Drew Barrymore
Photo: Nancy Ostertag\Getty Images

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Drew Barrymore (actress) is 33
Don Pardo (announcer, Saturday Night Live) is 90
Paul Dooley (actor, "Cheryl's Dad" on Curb Your Enthusiasm) is 80
James Hong (actor, "Master Wong" in Balls of Fury) is 79
Jonathan Demme (director, The Silence of the Lambs) is 64
John Ashton (actor, "John Taggart" in Beverly Hills Cop) is 60
Julie Walters (actress, "Mrs. Weasley" in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) is 58
Ellen Greene (actress, Pushing Daises) is 57
Kyle MacLachlan (actor, "Trey MacDougal" on Sex and the City) is 49
Steve Irwin (naturalist, The Crocodile Hunter, died September 4th, 2006) would have been 46
Rachel Dratch (comedian, Saturday Night Live) is 42
Jeri Ryan (actress, "Seven of Nine" on Star Trek: Voyager) is 40
Thomas Jane (actor, "The Punisher" in The Punisher) is 39
Jose Solano (actor, "Manny Gutierrez" on Baywatch) is 37
James Blunt (singer) is 32
Daniel E. Smith (actor, "Mike Archibald" in John Q.) is 18

Saturday, February 23rd
Peter Fonda (actor-director, Ulee's Gold) is 68
Johnny Winter (musician) is 64
Rusty Young (steel guitarist, Poco) is 62
Patricia Richardson (actress, "Jill Taylor" on Home Improvement) is 57
Brad Whitford (guitarist, Aerosmith) is 56
Howard Jones (singer) is 53
Michael Wilton (guitarist, Queensryche) is 46
Kristin Davis (actress, "Charlotte" on Sex and the City) is 43
Marc Price (actor, "Erwin 'Skippy' Handleman" on Family Ties) is 40
Jett Beres (bassist, Sister Hazel) is 37
Lars-Olaf Johansson (guitarist-keyboardist, The Cardigans) is 35
Dakota Fanning (actress) is 14

Sunday, February 24th
Abe Vigoda (actor, "Sal Tessio" in The Godfather) is 87
Steven Hill (actor, "D.A. Adam Schiff" on Law & Order) is 86
Dominic Chianese (actor, "Corrado 'Junior' Soprano" on The Sopranos) is 77
James Farentino (actor) is 70
Barry Bostwick (actor, "Mayor Randall Winston, Jr." on Spin City) is 63
Edward James Olmos (actor, "Jaime A. Escalante" in Stand and Deliver) is 61
George Thorogood (musician) is 58
Debra Jo Rupp (actress, "Kitty Forman" on That '70s Show) is 57
Helen Shaver (actress, "Rachel Corrigan" on Poltergeist: The Legacy) is 57
Steve Jobs (co-founder, Apple Computer) is 53
Paula Zahn (CNN anchor) is 52
Sammy Kershaw (country singer) is 50
Michelle Shocked (singer) is 46
Billy Zane (actor, "Cal" in Titanic) is 42
Mitch Hedberg (comedian, died March 29th, 2005) would have been 40
Bonnie Somerville (actress, "Detective Laura Murphy" on NYPD Blue) is 34
Brandon Brown (singer, Mista) is 25

