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Kind-hearted singer BRANDY has made a "dream come true" for a young girl in need of a heart transplant, by flying the youngster out to California for a birthday party.
The R&B star was overcome with emotion when she heard the story of 16-year-old Jessica Harris, who lives in Brandy’s hometown of McComb, Mississippi.
The teenager suffers from hypoplastic left heart syndrome and, due to insurance reasons, is not eligible for a transplant until January (10).
Brandy reached out to Harris and her family and invited them to join her in California for an early birthday party on Sunday (24Oct10), ahead of the teen’s upcoming 17th celebrations next month (Nov10).
The singer treated her guests to a limousine ride, a tour of Los Angeles, a spa treatment and the chance to watch her perform on Dancing With The Stars. Brandy also hosted a dinner for Harris with her own relatives.
Brandy tells ETOnline, "I heard about Jessica Harris from my mom; her story was in the local paper in our hometown and the story just completely moved me. I was in tears and I was just really touched. Jessica needs a heart transplant - I want to do whatever it takes to put her story out there to get her help. People can donate. If any doctors are interested in helping her, any hospitals that are interested, this is why I’m doing this. It is a race against time.
"She has an amazing story, and for me to be a part of it is amazing; I just want to be a part of her life in any way I can. I just think creating special memories for someone like her is so important." Harris adds of her trip to Los Angeles, "It’s like a dream come true. I’ve always looked up to her as a little girl."

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Going solo has helped THE KILLERS frontman BRANDON FLOWERS kick the crippling stagefright that has plagued his music career.
The singer admits he has always struggled to perform live, and is only starting to become comfortable onstage since he reinvented himself as a solo artist.
Flowers, who is currently touring to promote album Flamingo, says, "I mean, (it’s hard for me) to just walk on stage.
"It’s something that I didn’t feel comfortable doing in the beginning, and I’m just starting to feel like I belong there and I don’t want to lose that." The star has also blasted the rumours he went solo to grab a bigger slice of the limelight, insisting his ego had nothing to do with the decision - and that his Killers bandmates encouraged him.
Flowers adds, "There’s a lot of confusion. People think I’m an egomaniac. They don’t realize the band are (sic) actually really happy that I did this."

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RAY DAVIES fears civil liberties will be eroded by the U.K.’s new coalition government - insisting terrorism will be used as "an excuse" to prevent Brits moving abroad.
The Kinks star is adamant "freedom of movement" is being gradually restricted in his native U.K. to stop citizens from seeking a better life overseas.
And he believes the threat of more terrorist attacks on planes is the perfect way of making it "impossible for people to get out" of the country.
He tells Uncut magazine, "I think by this time next year, our rights to leave will be taken from us. Our rights to leave the country will be… It will be more difficult for us to leave the country… Because they’ll stop us. The government. Our rights will be gradually eroded. There’ll be no freedom of movement. They’ll use terrorism as an excuse.
"I sound crazy, but so be it. They’re eroding our rights to travel. No, I’m talking about reality… We’re a small country now. We’re a weak country. People are trying to get out and escape. But they’re going to make it impossible for people to get out."

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Soul singer ARETHA FRANKLIN has cancelled an upcoming concert in Charlottesville, Virginia amid health concerns.
Franklin, 68, was initially scheduled to perform at the city’s Paramount Theater on 1 October (10) but rescheduled the concert for this Wednesday (27Oct10) after her son, Eddie Franklin, was beaten at a Detroit, Michigan gas station.
According to The Daily Progress, the singer has now called off Wednesday’s rescheduled show on the advice of her doctors.
Theatre officials have offered refunds to ticketholders.
Further details regarding Franklin’s condition was not made available as WENN went to press.

