Dustin Diamond
Photo: Mark Mainz/Getty Images

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Dustin Diamond (actor, "Screech" on Saved by the Bell) is 31
Kenny Loggins (singer) is 60
Marshall Chapman (singer-songwriter) is 59
Erin Gray (actress, "Kate Stratton" on Silver Spoons) is 58
Sammo Hung (actor, "Sammo Law" on Martial Law) is 56
David Caruso (actor, CSI: Miami) is 52
Katie Couric (news anchor) is 51
David Lee Murphy (country singer) is 49
Kathy Valentine (bassist, The Go-Go's) is 49
Hallie Todd (actress, "Jo McGuire" on Lizzie McGuire) is 46
Nicolas Cage (actor) is 44
Doug E. Doug (actor/rapper, "Sanke Coffie" in Cool Runnings) is 38
David Yost (actor, the original "Blue Ranger" on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) is 39
Kevin Rahm (actor, "Kyle McCarty" on Judging Amy) is 37
John Rich (country singer, Big and Rich) is 34
Liam Aiken (actor, "Klaus" in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events) is 18

ON JANUARY 7TH...
In 1964...The Beatles recorded a session for the BBC Saturday Club program, during which they made their only known recording of the Chuck Berry song "Johnny B. Goode."
In 1968...San Francisco's underground FM station KMPX held a ballot among its listeners to find out who would be the best candidate on a pro-grass ticket. The people said they wanted Bob Dylan for president, Paul Butterfield for vice-president, George Harrison as U-N ambassador, Jefferson Airplane as the secretary of transportation, and The Grateful Dead as attorney general.
In 1970...The owner of the Woodstock festival site, farmer Max Yasgur, was sued by his neighbors for 35-thousand dollars in property damages.
In 1992...Debbie Gibson appointed her mother as her manager and appeared in Broadway's Les Miserables as "Eponine."
In 1999...Rod Stewart and Rachel Hunter announced their separation.
In 2003...Ozzy Osbourne renewed his vows with wife Sharon at the Beverly Hills Hotel. During the ceremony, a 15-thousand dollar diamond necklace the couple was due to raffle off was pilfered by talent agent Renee Tab.
In 2004...Still on the mend from a near-fatal ATV crash, Ozzy Osbourne cancelled his planned U-K tour, which was due to kick off in February.
In 2004...The Black Crowes' Chris Robinson became a dad when his wife, actress Kate Hudson, gave birth to a boy in Los Angeles.
In 2004...Madonna endorsed Democratic presidential candidate General Wesley Clark on her Web site.
In 2004...Apple said they had sold more than two-million of their iPod MP3 players.
In 2006...Pop star Pink married motocross racer and Surreal Life star Carey Hart in Costa Rica.

MOVIE MINUTE: FIRST SUNDAY
First Sunday is the new comedy starring Tracy Morgan and Ice Cube as best friends and bumbling petty criminals.  When they get caught and are given one week to pay back a debt, the come up with a plan to rob their neighborhood church.  Cube told us the film really showcases Tracy Morgan's talent.  "I think he feels that he's very, very happy that he can show his range as an actor, you know?"  Morgan told us that he hit it off with Cube from the beginning.  "We had chemistry the minute I walked in to read for the part.  When they tested me for it I was with Ice Cube and soon as I walked in the room that was my dude.  It felt like I've known him 'cause I grew up with Ice Cube and his music."  First Sunday also stars Katt Williams, Keith David, Regina Hall and Chi McBride.  It blesses theaters on Friday. 

ANGIE STONE WEIGHS IN ON NAS' ALBUM TITLE. Nas has the whole world talking about his upcoming album, Nigg**.  Angie Stone, however feels the album has more of a subliminal message. "I was on the plane with Nas this morning. I told Nas I'm going to tell everyone the N stands for Nas. Why because it's a safe answer. He wrote it metaphorically, it's a subliminal message for us to get and not for us to use against us." During their conversation on the plane God's Son mention his interest in having Angie on his album.  "The first thing he said is, 'I want to get up with you.' And that's a beautiful thing because he has been one that's shown and prove that he has the staying power." Nas' new album, which features production from Diddy, and Jermaine Dupri is tentatively slated to drop next month.