ON FEBRUARY 22nd...
In 1963...The Beatles formed their Northern Music Publishing Company. Michael Jackson eventually purchased it.
In 1968...Genesis, featuring singer Peter Gabriel, released their debut single, "The Silent Sun."
In 1969...Oz magazine reviewed Led Zeppelin's first album. Writer Felix Dennis said the debut "defies immediate classification or description, simply because it's so obviously a turning point in rock music that only time proves capable of shifting it into eventual perspective."
In 1978...The Police appeared as blonds in an advertisement for Wrigley's chewing gum.
In 1978...Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen were arrested in New York and charged with drug possession.
In 1986...A Fine Young Cannibals concert in Boston was delayed until 2 AM because somebody threw tear gas into the club.
In 1989...The first Hard Rock/Metal GRAMMY was awarded to Jethro Tull.
In 1992...Kurt Cobain married Courtney Love.
In 1993...Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson announced he was leaving the group in order to pursue a solo career. He returned in 1999.
In 1994...Papa John Creach, the 76-year-old violinist with Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, died of heart failure.
In 2000...Eric Clapton, Lauryn Hill and Stevie Wonder gathered at a Los Angeles church to honor Curtis Mayfield. The politically conscious composer of "Move On Up" and "Superfly" died the previous December.
In 2001...The Sunday Mirror listed The Beatles as the biggest money-earners of 2000. Although they no longer existed, the band pulled in 50-million dollars.
In 2002...A judge ruled that the record industry would have to prove it owns the copyrights on recordings it claimed were illegally traded on Napster.
In 2002...P. Diddy got a restraining order to prevent R&B quartet 112 from leaving Bad Boy Records to sign with Def Jam.
In 2005...Queens of the Stone Age were forced to call off their European tour after Josh Homme was found coughing up blood in his Paris hotel room. Homme returned to the U-S with a serious lung infection.
In 2005...Korn announced that guitarist and founding member Brian "Head" Welch had rededicated his life to Christianity and left the band.
In 2005...Blink-182 announced they were going on "indefinite hiatus."
In 2006...Sheryl Crow underwent minimally invasive surgery after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

ON FEBRUARY 23RD...     
In 1964...The Beatles appeared on a prerecorded segment for The Ed Sullivan Show. It was the first time Sullivan had an act on three times. They also appeared on the front cover of Newsweek.
In 1972...Elvis and Priscilla Presley announced they were separating.
In 1978...The Eagles received the GRAMMY for Record of the Year for "Hotel California." The band refused to perform during the ceremony because they didn't think they were going to win.
In 1979...Dire Straits began their first American tour in Boston.
In 1980...Queen's tribute to Elvis Presley - the Freddie Mercury-penned "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" - was number one on the pop chart. Mercury supposedly wrote the song while in the bath.
In 1983...Toto took home six GRAMMYs, including Album of the Year for Toto IV.
In 1986...The Rolling Stones performed their first concert in five years in a tribute to their late piano player Ian Stewart at London's 100 Club.  Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Pete Townshend made guest appearances.
In 2000...Santana swept the board at the GRAMMY Awards,picking up Album of the Year for Supernatural and Record of the Year for "Smooth."  His eight GRAMMYs tied a record set by Michael Jackson.
In 2000...Puff Daddy was indicted on bribery charges that followed his December 26th, 1999 arrest for possession of a loaded weapon.
In 2002...Country singer LeAnn Rimes married 21-year-old dancer Dean Sheremet. She was 19.
In 2003...Norah Jones won eight GRAMMYs, including Album of the Year for Come Away With Me. At the show, Bruce Springsteen, "Little Steven" Van Zandt, Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, Tony Kanal of No Doubt and Elvis Costello performed The Clash's "London Calling" as a tribute to the late Joe Strummer.
In 2004...A Detroit jury cleared P. Diddy of charges he ordered his bodyguards to rough up a TV host who asked him if he was responsible for the death of his buddy, Notorious B.I.G.
In 2004...Puddle of Mudd's Wes Scantlin was arrested in Toledo, Ohio after terminating a gig there four songs in, claiming he was too "f****d up" to perform. Scantlin then remained onstage for half-an-hour and hurled profanities at the crowd.
In 2005...Ray Charles' posthumous duets record Genius Loves Company ascended to the number one album spot in the U-S following his multiple GRAMMY wins.
In 2006...The surviving members of Alice in Chains announced they were reforming for a series of concerts. Singer Layne Staley died in 2002.
In 2006...Twenty people were injured when ticketless fans try to gatecrash a Rolling Stones concert in Buenos Aires. Police used rubber bullets and tear gas to control the unruly crowd.

