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THE WHO’s PETE TOWNSHEND has started work on a new musical, called FLOSS.
In a post on his Twitter.com blog, the rocker insists the project is intended for "outdoor performance, or arenas" and will debut in New York in 2011.
He explains, "It’s an ambitious new project for me, in the style of TOMMY and QUADROPHENIA. In this case the songs are interspersed with surround-sound ’soundscapes’ featuring complex sound-effects and musical montages. Several of the more conventional songs from FLOSS will be featured on a forthcoming Who recording for release in 2010.
"FLOSS will be heard in concert for the first time in 2011, at a venue and date yet to be established. I am already having talks with producers in New York." Townshend goes on to reveal the plot surrounds a married couple whose relationship "gets into difficulty".
He adds, "Walter, a straight-cut pub rock musician, is able to retire when one of his songs becomes the TV anthem of a big car company. He becomes a house-husband while his wife Floss devotes herself to a riding stables and stud.
"When he tries to return to music after a fifteen year hiatus, he finds that what he hears and what he composes evoke the ecologically rooted, apocalyptic mindset of his generation. Shaken by this and torn by personal difficulties, he and Floss become estranged. A series of dramatic events in a hospital emergency ward bring them both to their senses." The guitarist hopes to focus on his musical while The Who bandmate Roger Daltrey "exercises his ageing vocal chords" on a two-month solo tour, adding, "As a 19 year old - with My Generation - I wrote the most explicitly ageist song in rock. At 64, I now want to take on ageing and mortality, using the powerfully angry context of rock ‘n’ roll."

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CHRIS BROWN’s felony assault sentence is set to start two days early - the singer is in court on Tuesday afternoon (25Aug09) to face an expected five years of probation and six months of hard community labour.
The disgraced R&B star’s assault sentencing was delayed earlier this month (05Aug09) to allow Los Angeles County Superior Court judge Patricia Schnegg more time to assess how tough his community service will be.
The judge made it clear during a hearing in June (09) that she wanted the singer to commit to hard labour as part of his punishment for attacking ex-girlfriend Rihanna in February (09).
Schnegg delayed her sentencing in court on Wednesday (05Aug09), insisting she needed more information from Brown’s home state of Virginia - where he will serve five years’ probation - about what type of work the singer was likely to perform.
When the singer struck a plea deal with prosecutors in June (09), the judge insisted Brown should perform physically difficult and unglamourous work.
Brown, who attended the sentencing hearing with his mother, was scheduled to return to court on 27 August (09), but the official sentencing hearing has been pushed up to this afternoon.
The R&B singer pleaded guilty to felony assault in June (09) relating to the domestic violence incident involving Rihanna.

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Aussie hunk SAM WORTHINGTON is begging his TERMINATOR: SALVATION director MCG to consider him for the lead in his new 20,000 LEAGUES INDER THE SEA movie adaptation after the actor’s name was linked to the project online.
Movie gossip sites suggested Worthington was being considered for the part of Captain Nemo in the film after Will Smith reportedly turned the part down.
The Aussie insists the reports aren’t true - but he’d love to reteam with McG for the epic Jules Verne tale.
He tells MovieHole.net, "I actually saw that (story) online… and I’m like, ‘Hey, how come you’ve never talked to me about this?’ "I might get into it a bit more and start writing online, saying, ‘I want this job…’ We haven’t discussed it seriously. I wrote him (McG) an email and he wrote back saying, ‘I don’t think you have these qualities, blah, blah…’ and I wrote back saying, ‘It’s your job as a director to bring it out of me.’"

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BEVERLY HILLS, 90210 castmates JASON PRIESTLEY and TIFFANI THIESSEN have been handed a recession-busting house renovation boost - their homes are to be revamped by a team of TV interior designers.
The two stars agreed to be part of U.S. reality TV show Design Star Hollywood, where real experts compete to redecorate celebrity homes with a budget of $20,000 (GBP13,300).
In the penultimate episode of the current series, which airs on 6 September (09), the designers create a guest bedroom for Thiessen and a baby nursery for Priestley, who became a father again last month (Jul09).

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Quirky funnyman RAINN WILSON is writing his first novel.
The Office star, who played a college professor in the Transformers sequel, will release Soul Pancake through publishers Hyperion at the end of 2010.
A release about the book reads, "Soul Pancake will encourage readers to explore life’s big questions, such as why do we dream, what happens after we die, and what work of art has most influenced your life."

