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Singers LEANN RIMES, ELVIS COSTELLO and SEAL are calling for increased funding to keep school music programmes alive.
A flurry of music stars are backing the MusiCares campaign urging the U.S. government to provide more money for the arts within education.
Costello is adamant the whole country will suffer if children don’t have an outlet to express themselves.
He tells Fox News, "You don’t get it back once you cut it, and the country will be poorer. You can spend money on other things but unless you keep the balance between skills and arts, then you’re not going to have strong people going in to the future." Rimes adds, "It is absolutely necessary. There is research that shows that kids involved in music do so much better with all school work - math, science, English, as well as with their overall creativity and focus. I’ve been doing this since I was five years old and (music funding) needs to be back in schools. It comes from the heart and kids need that." And they’re not the only stars behind the cause - Seal claims that "without (music) in our culture, we’ll all die", adding: "Imagine what it would be like without music in our lives." Actress Kristin Chenoweth is adamant she suffered because she didn’t get to play music at school: "I just hope and wish and pray that the government will really see what the arts can do for the children. Growing up in Oklahoma, where football was the main priority and choir and drama were not, I can see the importance of it. My only way to perform was to be a cheerleader, as cliche as that sounds. There needs to be more instruments in schools and emphasis on the arts." But jazz great Herbie Hancock insists U.S. President Barack Obama has more pressing issues to deal with first: "Obama is on to it, there is only so much he can do at this time. He can’t just push a button and make things go the way he wants. We’re not a dictatorship. Nobody wants a dictatorship,. (Proper arts funding) may take a while because we have to worry about jobs right now."

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Former supermodel CINDY CRAWFORD celebrated her 45th birthday over the weekend (19-20Feb11) - by enjoying a "low key" ski break with her family.
The beauty jetted out to the slopes at an unknown location on Saturday (19Feb11), a day before hitting the milestone age.
Crawford spent her special day skiing down mountains, before enjoying a range of beauty treatments and dinner with loved ones.
Taking to her Twitter.com page, she writes, "Thanks for all the birthday wishes! I can’t believe I am 45!!! "Had a very low key bday dinner at a Thai restaurant - just my speed - and a great day on the slopes today! Finished with a jacuzzi and massage."

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British actor RICHARD E. GRANT was told to give up trying for children with his wife, after she endured a number of heartbreaking miscarriages and their first child died.
The Withnail & I star was left devastated when his first baby was born a month and a half early and passed away after just 30 minutes.
Doctors told Grant and his wife, Joan, that they should give up on their hopes of starting a family - but they persevered and welcomed a daughter into the world shortly afterwards.
He tells Britain’s Classic FM, "My wife had had many miscarriages and then our first child was born at seven and a half months, and her lungs were just too underdeveloped.
"This was 24 years (or so) ago and children born younger now survive, although I know there are usually complications involved. But she died after half an hour - and that was so catechismic and devastating to us, and the gynaecologist said you shouldn’t try and have children again… But my wife is… (an) extremely determined human being and she was determined to do so. Then we were blessed with a child… and she’s now just turned 25."

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British funnyman RUSSELL BRAND isn’t happy despite his marriage to KATY PERRY and his global success - because he insists fame isn’t "all that good".
The former drug addict and reformed Lothario catapulted into the spotlight starring in movies including Get Him to the Greek, and last year (10) he wed pop superstar Perry.
But despite his large cash flow and celebrity status, Brand admits he’s still struggling to be positive even though he’s got everything he ever craved as a young boy.
In Brand’s latest documentary, about happiness, he says, "I’m famous now. I didn’t used to be but, when I was younger, I always wanted to be famous. I thought it would make me happy. But now I’ve got fame and some of the things that I thought would make me happy - it ain’t worked.
"I don’t want to say, ‘Lavish sympathy upon me.’ I can imagine what people will say, ‘Wasn’t it as good as you anticipated? Was it when you were single and all the sex and the boozing that was disappointing? Or is it really starting now you are living in a mansion with three cats and Katy Perry? You have suffered.’ It’s just peculiar to me, a lad growing up in Essex, London, that I would attach such importance to becoming famous and things, and it’s not all that good."

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CATHERINE ZETA-JONES is to be honoured for promoting her native Wales across the world - she’s landed a society award in New York.
The Chicago star will be the guest of honour at a ceremony held by St David’s Society of the State of New York at the Yale Club on 4 March (11).
During the glitzy event, Zeta-Jones will be handed the William R Hopkins medal, the society’s highest honour, in recognition of her Welsh heritage and pride.
Her husband Michael Douglas, who recently overcame throat cancer, is due to attend the gala with her.
Professor Peter Stead, the social historian and broadcaster who founded the University of Wales Dylan Thomas Prize, says, "I am absolutely thrilled Catherine is being given this honour by the St David’s Society of the State of New York. She has done such a lot to promote Wales and the Welsh around the world through her work. But she is also an active supporter of charities and other causes including the arts and her role as a backer of the Dylan Thomas Prize has been a pivotal one.
"She thoroughly deserves to be honoured by New Yorkers who are either Welsh or have Welsh backgrounds.
"I’m told by the organisers Michael Douglas will be with her and I’m sure everyone will be pleased to see him. It promises to be a great night of celebrating Welshness in the heart of one of the most influential cities in the world."