JAY-Z TO OPEN FIVE MORE CLUBS. Jay-Z isn't worried about losing money due to his recent departure as president for Def Jam Records. That's because Hov is planning on opening five more 40/40 clubs in the near future. A source close to Jay told the New York Post that the rapper is focusing on opening his sports club in Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, London and Houston. Jay recently celebrated the opening of his 40/40 club in Las Vegas on New Year's. Pauly Shore, Beyonce, Robin Thicke and Al Sharpton were among those in attendance for the celebration.

METHOD MAN WORKING ON NEW ALBUM. Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man recently cleared up rumors that he was no longer signed to Def Jam Records. In fact, the clansman revealed to MTV News last week that he has completed four songs for his upcoming Def Jam album titled, Crystal Method. Although there is no set release date for the LP, Meth is keeping busy in Hollywood with his latest film, The Wackness, set to debut at this month's Sundance Film Festival.

SNOOP DOGG KEEPS EXPRESSING HIS R&B FEEL. With his current single "Sensual Seduction" blazing Urban radio, Snoop Dogg feels he should stick to the same formula. The Dogg Father reveals that fans can expect more singing on his album.  "There will be a couple of more songs where I express my R&B feel. Because it feels good and sounds good. It's not no stretch. I've always been singing melodies and riffs and singing in my songs. But I never really just said, 'I'm going to do a whole song where I'm just singing." Snoop's new album Ego Trippin' drops March 24th.

LIL JON STEALS THE SHOW FROM AVRIL LAVIGNE. According to the New York Post, singer Avril Lavigne didn't get to ring in the New Year the way she had planned. The Canadian pop star was scheduled to shout the countdown to 2008 at a Las Vegas night club, only to have rapper Lil Jon steal her role.  The rapper was deejaying at the club. According to the Post, Lavigne was visibly upset but recovered once the expensive champagne was handed out.

T.I.'S HEARING DELAYED. Good news for T.I.! Last week, an Atlanta judge postponed the rapper's hearing to February 19th. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports thatT.I.'s lawyers are seeking to have evidence thrown out because they claim it was obtained as a part of an illegal search when T.I. was arrested in October for allegedly attempting to purchase illegal machine guns.

FORMER B2K MEMBERS RELEASE A STATEMENT.  Former B2K groupmates Dreux "Lil Fizz" Frederic and Jarell "J-Boog" Houston have released a statement through their publicist.  It's regarding the claims of sexual molestation Raz-B made against manager Chris Stokes in recent online videos.  The statement read, "We had nothing to do with the videos, their release and/or their claims, we are unaware of any inappropriate behavior."  Raz-B later retracted and apologized for the accusations.  Meanwhile, Raz-B's business partner had no comment on a new, recently surfaced tape of Raz-B, his brother Ricky Romance and Stokes, and said he didn't know when it was shot.

STEVIE WONDER AND OTHERS HONORED AT ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME.  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame doesn't only honor music legends, it has a museum too!  And, if you're in the Cleveland area soon, you can catch some interesting exhibits at the venue.  One of them, Rock and Roll: Lynn Goldsmith, focuses on some of the amazing photographs Goldsmith took of many Hall of Fame inductees.  Included in the collection are shots of Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Joey Ramone, Michael Jackson, Sid Vicious, Robert Plant, James Brown, Joe Strummer, Miles Davis and many more.  Meanwhile, the ongoing exhibition that spotlights the Doors, which we previously reported on, has been extended through March.