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MADONNA’s Sticky & Sweet tour is causing more controversy across Europe - Bulgarian church officials are urging the public to protest her performance in the capital Sofia on Saturday (29Aug09).
The Sorry hitmaker’s show at the Vasil Levski Stadium is expected to be attended by 50,000 ticket holders on the same day Orthodox Christians mark the beheading of Saint John the Baptist with a day of fasting.
The Church of Bulgaria has condemned the concert for showing disrespect to Christianity.
A statement on the church website reads: "The Holy Synod expresses its disapproval and disagreement with such musical artistic events which, in many cases, openly profane Christian symbols and events. Louise Esther Ciccone, with almost every concert in a Christian country, displays a disrespectful and intolerant attitude to the religious feelings of the Christians there." The controversy comes just weeks after Madonna upset a group of Polish nationalists, who branded her a "a crypto-Satanist" for planning her concert in Warsaw on the day of the the Assumption of Mary feast - a special holy date in the Catholic Church.

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A doctor involved in the MICHAEL JACKSON death investigation is urging U.S. President BARACK OBAMA to clamp down on "unethical" medics who exchange "controlled medication" for money.
Dr. Susan Essien Etok has told cops probing the superstar’s sudden death in June (09) that the King of Pop pressured her to prescribe him drugs and even offered her $750,000 (GBP500,000).
In a letter obtained by TMZ.com, the medic claims she attempted to "intervene and expose Michael’s dependency (while he was alive)" but was "blocked by ‘forces’ that are more powerful than I am".
She goes on to claim Jackson’s demise and the "untimely deaths" of "notable figures such as Anna-Nicole Smith, Heath Ledger and Elvis Presley, could have been prevented if tighter measures regarding access to controlled drugs had been in place." And she urges Obama to hand out "harsher punitive measures" to unethical doctors.
Dr. Etok concludes, "I am coming to you with the support of the Jackson family and Michael’s friends; I was forced into a situation where I had to sit back and watch Michael die, powerless to help. I cannot remain silent any longer and watch this happen to another individual; my conscience would not allow it. I do hope that I have your backing on this and I hope that we can work close together in bringing about a reform." The Jackson investigation is currently focused on the star’s personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, who was living with the singer at the time of his 25 June (09) death. Cops are trying to establish if the medic gave his client the anaesthetic Propofol in the hours before he died.

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SIR MICK JAGGER’s ex-wife JERRY HALL is keen to walk down the aisle again - but only if her prospective new husband is nothing like her former rock star partner.
The ex-supermodel was married to the Rolling Stones frontman for nine years until their divorce in 1999 and the pair has four children together.
During their relationship Jagger cheated on Hall several times - including an affair with Carla Bruni, who married French President Nicolas Sarkozy last year (08).
And ten years after her marriage to the singer ended, the 53 year old is now ready to wed again.
She says, "I’m comfortable in my skin now, because I basically do what I like. And, who knows, I might yet get married again. I’m always open to meeting the right man.
"A lot of rock stars never grow up, and I’m not looking for that now - definitely not. Priorities change. You want companionship. There are so many things you don’t really care about that you did when you were younger. You become less picky about superficial things.
"I would never go out with a rock star again - definitely not. I have moved on from Mick. I just want someone who I like - someone who’s kind, who’s going to be nice to you. It would be lovely to meet someone. Love is such a special, magical thing. I think sex is a wonderful thing, too."

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PAULA ABDUL has scored her first TV deal since quitting the AMERICAN IDOL judging panel - the star is set to host an upcoming special about the world’s biggest female singers.
Abdul has been carefully plotting her next move since relinquishing her seat on the TV talent contest earlier this month (Aug09).
Just weeks after insisting she had been flooded with "wonderful offers", the star has announced she’s signed on to anchor VH1 Divas next month (Sep10).
Abdul announced on her Twitter page: "Hi guys! I’m really excited to announce I’ll be hosting this year’s VH1 Divas! The show will be live on Sept 17th @ 9 pm EST.
"This year’s VH1 Divas show will honor Adele, Kelly Clarkson, Jordin Sparks, Leona Lewis and Miley Cyrus - I am so excited!!" The show is set to air live from New York’s Brooklyn Academy of Music Howard Gilman Opera House.