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THE BEACH BOYS frontman MIKE LOVE and keyboard player TIM BONHOMME have fired back at reports the band has taken to lip-syncing at concerts.
Fans of the group accused the bandmates of miming at a high-profile concert in Australia on Saturday night (23Oct10), but Bonhomme, who also serves as the act’s tour manager, insists the allegations are simply not true.
He tells WENN, "We do not lip sync. I want to make it 100 per cent clear that The Beach Boys do not and never have lip-synced their concerts.
"They have been touring since 1961 and generally have performed in more than a hundred cities a year since the beginning. I guess we should take it as a compliment that it sounded so good." And longtime Beach Boys leader Love adds, "Throughout the duration of my stay in Australia I heard nothing but positive feedback on our show… We pride ourselves on providing a great live show to our millions of fans around the world and spent time that day soundchecking our vocals to ensure a great live mix. In our almost 50 years of performing The Beach Boys have never lip-synced and we are not about to start." The lip-syncing claims came from fans who attended the Gold Coast 600 concert, which The Beach Boys headlined.
Reports suggest many concertgoers left the Southport Parklands venue before the end of the show, with some accusing the band of lip-syncing their set.
A statement from the event’s management team reads, "Due to ongoing speculation surrounding the Saturday evening performance of The Beach Boys, the management team of the Armor All Gold Coast 600… would like to unequivocally state that the performance by the Beach Boys on Saturday evening was a live performance.
"Suggestions that The Beach Boys were lip-syncing are false. A slight delay between the vision being played on the big screens at the 600 Sounds presented by Hard Rock precinct and what was happening on stage did occur, as sometimes happens with live performances, and this may have contributed to the confusion felt by some event-goers."

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Cartoonist ALEX ANDERSON, who created beloved U.S. TV characters ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE, has died after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 90.
Anderson died in Carmel, California on Friday (22Oct10), his wife, Patricia, confirmed to the New York Times.
He was the first cartoonist to draw Rocky the flying squirrel and his buddy, a moose named Bullwinkle, for 1959 ABC network series Rocky and His Friends, created by Jay Ward and Bill Scott. In 1961 the comedy moved to NBC as The Bullwinkle Show. Anderson was not involved in the production of either series.
Before the success of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Anderson worked with Ward to create Crusader Rabbit, which featured his other cartoon creations, including Dudley Do-Right, a Canadian Mountie.
But the pair’s collaboration was marred by litigation following Ward’s death.
When Anderson saw a documentary about the Rock and Bullwinkle characters in 1991 that failed to credit him, he filed suit against Jay Ward Productions, two years after Ward died.
A settlement was reached in 1996, with a court-mandated acknowledgement of Anderson as “the creator of the first version of the characters". The financial component of the settlement was sealed.
Anderson is survived by his wife, Patricia, four sons, a daughter, 14 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

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VAL KILMER has slashed the price of his New Mexico ranch by a massive $10 million (GBP6.7 million) in a desperate bid to sell it.
Kilmer put his Pecos River ranch on the market in early 2009 for $33 million (GBP22 million).
But the sprawling 5,328-acre property, which boasts a 10-bedroom, 10-bathroom, 11,573-square-foot house, still hasn’t sold.
The Associated Press reports a Craigslist ad published last week (ends22Oct10) lowered the price to $23 million (GBP15.3 million).
Darlene Streit of Santa Fe Realty Partners, who reportedly posted the new ad, had not responded to requests for comment as WENN went to press.

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AL PACINO’s new Broadway production of Shakespeare’s THE MERCHANT OF VENICE is already earning $1 million (GBP666,670) a week in box office takings.
The Oscar winner kicked off the New York revival of the classic play at the Broadhurst Theatre last week (19Oct10), and the money is already rolling in after just seven preview performances - with thousands snapping up tickets costing up to $140 (GBP93) each.
The production notched up first week takings of $1,060,015 (GBP706,680), unprecedented figures for a non-musical, reports Daily Variety.
It’s not the first time Pacino has played Shakespeare’s Shylock in New York - he headlined a successful open air run in Central Park last summer (10).