ON FEBRUARY 24TH...
In 1965...The Beatles began filming Help! in the Bahamas.
In 1969...The Jimi Hendrix Experience performed at London's Royal Albert Hall. Hendrix broke up the trio shortly afterwards.
In 1975...After nearly a two-year wait since Houses of the Holy, Led Zeppelin released Physical Graffiti.
In 1976...The Recording Industry Association of America certified The Eagles - Their Greatest Hits platinum.  It was the first time a platinum disc had been awarded for sales of one-million copies.
In 1979...The Police released their single "Roxanne."  It became their first American hit.
In 1982...Kim Carnes picked up a GRAMMY for Record of the Year for her hit "Bette Davis Eyes."
In 1982...John Lennon received a posthumous Album of the Year GRAMMY for Double Fantasy, which was accepted by Yoko Ono.
In 1987...Paul Simon won the Album of the Year GRAMMY for Graceland. Record of the Year went to Steve Winwood for his hit "Higher Love."
In 1992...The U-S Post Office displayed two designs for their forthcoming Elvis stamp. Fans voted on whether they wanted to lick the '50s Elvis or the heavier '70s Elvis. The younger Elvis prevailed.
In 1993...Eric Clapton won six GRAMMYs, which included Record of the Year for "Tears in Heaven."
In 1998...Queen Elizabeth II knighted Elton John at Buckingham Palace.
In 1998...John Fogerty was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Orville H. Gibson award ceremony.
In 1998...Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee was arrested after police discovered his wife, Pamela Anderson, bleeding from her hand. The police had responded to a report of a disturbance at their home.
In 2002...Paul McCartney performed "Yesterday" at a special Liverpool concert tribute to George Harrison on what would have been the late Beatles guitarist's 59th birthday.
In 2002...'NSYNC, Moby, Bon Jovi, Christina Aguilera and Kiss performed at the Winter Olympics closing ceremonies in Salt Lake City, Utah.
In 2003...Howie Epstein, former bassist with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, was found dead from a drug overdose. He was 47.
In 2004...Janet Jackson pulled out of a planned TV biopic on the life of Lena Horne. The music legend had expressed her disapproval over Jackson's breast-baring Super Bowl stunt. Her spokesperson said, "Janet is no longer part of the (project) because Lena didn't want her in it."
In 2004...Eminem sued computer giant Apple, alleging they used his hit "Lose Yourself" in TV ads for their iPod player without his permission.
In 2006...Bad Boy Records rapper Black Rob was arrested on a fugitive warrant in New Jersey. He failed to turn himself in to begin a sentence for burglary.

MOVIE MINUTE: WITLESS PROTECTION
Witless Protection is a new comedy starring Larry the Cable Guy, Jenny McCarthy, and Eric Roberts. In the film, Larry plays a sheriff who inadvertently kidnaps a woman in the Witness Protection Program. Along the way, Larry gets to have a sweet make-out session with the former Playboy Playmate. He told us about it. "I actually flubbed up the kissing scene so we could make it last a little longer, but actually the best kisser on the whole thing, that nobody would know is Eric Roberts and we actually dated for three days." Besides the challenging kissing scenes, Larry also had to chow down some serious grub for his role. "There was one scene where I had to eat a sausage wiener that was 14-inches long on a three-inch long bun and we did that scene about 25 times and I think we figures that out about 100 and 32 feet of sausage wieners." Witless Protection hits theatres today.

JASON AND IVAN REITMAN TALK OSCARS.  Jason Reitman's hit indie flick Juno is nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and the coveted Best Picture.  Ellen Page is also up for Best Leading Actress and Reitman told us she deserves it.  "She's an actress incapable of having a dishonest moment.  She catches herself and makes sure whatever she's doing is real.  I cannot wait to work with her again."  Jason's father is, of course, famed director Ivan Reitman, who brought us films like Stripes, Ghostbusters and Evolution.  He shared a great story of a 12-year-old Jason asking him about the Oscars.  "Jason asked me, 'Dad, how come you never go to the Academy Awards, you made a lot of movies and stuff like that.'  I said, 'You know frankly, I've never been nominated for any Academy Awards and I felt uncomfortable coming to the ceremony without a nomination.'  He turned to me and said, 'Well what if I get nominated, will you come?'  I looked at him with this chutzpah of his and said, 'Yeah, I'll be there.'  So, I am here and thank you."  The 80th Annual Academy Awards will be handed out on Sunday at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California.  The show airs live on ABC beginning at 8 PM Eastern and 5 PM Pacific. 