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SIR PAUL McCARTNEY has destroyed JOHN LENNON’s image as a drug-taking wildman - insisting his BEATLES bandmate was "soft-centred".
The Hey Jude hitmaker is adamant flippant, untrue comments made by Lennon during the Fab Four’s early days built up a false public perception of him as a "hard, mad" rock ‘n’ roll star.
McCartney reveals his late songwriting partner was closer in character to the peace-loving hippie of the band’s later years.
He says, "This is the trouble with history, with journalism. John said so much c**p that he later said he hadn’t meant. It’s bulls**t.
"The image of John is seriously flawed because he was not the hard, mad man that people think he was… He was a very soft-centred guy and we had a lot in common.
"Whatever bad things John said about me, he would also slip his glasses to the end of his nose and say, ‘I love you.’"

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ANGELINA JOLIE and BRAD PITT are living in the middle of rock ‘n’ roll history - music legends including PINK FLOYD, AC/DC, THE CURE, STING and CHRIS REA have all recorded albums at the couple’s French chateau.
The Hollywood couple moved in to Chateau Miraval in the tiny village of Brignol last summer (08) to create a countryside retreat for their six kids.
The traditional French building has a hi-tech recording studio - named Studio Miraval - in its grounds, and a string of big names have passed through the doors.
British rockers Pink Floyd laid down tracks for their ground-breaking 1979 hit The Wall at Miraval, and AC/DC occupied the studio in 1986 for their album Blow Up Your Video - with the band admitting they chose the building for its "wonderful" rural location.
The Cure took up residence for their seventh studio album, 1987’s Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, and moved into the outbuildings on the estate with their families until the record was completed. In a subsequent interview, frontman Robert Smith revealed he loved the peaceful and isolated location of the French mansion, "We recorded Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me in the Studio Miraval, during several weeks. It is in the middle of vineyards, in a pleasant place. We lived over there with our family, very relaxed, in three isolated and protected houses." Sting, The Cranberries, Shirley Bassey, Chris Rea and German rock band Rammstein are among the other music greats to have recorded there.
The last big name to grace the studio was Courtney Love, who holed up at Chateau Miraval in 2003. Since then the studio has seen a decline in business and has reportedly sat empty since the current owners rented the estate to Pitt and Jolie.
The Hollywood couple has now reportedly agreed a deal to buy Chateau Miraval for $56 million (£35 million), with plans to spend a further $16 million (£10 million) on renovations including a gym, a bigger wine cellar and a motorbike track.

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Rocker MATT BELLAMY regrets researching conspiracy theories for MUSE’s new album - because he let the wacky speculation take over his life.
The frontman investigated stories about the end of the world as inspiration for the group’s upcoming release The Resistance - and was so convinced by one theory he panicked and began stocking up on supplies in case of an apocalypse.
Bellamy rushed out to his local grocery store and bought all 50 cans of beans on the shelf, before investing in an axe from a hardware shop.
He tells Q magazine, "I read somewhere a seven-day blockade and the U.K. would run out of oil. Another seven days and we’d run out of food. That’s why I bought the beans. The axe would chop firewood." His psychologist girlfriend Gaia Polloni tried to calm him down - but there was no stopping Bellamy’s paranoia.
He adds, "She’s (Polloni) Italian. They’ve seen it all there. The Roman Empire came and went. She’s more laid back about history and politics.
"But to me it all feels so tenuous sometimes, especially in the U.K. We are an island and are vulnerable."

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Rock legends KISS have signed a record deal to release the band’s first new material in more than a decade.
The Love Gun hitmakers will release Sonic Boom with Loud & Proud after agreeing a deal with the company, a subsidiary of Roadrunner Records.
The record hits stores in October (09), and bassist Gene Simmons promises fans it’ll be worth the long wait since their last release - 1998’s Pyscho Circus.
Simmons tells CMU Music, "Sonic Boom may be the best new record we’ve done since Destroyer. It is Rock And Roll Over meets Love Gun".
Frontman Paul Stanley adds, "Sonic Boom is the perfect title for what we’re creating - it’s earthshaking and deafening!"