NATALIE IMBRUGLIA AND DANIEL JOHNS CALL IT QUITS. Silverchair singer Daniel Johns and his wife Natalie Imbruglia have split up. BBC.co.uk reports that the couple is calling it quits after four years of marriage and claim that the pressures of work tore them apart. Silverchair toured much of the world in 2007 with their latest album Young Modern.

GET YOUR BONO T-SHIRT AND DO SOME GOOD. Bono has a new cause and this time he is teaming up with the Wildlife Conservation Society's Conservation Cotton Initiative, which helps educate impoverished African farmers. The U2 frontman teamed up with the Hard Rock Café to sell the Bono Signature Series T-shirt, which is now available at Hard Rock's terrestrial and online shops. It is also available via Edun, a socially conscious clothing company that Bono and his wife, Ali Hewson, launched in spring 2005.

INCUBUS STEALS FROM THE POLICE. Incubus released an album last year and The Police decided to reunite. So what's the connection? Incubus kitman Jose Antonio says that he gets his style straight from Police Drummer Stewart Copeland. "We're all huge fans of The Police and me being the drummer I just rip off everything Stewart does. I don't even borrow I just take all his licks. I definitely got my own facial expressions, he's got the beaver look." Incubus head to Australia for a tour starting in late February.

SEETHER SEE BOTH SIDES. Seether's new album Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces deals with both the hopeful and dark sides of life. Frontman Shaun Morgan explains. "There are parts of life that affect us and influence us and make us angry or unhappy. In that part of the music it's serious. We get to play music for a living and we get to have hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on videos with girls rubbing their boobs in my face."

BONNAROO PUBLICIST RESPONDS TO NEW ZEP RUMORS.  The president of Big Hassle, a publicity firm for the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, has responded to new rumors printed in British paper The Mirror that Led Zeppelin will headline the June event.  Ken Weinstein revealed, "It's still a rumor and the information in TheMirror is inaccurate."  While the wording in Weinstein's statement might make it seem as though it may not always be a rumor, the phrase "still a rumor" refers back to an early December Internet report that also claimed Zep would play the festival.  That one was also denied.

METALLICA ALBUM SELLS EVEN MORE IN 2007, BEATLES TOO.  Enough people bought Metallica's self-titled 1991 album last year to make it the second highest-selling album in all of SoundScan history.  In 2007, Metallica pushed another 258-thousand units of the disc, bringing its total sales to over 15-million, enough to surpass Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill.  If the numbers continue this way, by 2009, Metallica will usurp Shania Twain's Come on Over and take the number one spot on the chart.  The Beatles are also making waves on the list.  As of January 1st, they are number two on the top-selling artists list, behind Garth Brooks, and they hold the nine spot on the Top Ten Selling Albums of SoundScan Era chart with their eponymous named album, also known as the White Album.

RADIOHEAD GO ITUNES. Radiohead were in talks in 2007 to release their new studio album In Rainbows on iTunes, the first of any of their albums to be available on the site. The guys have gone ahead and made the deal and you can now download the record on the site. Frontman Thom Yorke tells U-K paper The Times that he is thrilled with the success of In Rainbows saying, "In terms of digital income, we've made more money out of this record than out of all the other Radiohead albums put together, forever."

BRIGHT EYES BACKS BARACK. It seems that Conor Oberst is backing Barack Obama. According to MTV News, the Bright Eyes frontman performed at a rally for the Democrat in Iowa last Tuesday. Oberst reportedly played for one-thousand fans and said, "I met the next president of the United States earlier today."

R.E.M. TO PLAY SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.  R.E.M. will be playing this year's South by Southwest Festival.  The gig will be one of just a few that the group plans to play before their 14th album, Accelerate, hits shelves on April 1st.  R.E.M. last headlined the festival in 2003.  This year's show takes place on March 7th through the 16th in Austin, Texas.  U2 producer and solo artist Daniel Lanois will also play the event, while Lou Reed will deliver the keynote address there.