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RANDY QUAID and his wife EVI’s vandalism case has taken yet another twist - the couple remains in a Canadian jail for reasons unknown, despite a judge granting their release last week (22Oct10).
The Quaids were wanted in Santa Barbara, California after they failed to show up for an arraignment on 18 October (10) to face felony vandalism charges, for allegedly squatting in a Montecito home they once owned.
They were apprehended in Vancouver, Canada last Thursday (21Oct10) on U.S. warrants and released from custody on Friday (22Oct10) on $9,750 (GBP6,500) bail.
But a Canada Border Services Agency spokesperson tells The Associated Press on the Quaids remained in detention on Tuesday (26Oct10). Further details were not disclosed.
The couple previously requested asylum at a Canadian immigration hearing on Friday (22Oct10).
Evi Quaid told officials of the Immigration and Refugee Board that they have fled persecution in their native America and want to apply for refugee status in Canada.
She said, "We feel our lives are in danger. Randy has known eight close friends murdered in odd, strange manners… We feel that we’re next." During the break in proceedings, the Quaids’ lawyer, Brian Tsuji, read a short, single-sentence statement from the couple to reporters, which only added to the mystery surrounding the case.
Their attorney said, "Yes, we are requesting asylum from Hollywood star whackers."

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EVA MENDES, ELIJAH WOOD, JULIA STILES, AMERICA FERRERA and CLAIRE DANES are among the stars who have signed up for a theatrical marathon in New York’s 24 HOUR PLAYS ON BROADWAY.
The annual event sees actors, writers and directors team up to create, rehearse and perform a new piece of work in just 24 hours.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Christopher Meloni and singer Gloria Estefan have also agreed to take part in the charity performances, which will be shown to the public on 15 November (10).
Actress Rosie Perez, who takes part every year, says, "It’s pure chaos. I tell all the actors when we begin, ‘You will probably have a nervous breakdown. It’s normal - go with it. If you’re not having a nervous breakdown or some type of anxiety attack, you’re doing something wrong…’ It’s nerve-racking. I’ve seen actors lose it. I’ve seen myself lose it. I’m better now, but the first year I was like, ‘This is insanity. Who the hell thought of this?’"

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JESSICA SIMPSON is preparing to face all her worst fears on TV as part of a new reality series.
The singer travelled around the world exploring different cosmetic regimes for her show The Price of Beauty, and now she’s reviving the project with a terrifying new theme.
She admits the currently untitled TV project will be a reincarnation of her previous small screen outing, but she will instead address fears and phobias, and even face some of her own worst nightmares for viewers.
Simpson, who names her worst fears as skydiving and stand-up comedy, tells USA Today, "It’s not going to be called The Price of Beauty… It is a lot about self esteem, about finding yourself in a different way. A lot of it has to deal with fear - facing your fears and knowing if you face that fear it will make you better as a person. It will be a challenge for women around the world. I will face the fear with them. (I’m) pulling it together (now). We already have offers from all around."

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CHARLIE SHEEN was reportedly hospitalised in New York in the early hours of Tuesday (26Oct10) morning after cops were called to investigate an alleged disturbance at his hotel room.
Security staff at the plush Plaza Hotel called police shortly after 2am after discovering Sheen nude and his suite damaged.
Authorities tell the New York Post tables and chairs had been thrown around the room and a chandelier damaged.
Sheen told officers he had been "out partying" and returned to the Plaza with a woman, but flew into a rage when he discovered his wallet was missing, reports the newspaper.
The Two and a Half Men star was then accompanied to a nearby hospital by his ex-wife Denise Richards, who is also staying in the hotel with the couple’s two daughters.
No further information was available as WENN went to press.
Late last year (09) Sheen was arrested in Aspen, Colorado after fighting with his now-estranged wife Brooke Mueller.

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EVA MENDES, JESSICA BIEL and RACHEL WEISZ have unveiled their directorial debuts at the annual Glamour Reel Moments event in Los Angeles.
The three actresses stepped behind the camera for the first time as part of the magazine’s yearly project, which sees women tackle short films based on readers’ real-life stories.
Mendes put forward a movie called California Romanza, which stars Christina Ricci, while Rachel Weisz directed The Thief and Biel helmed Sodalis, about the friendship of two young girls. All three films were unveiled at a star-studded ceremony in L.A. on Monday night (25Oct10).
The trio follows in the footsteps of past contributors including Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Courteney Cox, Kate Hudson and Kirsten Dunst.
Demi Moore, who has also taken part in the project in the past, attended the event and later wrote a message to the three actresses on her Twitter.com page: "Celebrating this year’s Glamour Reel Moments directorial debuts of 3 amazing women Jessica Biel, Eva Mendes & Rachel Weisz! Great work ladies!"