LAURA LINNEY HOPES THIRD TIME IS A CHARM.  Laura Linney is nominated for her third ever Academy Award this year for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for her work opposite Oscar-winner Philip Seymour Hoffman in The Savages.  Linney was first nominated in 2000 for her role in You Can Count on Me and she'll always remember that first nod.  "The first time it's just electrically exciting!  And, I'm looking at Ellen Page and sort of having some sense of what she is going through right now.  Sort of the disbelief of being included."  In 2004, Linney was nominated for her role in Kinsey opposite Liam Neeson.  "Kinsey was one of my favorite projects that I ever made, so I was extremely proud to represent that film.  This nomination was a big surprise, it's a movie that I am very proud of.  So, I think the joy of the nominations deepen a little bit, as you're fortunate enough to have them come your way."  The 80th Annual Academy Awards will air live from the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, California on ABC beginning at 8 PM Eastern and 5 PM Pacific.

OSCAR STYLE TIPS. Nick Shavez has helped style the likes of Nicollette Sheridan, Maria Shriver and Michelle Stafford. We chatted with him recently about easy things that woman can do to look stunning for the Oscars red carpet and the big show this year. "I just love the sophisticated look because I think you don't want to take away from your beauty. A lot of the women out there, they have these amazing faces and it's like slick your hair back or wear something very, very simple." To see all the stars dressed to the nines, tune in to ABC at8 PM Eastern on Sunday for the 80th Annual Academy Awards.

PETA CRITICIZES ARETHA FRANKLIN. Animal rights organization PETA has criticized Aretha Franklin for wearing fur.  A press release directed at the classic soul singer reads, "You might be a queen, but you don't know jack about compassion." Franklin wasn't the only person included in the criticism directed at entertainment figures. Also on PETA's list:  Marilyn Manson, Eva Longoria, Lindsay Lohan, Kate Moss and Kylie Minogue.

MONOPOLY HITS BIG SCREEN. Universal is teaming up with toy company Hasbro to develop a series of films based on popular board games. BBC News reports the two companies signed a six-year contract to turn Monopoly, Candy Land, Battleship and Ouija into films. Transformers and GI Joe are not included in the deal because they are licensed to film company Paramount. Moviegoers can look forward to the first film to be released in either 2010 or 2011. 

LAW & ORDER ACTOR LEAVES SERIES. Law & Order actor Jesse L. Martin is leaving the series. After nine years of appearing on the show, Martin now has one more shoot to film for the drama. E! Online reports actor Anthony Anderson will partner alongside latest cast addition Jeremy Sisto for the remainder of the season. Martin has been recently tied to the Marvin Gaye movie project titled Sexual Healing.

BLONDE AMBITION TOPS UKRAINIAN BOX OFFICE. People reports "escapism" helped contribute to the success of Jessica Simpson's film Blonde Ambition in Ukraine. After only grossing little over one-thousand dollars in eight theatres in Texas in its opening weekend, Blonde Ambition recently topped the Ukrainian movie box office taking in roughly 250-thousand dollars. Reportedly, comedies with famous names like Simpson's are more popular in former Soviet countries than America because citizens crave escapism more than the U-S culture.

DiCAPRIO PRODUCES MANGA FILM ADAPTATION. Leonardo DiCaprio is working with Warner Brothers to produce a live action film based on the Japanese cartoon-style manga novel Akira. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the project is set in "New Manhattan," which is a fictional city rebuilt with Japanese money in year 2019. The first of the two-part epic is tentatively scheduled for a 2009 release.

ACTOR LIONEL MARK SMITH DIES. Actor Lionel Mark Smith died at age 62 after fighting a long battle with cancer. According to the World Entertainment News Network, Smith passed away at his home in Inglewood, California on February 13th. He is best known for his roles in films like Homicide, State And Main and Oleanna. The actor also appeared in Magnolia, the cult movie The Postman Always Rings Twice and TV shows Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue and LA Law.