DAUGHTRY NOT A NATIONAL TREASURE. It turns out Chris Daughtry is not considered a National Treasure. According to the New York Post, his band, Daughtry, wrote a song for the ending credits of the Disney flick National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Apparently, the song got cut at the last minute because "it just felt wrong." National Treasure: Book of Secrets stars Nicolas Cage and is in theatres now...without Daughtry.

SILVERSUN PICKUPS PREPARE FOR NEW ALBUM. 2007 may see a new album from L-A band Silversun Pickups. According to singer Brian Aubert, he feels ready to get to work. "Mentally I know I'm pretty prepared. I think our head spaces is pretty locked on that. I think it's kind of good to calm down personally and gain a little bit experience." Silversun are taking some time off the road right now, but Brian did reveal that he plans on playing some solo gigs in the coming months. We'll keep you posted.

LIAM GALLAGHER FIGHTS CANCER WITH SUPERGROUP. U-K paper The Guardian reports that Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher will soon be doing his bit to help fight cancer. The paper reports that he is set to front a Manchester supergroup for a one-off charity show. The supergroup behind him are Freebass, a band made up of Andy Rourke from The Smiths, New Order's Peter Hook and Mani from Primal Scream. The group will play a charity concert called Manchester v Cancer in February and hope to raise over one-million-dollars for their local hospital. Christie Hospital is the largest cancer research and treatment center in all of Europe.

FALL OUT BOY "BEAT IT" ON NEW DVD. Fall Out Boy will please fans this spring when they release a live DVD. The band announced on their Web site that the film will be called "****" and will feature a live show from their 2007 Honda Civic Tour. You'll also get a bonus disc on which you'll find the band's version of Michael Jackson's "Beat It," which features a surprise guest on guitar. No exact date has been set for release, but we'll keep you posted.

BRITNEY & K-FED'S ATTORNEYS SPENT FRIDAY IN COURT & A SERIES OF ORDERS IS EXPECTED TO BE RELEASED TODAY.  Britney Spears was derailed yet again in her struggle to get her career and personal life back on track.  On Friday, the pop star was hauled away from her home by paramedics and police and remained hospitalized as attorneys met in Superior Court in her custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline over their two young sons.  Lawyers spent 30 minutes in the court commissioner's chambers but made no comments to reporters afterward.  They reconvened later in the afternoon and TMZ.com reported that there will be a series of orders released to the public today.  As of press time, the Associated Press reported that a hospital spokeswoman wouldn't confirm or deny rumors that Spears would be held for 72 hours for psychological evaluation. 

LINDSAY LOHAN BACK TO SOBRIETY. As we reported late last week, Lindsay Lohan was caught by cameras boozing it up on New Year's Eve in Italy. Now, her lawyer says that the actress is "back on track" in terms of her sobriety. Images have been posted around the Internet of Lohan taking a sip from a champagne bottle. According to Lindsay's lawyer, Lohan immediately stopped drinking and called her sponsor. 

SEVEN FILMS VYING FOR BEST VISUAL EFFECTS OSCAR.  The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that seven films remain in contention for Achievement in Visual Effects for the 80th Academy Awards.  They are: The Bourne Ultimatum, Evan Almighty, The Golden Compass, I Am Legend, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, 300 and Transformers.  On January 16th, members of the Academy's Visual Effects Branch will view 15-minute excerpts from each of the seven short-listed films. Following the screenings, the members will vote to nominate three films for final Oscar consideration.  The 80th Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, January 22nd at 8:30 AM Eastern in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.  The Oscars will be handed out on Sunday, February 24th at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California.  The big show will air live on ABC at 8 PM Eastern and will be televised in more than 200 countries worldwide.