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British rockers RAZORLIGHT had to rush a roadie to hospital at the weekend (begs22Aug09), after he drunkenly fell from their speeding tourbus.
The incident occurred just hours before the group were due onstage at the U.K.’s V Festival.
Amazingly, the un-named roadie escaped serious injury in the fall.
Frontman Johnny Borrell tells Absolute Radio, "I didn’t personally have a drama but in Razorlight, well we did have a big drama, because one of our roadies got dead p**sed. He was on the bus, and he sort of fell out the door of the bus when it was moving along at 70 miles an hour. I think maybe when he got on the bus, it wasn’t moving and he was already p**sed, and sort of thought, all right I’ll get up and go and take a p**s around the corner or something".

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Rapper JUELZ SANTANA has been arrested by police in New Jersey, accused of threatening to kill his wife.
Cops swooped on the Oh Boy hitmaker, real name Laron Louis James, at his home in Teaneck on Tuesday (25Aug09) morning after his spouse Femilia Blaise called 911, reports TMZ.com.
According to law enforcement sources, Blaise claimed the threats were made in front of a child. Blaise did not need require medical assistance.
He remains in custody, as WENN goes to press.

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ELVIS PRESLEY’s daughter LISA MARIE PRESLEY has lashed out at her kids’ former nanny, amid allegations in a new lawsuit she was overworked by the star.
Christine White claims to have suffered postpartum depression after she was hired as the primary caregiver for Presley’s twin daughters, Finley and Harper, several weeks after the 41 year old gave birth last October (08).
The childcarer has filed a lawsuit, claiming she was forced to work seven days a week without receiving overtime, and was refused meal breaks or ten-minute rest times.
Presley has refuted the claims, telling TMZ.com, "Ms. White’s self-entitlement became more and more severe as she became exposed to the various ‘perks’ she was given on the job." According to the singer, White was paid $650 (GBP430) a day, had chefs and other staff at her disposal, in addition to her own guest house on the property where she would sleep and take "many breaks".

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Injured AEROSMITH star STEVEN TYLER has blasted online reports he was drunk when he fell off a stage in South Dakota and broke his collarbone, joking he was trying to leap into the audience to fill time during a sound problem break in the show.
Tyler’s injuries forced the band to cancel the remainder of it’s summer (09) tour with ZZ Top, but the frontman is adamant he was clean and sober when the accident happened, despite reports to the contrary.
In his first interview since the stage fall in Sturgis on 6 August (09), Tyler tells Rolling Stone, "The easiest thing in the world is to say, ‘He’s drunk or stoned.’ But what are you gonna do?" A report posted at BostonHerald.com last week (ends21Aug09) cites anonymous band sources as saying that the rocker was drunk when he fell off the stage in Sturgis.
But the Love In An Elevator singer insists the reports are all nonsense: "Truth be known, I jumped off the stage on purpose. (I) figured we hadn’t gotten any new press in so long… (I was) as sober as you can be." Tyler tells the publication he has seen footage of his stage fall - and it brings back terrible memories.
He adds, "There was a torrential downpour and the guys said, ‘Look, it’s still slippery.’ I watched myself on YouTube, and it could have been my knee buckling or any ankle. The last thing I remember before I hit the ground was people grabbing for me, but they couldn’t reach me because of the barricade.
"At any other Aerosmith show, I probably would’ve been caught and thrown back onto the stage - naked and without jewellery. I stood up and couldn’t raise my arm and knew I’d broken something." But he’s making a slow and steady recovery: "I’ve got my arm in a sling (and) I’m on all the drugs I’m not supposed to be on. But I’m dealing with the pain pretty good." And he’s upset with himself for forcing his band to scrap "such a great tour", adding, "I had to ruin it all by falling and I’m sorry. I’ve said that to the fans and my band and everybody else. I f**ked up. I get in the zone when I’m onstage. I don’t really have to explain anything. I love what I do. The world knows what I do. And I only hope they forgive me for having to cancel such a f**king awesome tour."

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Martial artist-turned-actor JET LI is set to thrill audiences in his native China - he is returning to his roots following a series of Hollywood productions.
Li first made his name in the Hong Kong film industry before moving on to Hollywood, where he landed starring roles in Lethal Weapon 4, Romeo Must Die, and Kiss of the Dragon.
His success overseas snowballed and his last three films - The Forbidden Kingdom, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, and upcoming action thriller The Expendables - have all been U.S. productions.
But according to The Chengdu Shangbao newspaper, the 46 year old’s next movie will be Chinese-language film Ocean Paradise, shot by an up-and-coming director.
And Li will move even further away from his traditional roles - the film, due to be released next year (10), will reportedly not feature him in any fight scenes.

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