SHORE V. CRAVEN. Actor Pauly Shore is suing director Wes Craven. The lawsuit revolves around a landslide that damaged Shore's property in California last year. According to the Associated Press,Shore claims Craven made improvements to his property that "...changed the geology, topography and drainage." He also claims Craven failed to maintain vegetation on his property and failed to take steps to kill rats, mice and moles that were burrowing into the soil around the property. Craven says the problems all started when Shore put a swimming pool and a spa on his property, alleging that the water seeped into the soil and caused the damage Shore is complaining about.

WANTED: FAUX OBAMA. Keenan Thompson won't be running for President on Saturday Night Live. As the only African-American member of the cast, he was considered the likely choice to portray Barack Obama in the shows famous political skits this year. TV Guide is reporting that the show is now holding auditions for someone to play the Illinois Senator. Obama did play himself on the show last fall, but he is not available to SNL on a continuing basis.

IT'S A BOY FOR D'ONOFRIO. Law & Order: Criminal Intent actor Vincent D'Onofrio is the father of a new baby boy. Luca D'Onofrio was born on Valentine's Day in Los Angeles, according to an Associated Press report. The child weighed in at seven pounds and 15 ounces. It is the second boy for D'Onofrio and his wife, Carin. Elias D'Onofrio, their other child, is six-years-old. The actor also has a teenage son from a previous marriage.

SIMMONS RESPONDS TO SEX TAPE.  Gene Simmons has responded to the purported sex tape featuring him which has spread across the Internet over the past few days.  On his Web site, the Kiss bassist wrote, "Hi everyone.  You may have heard or seen garbage that has sprung up from my past.  Rest assured the proper legal team is looking at all the ramifications and options."  Simmons added a note about his long-time love, Shannon Tweed, and their two kids, writing, "And us?  Shannon, Nick and Soph are happy and healthy.  All is well.  And thank you all for the kind words of support."  The video of the rocker, which is posted at GenesSecret.com, shows Simmons having sex with a blonde model.  That woman has been identified as a spokesmodel for Frank's Energy Drink, a potable Gene reportedly endorses.

JENNIFER LOPEZ GIVES BIRTH TO TWINS
Just a few days ago she was attending Fashion Week and partying it up in New York City and now People magazine reports that Jennifer Lopez gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, early this morning at a hospital in Long Island, New York. Her manager, Simon Fields told the magazine the girl was born first, at las 12:12 A.M. Eastern, and weighed 5 pounds, while the boy arrived at 12:23 A.M., weighing 6 pounds. The babies' names have not been released yet. These are the first children for Jennifer, 38, and husband Marc Anthony, 39, although he has three children from two previous relationships.

POLICE CRACK DOWN ON PAPARAZZI. Sheriff deputies in Los Angeles arrested four members of the paparazzi following Britney Spears on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Two of the photographers were from the Web site TMZ, according to a report from the Associated Press. The deputies arrested two photographers at about 8 PM Tuesday night in front of a salon where Spears was having her hair done. Two others were arrested around 1:30 AM Wednesday morning in front a night club that Spears frequents. All four were charged with various misdemeanors, including failure to follow the deputies' orders to clear a public sidewalk, obstruction of a public walkway and obstructing traffic as the gaggle of photographers spilled into the street at both locations.

JUDGE DECIDES BRITNEY CAN'T MAKE A PLEA BARGAIN.  On Wednesday, a Van Nuys, California judge decided that since Britney Spears isn't in control of her own affairs at the moment, she can't make a plea bargain in her driving-without-a-license case.  Spears' attorney for the criminal case told the court that the singer's conservatorship attorneys don't feel she's capable of making an agreement, giving a deposition or signing a declaration at the moment, so the judge continued the case until March 20th.  MTV News reports that the misdemeanor charge stems from an incident in August, in which Spears was videotaped hitting a parked car and leaving the scene without notifying the other driver (the hit-and-run charge was later dropped).  Spears was denied visitation rights with her two sons in an unrelated hearing Tuesday.

