a son, Austin Barrett Williams.

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