WILL THE DEBATERS TAKE HOME THE GOLD? In The Great Debaters, Denzel Washington plays both sides of the camera, directing and starring in the remarkable story of Wiley College's winning debate team from the early 1930s. Since the film's release on Christmas Day, it has garnered overwhelming praise including a Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture. Nate Parker, who plays one of the debaters in the flick, feels it's a blessing to be nominated. "I think it's the testament to the type of film that we did. It's a film that's very special that touches on some very important issues. And the fact that it's a Golden Globe for something that some people may call a quote on quote message film is great. It's a huge blessing." Another great debater in the film, Denzel Whitaker, found out about the news in the airport. "I was in the airport and I was getting my luggage from the baggage claim and I almost dropped my stuff all over the floor. That's how excited I was, it definitely woke me up." Tune in to the Golden Globes Sunday at 8 PM on NBC to see if The Great Debaters take home the gold.

PATTI SMITH TO PLAY SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL.Patti Smith is set to headline this year's Sundance Film Festival.  Crowded House frontman Tim Finn will also play the event, which takes place in Park City, Utah from January 17th until the 27th.  The festival will also showcase a Celebration of Music and Film concert on the 20th which features performers connected to movies screening at the festival.

DANE COOK RECLAIMS COMEDY ENDURANCE RECORD.  In what has become a comedian rivalry, Dane Cook has broken the Laugh Factor'sendurance record which was set last month by Dave Chappelle.  According to the Associated Press, Cook remained on the stage of the L-A comedy club from midnight Tuesday until around 7 AM Wednesday, shattering Chappelle's record of six hours and 12 minutes.  Dave set that record in December after beating his own record from earlier in the year, when he broke Dane's record four hour set.  Until Cook set the bar that high, Richard Pryor held the title since 1980 with a two hour and 41 minute long show.  Making sure his audience was happy during the seven hour marathon last week, Cook at one point sent out for food.  One person who is thrilled with the competition is club owner Jamie Masada.  He exclaimed, "If this rivalry keeps up I'm going to turn the Laugh Factory into a bed and breakfast."

HEAD TO CLEVELAND AND SEE PHOTOS OF ROCK LEGENDS.  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame doesn't only honor music legends, it has a museum too!  And, if you're in the Cleveland area soon, you can catch some interesting exhibits at the venue.  One of them, Rock and Roll: Lynn Goldsmith, focuses on some of the amazing photographs Goldsmith took of many Hall of Fame inductees.  Included in the collection are shots of Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Joey Ramone, Michael Jackson, Sid Vicious, Robert Plant, James Brown, Joe Strummer, Miles Davis and many more.  Meanwhile, the ongoing exhibition that spotlights the Doors, which we previously reported on, has been extended through March.

JOE PERRY TO PLAY GIG WITH SONS' BAND.  Renowned guitarist Joe Perry will be playing a gig next month, but it won't be with Aerosmith.  Instead, Perry will be taking the stage with TAB the Band, a group that features his sons, Adrian and Tony.  With two thirds of the band in his immediate family, Joe has been able to watch the group grow musically.  "When I stand back it's really kind of a shock because they just keep getting better and it's noticeably better.  It's kind of like watching a baby, every day there's a change and they get better and they learn something new."  You can see Perry take the stage with TAB the Band at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Connecticut on February 8th.  Meanwhile, TAB the Band are readying their first album, Pulling Out Just Enough to Win.  .

MICHAEL MOORE WEIGHS IN ON IOWA CAUCUS.  Hillary Clinton finished behind Barack Obama and John Edwards at last week's Iowa caucus, and director Michael Moore thinks he knows why.  In an open letter to his fans, Moore explained, "If you're a candidate for President, and you voted for the war, you lose.  And if you voted and voted for the war - and never once showed any remorse - you really lose."  Moore went on to point out that Obama never voted for the invasion of Iraq and Edwards voted for it but admitted it was a mistake while Clinton has never expressed regret over her vote, something Moore claims she did because she thought it "was the politically expedient thing to eventually get elected."  He then added, "She was wrong."  Moore also lauds Iowa for not letting race be an issue when they voted for Obama.  He then thanked them for what he described as a "historic moment."