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ASHTON KUTCHER once flew half way around the world just so he could spend one hour with his wife DEMI MOORE - but he insists the romantic gesture "was worth it".
The Just Married actor, who wed Moore in 2005, admits he has gone to great lengths to prove his devotion to the actress, although even the "simplest, easiest" thoughts can keep a romance alive.
He tells Britain’s OK! TV host Matt Johnson, "It was worth it. I just think that sometimes romance is only doing something that’s a little bit uncomfortable.
"Romance can be the simplest, easiest thing, but it’s really just about doing something that’s uncomfortable for you. So if you don’t know how to cook and you cook for someone, you’re willing to make that fool out of yourself, that can be a very romantic thing. If you normally don’t take the time to do something and you do one day… it doesn’t always have to be something grand."

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Country sweetheart MIRANDA LAMBERT has landed an attendance record at iconic Fort Worth venue Billy Bob’s Texas.
The Grammy Award winner has become the first artist to sell out the place two nights running.
Lambert performed at the venue on Friday and Saturday night (18-19Feb11).
Venue boss Robert Gallagher says, "We at Billy Bob’s Texas couldn’t be happier with Miranda Lambert. She was the only female artist to sell out our venue in 2010 and nearly 6,000 fans per night came out last Friday and Saturday to give us the first back-to-back sellouts in our 30 year history." Friday night’s concert was particularly emotional - the singer dedicated her hit ballad The House That Built Me to her grandmother, who passed away earlier this month (Feb11).

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Singer/actor BILLY RAY CYRUS knew his marriage to wife TISH was over 10 months before they filed for divorce in October (10).
The couple announced it was splitting after 17 years together, citing irreconcilable differences in its legal papers.
But the Achy Breaky Heart star reveals the cracks were already apparent in their union at the start of 2010 and he struggled to keep his emotions under wraps as he filmed the final season of hit Disney show Hannah Montana with his daughter Miley.
Cyrus tells GQ magazine, "Season four, it was a disaster. I was going to work every single day knowing that my family had fallen apart, but yet I had to sit in front of that camera. I look back and I go, ‘How did I ever make it through that?’ I must be a better actor than I thought." In the same candid chat, Cyrus admits signing up to do Hannah Montana was a big mistake that wrecked his whole family.

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Rocker STEVEN TYLER has laughed off reports he’s engaged to wed his girlfriend ERIN BRADY, insisting there’s no truth to the rumours.
The Aerosmith frontman and new American Idol judge was alleged to have proposed to his lover of five years earlier this month (Feb11), but Tyler has brushed off the claims.
Joking about the tabloid reports with TV news show Extra, he says, "That is not true! I’m working on a new album - so I’m pregnant too!" Tyler has been married twice before - his last union, to clothing designer Teresa Barrick, ended in 2006 after 18 years together.

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Incarcerated rocker VINCE NEIL was surprised to receive a jail sentence for a 2010 DUI charge and is convinced the judge overseeing his case wanted to "make an example" out of him.
The Motley Crue star is currently serving 15 days behind bars at Clark County Detention Center in Nevada after pleading guilty to the offence last month (Jan11).
Neil has now spoken out about the sentence and accepts his punishment "is what it is", although he insists it is "a little harsh".
He tells the Las Vegas Sun, "Obviously, it was something that happened, and it should not have happened. There are so many other options that you can take instead of saying, ‘Yeah, I can drive home.’ But I did it.
"They were a little harsh in the sentencing. But they wanted to make an example out of me, and it is what it is… It’s not bad, but it’s still jail. Jail is jail." But Neil is adamant he will move on from his troubles: "I’m going to do it, do my time and put it behind me and move on with my life." The singer will be placed on house arrest for another 15 days once he completes his jail term.

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Hip-hop mogul JAY-Z has won the latest round in an ongoing legal battle over the name of a restaurant in England.
The rapper filed suit against celebrity chef Terry Miller five years ago (06) over the name of his Rockafella restaurant in Newcastle, claiming the title would lead to confusion with his Roc-A-Fella Records music empire.
A judge ruled in Miller’s favour and last year (10), he was granted the U.K. trademark for the restaurant and food-branding name Rockafella, while Jay-Z was ordered to pay the cook’s legal costs.
But the 99 Problems hitmaker appealed the decision and was handed victory during a hearing in London on Monday (21Feb11).
Professor Ruth Annand overturned the original judgement, claiming the previous case manager was wrong to say the two business names would not clash because Jay-Z’s entertainment ventures were not entirely separate from the catering trade.
Miller, who launched the business after winning U.K. cooking reality show Hell’s Kitchen in 2005, closed the eatery in 2010, but runs a catering company under the same name. He is reportedly considering appealing the latest ruling.