LAPD IS NOT INVESTIGATING SAM LUTFI FOR ALLEGEDLY DRUGGING BRITNEY.  Despite rumors circulating on the Internet that officials are investigating Britney Spears' friend Sam Lutfi, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department tells Entertainment Tonight, "There is no investigation into Sam allegedly medicating Britney."  Earlier this month, Britney's mom, Lynne, asked for a restraining order against Sam and filed a six-page declaration alleging that Sam told her that he ground up drugs and gave them to Britney, amongst various other acts like disabling her phones and hiding her dog.  Since Britney's dad gained control of her estate, Sam has not been seen near the pop princess.

MAKING A FEDERAL CASE FOR BRITNEY. A federal judge in California wants to know why the conservatorship for Britney Spears should be a federal case. The Associated Press reports judge Phillip Gutierrez has ordered attorney Jon Eardley to explain why the Feds should take the case out of the Superior Court of California. The state court has already installed Britney's father as the conservator of her estate, but Eardley - who claims to represent the singer - argues the California judge violated Spears' civil rights when he approved that action. The hearing in federal court will happen next Friday.

NOTHING CAN STOP FLO RIDA. Flo Rida is still hot, as "Low" takes the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for a ninth week. The track holds off Chris Brown's "With You" and Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music," which remain at numbers two and three, respectively. Alicia Keys' "No One" also stands pat at number four and Sara Bareilles' "Love Song" rises to five, trading spots with Timbaland's "Apologize" featuring OneRepublic, which falls to six. Snoop Dogg's "Sensual Seduction" inches up to number seven, Sean Kingston's "Take You There" climbs to eight, Buckcherry's "Sorry" rises to number nine and "Independent" by Webbie, Lil' Phat & Lil' Boosie moves into the top tier and rounds out the top ten.

MADONNA TO GO iTUNES ROUTE WITH MOVIE. Madonna premiered her directorial debut, Filth & Wisdom, at the Berlin Film Festival, but it looks like moviegoers may not be able to see it in theaters or on DVD. Instead, fans may be able to find the flick online. Madge tells Variety, "I've been speaking to iTunes about releasing it through them...I want the most amount of people to see it as possible... I don't like to do anything conventionally." No word yet on when the movie will be made available.

P!NK SPEAKS OUT ABOUT SPLIT WITH CAREY HART.  On Wednesday, a day after P!nk's rep confirmed that the singer and Carey Hart, her husband of two years, have separated, P!nk wrote a note about the split on her Web site.  The post reads. "I wanted to reach out personally to all my fans/friends out there in the world. First and foremost, thank-you for all of your support and love, it means a lot to me right now. The most important thing for you all to know is that Carey and I love each other so so much. This breakup is not about cheating, anger, or fighting. I know it sounds like cliché bulls**t, but we are best friends, and we will continue to be. All I know at this point is that I want to make the best album I can, and Carey wants to do the best possible job he can with everything he has going on. He is a good man, so please support him as well. One never knows the future, but mine and Carey's just might involve beach babies and sunshine one day. Just not right now. Thanks for the concern and caring. X Miss P."

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE JOINS MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM?  Justin Timberlake is the new star of the Corpus Christi Hooks minor league baseball team.  According to the Associated Press, he'll portray fictional Hooks player "Carlton Garrett" in the upcoming movie The Open Road.  The 27-year-old pop star tried to meet with players of the Houston Astros' Double-A team in Austin recently, but schedules didn't align.  The Open Road is the story of a young man trying to reconnect with his father -a legendary athlete played by Jeff Bridges -as he struggles to get home to his ailing mother.  Mary Steenburgen and Kate Mara are also in the film.  Shooting on the movie began Tuesday in Hammond, Louisiana.

CHRISTINA AGUILERA TELLS ELLEN DEGENERES THAT SHE'S NURSING.  Ellen DeGeneres skipped right to the tough questions during Christina Aguilera's appearance on her show, which aired on Wednesday.  Aguilera sported a low-cut shirt and DeGeneres said, "You look great.  One question: Are you nursing?"  A blushing Aguilera responded, "I guess it's a little obvious."  DeGeneres quipped back, "It's going to be a healthy baby boy."