JOHNNY DEPP GENERATED THE MOST BOX-OFFICE REVENUE IN 2007.  In a survey of movie exhibitors, Johnny Depp pillaged the most money for theaters in 2007.  He starred in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and has nabbed the number one spot for the second year in a row in an annual survey by Quigley Publishing Co.  The survey, conducted every year since 1932, asks movie exhibitors to vote for the ten stars who generated the most box-office revenue for their theaters.  Will Smith, now starring in I Am Legend, placed second on the list, followed by George Clooney, Matt Damon, Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Tom Cruise, Nicolas Cage, Will Ferrell and Tom Hanks.  Though Cruise appeared in the box-office clunker Lions for Lambs, his track record is undeniable: He's finished first seven times.  In the charts history, Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds and Bing Crosby finished first five times.  Meanwhile, this was the first time in 24 years that exhibitors haven't included a woman in the top tier of moneymakers, despite the success of Katherine Heigl in Knocked Up and Keira Knightley in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.

MARK WAHLBERG REFLECTS ON OSCAR EXPERIENCE.  Mark Wahlberg was nominated for Best Supporting Actor last year for his role in Martin Scorsese's Best Picture-winning film The Departed.  Wahlberg lost the Oscar to Alan Arkin for his role in Little Miss Sunshine, but that didn't deter from his first Academy Awards experience.  "It was fun.  You know, it got a little tedious towards the end, I mean you got to put the suit on again and your feet start hurting, going from this thing to that thing, but it was nice.  Just to see how proud my parents were, you know.  I had never been to the ceremony, so it was nice seeing Marty win, of course, was great."  Wahlberg added.   "I got a lot of nice gifts.  Jack (Nicholson) sent me a beautiful bottle of Champagne and a letter congratulating me, as well as Matt (Damon) and the guys.  It was nice... it was really nice.  I wasn't expecting that (the Oscar nomination) with that kind of cast and that kind of movie, you know.  So, it was definitely a nice surprise."  The 80th Academy Award nominations will be announced on Tuesday, January 22nd and the big show will air live from Hollywood on ABC on Sunday, February 24th at 8 PM Eastern. 

JAMIE LYNN SPEARS' ZOEY 101 HASN'T BEEN CANCELED.  Nickelodeon set the record straight on Thursday regarding rumors that the network was yanking Zoey 101 in light of the show's star, Jamie Lynn Spears', much-publicized pregnancy.  A spokesman for the program told MTV News, "No truth to that rumor.  We have not made any change to our schedule."  The fourth and final season of the show, which has already completed production, is set to begin airing in February.  On Friday, the network aired a Zoey 101 TV movie called Goodbye Zoey?  The movie explores whether Spears' character will move to London with her parents or remain at boarding school with her friends.  The network had been considering addressing the Spears pregnancy via one of its Nick News children's specials.  The special would be focusing on sex and love, but the spokesperson also said, "There is no Nick News special scheduled at this time."

POLICE SEEK EXTRADITION IN LEONARDO DiCAPRIO ATTACK.  Police will seek the extradition of a woman accused of fleeing to Canada after slashing Leonardo DiCaprio with a broken beer bottle at a party in 2005.  According to the Associated Press, authorities said that Aretha Wilson has been in custody for several months in Toronto in connection with an aggravated assault case there and is a suspect in other assault cases.  Prosecutors are awaiting a formal communication from police before they launch an inquiry into whether the charge against Wilson is an extraditable offense.  An arrest warrant, which charged her with one count of assault with a deadly weapon, said that Dicaprio suffered "great bodily injury" when Wilson allegedly attacked him with a broken beer bottle on June 20th, 2005, as he was leaving a party in Hollywood Hills.  Wilson failed to turn herself in after the arrest warrant was issued.  DiCaprio's attorney said the 33-year-old actor has been cooperating with local and Canadian authorities.