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Actress-turned-fashion mogul MARY-KATE OLSEN has gone public with the new man in her life - sneaker designer SETH CAMPBELL.
The 24 year old has been spotted with Campbell on a number of occasions in New York, and Olsen introduced her new boyfriend to her friends and family when they joined her actress sister Elizabeth for her birthday bash last week (ends20Feb11).
A source tells UsMagazine.com, "Their relationship is fairly new. They’ve been able to have a few dates on the down low…
"His company is in the press but he’s not, so it works out that way. They’re both like each other and are just seeing where things go. Having fun." Olsen has been single since splitting from artist Nate Lowman a year ago (Feb10).

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GLEE star CHORD OVERSTREET celebrated his birthday in style over the weekend (21Feb11) by partying in Las Vegas.
The actor, who turned 22 on Thursday (17Feb11), danced the night away at the Tao nightclub at the Venetian Resort and Casino, where he was presented with a guitar-shaped birthday cake.
He took to Twitter.com to show off a photo of the sweet treat and expressed his delight at the successful bash, writing, "What a fun night, amazing food… Thank you TaoLasVegas for an amazing birthday party!" But it wasn’t Overstreet’s only birthday celebration - he also enjoyed a dinner with his Glee castmates earlier on in the week (begs14Feb11) and they flocked to their own social networking sites to send him their best wishes on his special day.
Dianna Agron posted the message, "Happy birthday Chord Overstreet!", while newcomer Ashley Fink wrote, "Happy Birthday boo!!!! I love my baby Chord!! Muah!"

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Basketball hero KOBE BRYANT made Hollywood history on Saturday (19Feb11) when he became the first athlete to be honoured on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The Los Angeles Lakers star cemented his legacy by leaving his handprints outside of the landmark Grauman’s Chinese Theater this weekend, with his wife Vanessa and their two daughters by his side.
He told Entertainment Tonight, "I never in my wildest dreams thought this would be possible." And Bryant celebrated the big honour on the court at the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday (20Feb11), proving his sporting dominance by scoring 37 points for the Western Conference to score a 148-143 victory over the East and land the title of Most Valuable Player (MVP).

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Actor ANDY GARCIA "almost died" when he was a youngster after he was knocked unconscious during a surfing accident.
The Ocean’s Eleven star had paddled out to sea to ride the waves when he was hit in the face with a board and passed out.
Garcia is amazed he survived because he was stranded in the middle of the ocean - but the incident was so traumatic, he hasn’t been surfing since.
He tells Total Film magazine, "You know what, I actually almost died surfing when I was a kid. I was 11 or 12 and I was hit by a board in the face. It knocked me unconscious. There was nobody around for 100 yards. I was a skinny, small kid and the board must have been eight feet high. Anyway I’ve never surfed again after that."

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Actress AMANDA SEYFRIED stunned JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE when he interviewed her over the phone for an upcoming magazine article after revealing she was conducting the chat in the nude.
The Mamma Mia! star befriended Timberlake while they were shooting upcoming sci-fi film Now last year (10) and editors at Interview decided the singer/actor would be the perfect person to quiz Seyfried about her new movie Red Riding Hood.
But the 25-year-old actress had a surprise in store for the pop hunk towards the end of the conversation when she suddenly confessed she was completely naked.
She tells Timberlake, "I think I should mention that I’m not wearing any clothes", to which the singer replies, "Well, if that’s how you’d like to be interviewed then that’s totally fine." Seyfried adds, "I’m most comfortable in my birthday suit."

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GEORGE CLOONEY’s model girlfriend ELISABETTA CANALIS returned to her dancing roots on Saturday (19Feb11) when she bumped and grinded her way through a racy routine as part of the Italian Music Festival.
The Italian beauty, who began her career as a dancer, took the stage dressed in a black leotard, fishnet tights, black jacket and trilby hat during the closing ceremony in San Remo and performed a sexy number to Ciara’s hit song Like A Boy, backed by seven male dancers.
Towards the end of the routine, Canalis showed off her flexibility by doing the splits, before taking charge of the microphone to personally introduce each of her fellow dancers to the audience.

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Rapper BUN B has threatened to sue the designers behind a line of T-shirts bearing his likeness and that of his late UGK bandmate PIMP C.
The hip-hop star was alerted to the merchandise via a fan on Twitter.com, who sent Bun B a link to the black and white top bearing the images of the UGK pals next to the words "Trillionaire Boys Club", making use of the slang made famous by the Texas duo.
But Bun B had no idea his face was being used to sell the clothing range and he’s vowed to take legal action against the manufacturers.
After viewing the link, he wrote on his Twitter page, "Unless there’s a contract with me/estate (of Pimp C), you’re looking at a lawsuit." Pimp C died in December 2007.

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