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LA ROUX star ELLY JACKSON fears a series of embarrassing photographs of her pal LILY ALLEN are set to hit the internet after she lost her camera during a drunken night out in Ireland.
The singer became close friends with the Smile hitmaker while touring as her opening act last year (09).
During the trek, the singers enjoyed a boozy night out in Dublin, Ireland and Jackson took some snaps of their partying - but her camera went missing and she’s still dreading any incriminating images showing up.
She tells Britain’s OK! magazine, "Lily is a good friend. We had a night out in Dublin, which was amusing. I took some drunken pictures on my camera which I then lost. I was really worried someone would find the camera and sell the pictures - I’m still waiting for them to turn up. Luckily they weren’t of me!"

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Stars including CAREY MULLIGAN, HALLE BERRY, HILARY SWANK, BRUCE WILLIS and SYLVESTER STALLONE turned out for the 14th annual Hollywood Awards gala in Los Angeles on Monday night (25Oct10).
The ceremony at the city’s Beverly Hilton Hotel saw prizes handed out to leading figures of the movie industry, with Robert Duvall and Annette Bening taking the coveted Best Actor/Actress awards.
Swank presented her Conviction co-star Sam Rockwell with the Best Supporting Actor prize and Bryce Dallas Howard handed the Best Supporting Actress trophy to Helena Bonham Carter, while The Hangover’s Zach Galifianakis was named Best Comedy Actor.
Mulligan took to the stage to hand a Breakthrough award to her Never Let Me Go co-star Andrew Garfield, while Alice In Wonderland star Mia Wasikowska picked up the other Breakthrough prize.
Other honours went to Danny Boyle (Producer Award), Tom Hooper (Director Award), Jennifer Lawrence (New Hollywood Award), Morgan Freeman (Innovator Award) and Christopher Nolan (Hollywood Movie Award).
Leighton Meester, Noomi Rapace and Milla Jovovich all accepted Hollywood Spotlight Awards.
Sean Penn was handed the Humanitarian Award, while Stallone’s The Expendables co-stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis teamed up to hand their pal the Career Achievement Award.

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NAOMI CAMPBELL has found a way to control her infamous temper - the British supermodel books a relaxing holiday every six weeks.
The catwalk beauty’s outbursts have landed her in trouble on many occasions in recent years - she carried out a 200-hour community service sentence in 2008 after assaulting two police officers at London’s Heathrow Airport, and underwent anger management classes following a 1998 attack on her former assistant.
Campbell insists she has calmed down a lot now, and credits regular vacations with helping her keep her cool.
She tells Germany’s Welt am Sonntag newspaper, "I learnt that I need a break every six weeks. When I overwork myself I lose control. Now I know that it’s better to disappear for a while at the right time."

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SHAKIRA showed her compassionate side when a fan jumped on stage and tripped over during a concert in California - the singer helped the girl up and gave her a hug.
The Colombian star was performing in San Diego, California earlier this month (Oct10) when a young female audience member stormed the stage during a rendition of her hit track Whenever Wherever.
The girl tripped and fell in front of the singer, but as bodyguards raced to drag her away, Shakira stopped, helped the girl to her feet and embraced her, before she was taken away by security teams.

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Rocker and keen outdoorsman TED NUGENT has signed up to promote his lifestyle as a brand ambassador for America’s Outdoor Channel.
The musician, who is a leading hunter and conservationist, has signed a deal with bosses at the television network which will see him host a new show, write for the company’s website and promote the outdoors lifestyle.
Tom Hornish, Chief Operating Officer at Outdoor Channel, says, "Ted Nugent is a marquee personality and we’re delighted to expand our longstanding relationship… as he takes on a prominent brand ambassador role. Ted is an outdoor icon…" Nugent adds, "The quality of my amazing American Dream is due in great part to the powerful role my hunting lifestyle and the higher level of awareness it has provided me. I am very proud to join forces with the respected Outdoor Channel family to take this celebration to maximum heights. I salute them for creating such a wonderful environment to pay homage to the outdoor lifestyle." Nugent currently hosts a TV series for the Outdoor Channel which is named after his hit song Spirit of the Wild.

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