HAYDEN PANETTIERE TO RELEASE DEBUT ALBUM.  Hayden Panettiere must have absorbed someone's musical powers, because the Heroes star is putting out a debut album later this year on Hollywood Records.  Panettiere, who spent some of her downtime during the writers' strike shooting a Candies campaign for spring 2008 at New York's Serendipity 3, also resumed recording on her debut.  According to MTV News, she began the record when she was 15-years-old.  Panettiere is also expanding her acting résumé, playing a younger version of Emily Watson's character in the upcoming film Fireflies in the Garden, which co-stars Julia Roberts and Ryan Reynolds.

MICHAEL JACKSON HAS THE NUMBER TWO ALBUM, BUT NO ONE KNOWS. Michael Jackson has the second-biggest selling album in the country this week - but you won't find it anywhere on the Billboard pop chart. The record is Jackson's 1982 Thriller - or the 25th-anniversary re-issue of the album, which contains five new versions of some of the original songs, plus a DVD. The new Thriller sold some 166-thousand copies in its first week of release, but Billboard considers it a catalogue album, and has confined it to the catalogue chart. However, as Variety columnist Phil Gallo pointed out, musicians like Beyonce and Mary J. Blige don't have this problem when they re-release their albums.

ETTA JAMES TO COACH BEYONCE. According to PageSix.com, Etta James said that she would personally coach Beyonce for her role as James in Cadillac Records. The legendary singer said, "It's a privilege and an honor to have somebody like that girl. I don't think she looks like me, but that's all right. They can fix that up." James also joked, "Oh my god, she's going to have a hill to climb, because Etta James ain't been no angel!"

PARAMORE GOING THROUGH TOUGH TIMES. Paramore have cancelled the remaining dates on their current European tour dates. In a post on their Web site, the band has revealed that they are going through some personal problems, saying, "There are a lot of internal issues that have been going on in this band for quite a while now. A lot of it started right around the time we were gearing up for the RIOT Tour in the U-S. We were able to fight through all of it for this long but unfortunately we weren't able to keep it together long enough to make it through 'til the end of this tour. We really feel that taking this time is going to give us a chance to get away and work out our personal issues at home and on our own terms." Paramore's future is uncertain, as they also wrote, "We just aren't willing to risk the life of our band over one tour." Paramore asked their friends for understanding with the current situation. They are currently scheduled to play Orlando, Florida on March 27th.

WYCLEF'S NEW TALENT. Wyclef Jean has been busy making the rounds promoting his new album, Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant. But he's not to busy to nurture new talent. "I have my new artist called Niia, she was in the 'Sweetest Girl' video. She actually went to school up here in New York. Her background was from a jazz school similar to how I was in high school, she's incredible. Reminds me of a modern day Nancy Sinatra."  Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant is in stores now. 

LIFEHOUSE LOVES TO GIG. Lifehouse have been road warriors since their latest album Who We Are was released last year. And frontman Jason Wade explained why the band is so willing to perform for the crowds. "We're down, we're down to play anywhere. Anytime we actually get to play music live and not work at Burger King, we're excited and we'll take the gig." Lifehouse will be back on the road starting Sunday in Spokane, Washington. 

BOYS LIKE GIRLS WITH VARIETY. Band members from the Boston group Boys Like Girls come from wide variety of musical backgrounds. Frontman Martin Johnson told us how they use this variety to influence their self-titled album. "We all have all these kinda things from around the board. Whether it be pop or new stuff, or older stuff too. Everybody's kind of got their own thing.  It's all over the board." Boys Like Girls, the album,is in stores now.

COLDPLAY ALMOST DONE WITH ALBUM FOUR. According to Billboard.com, Coldplay is finishing up their fourth studio album. The band is currently mixing the record and hope to have it out by early summer. Band manager Dave Holmes says, "We're just about finished. They're in the final mixing. They'll start mastering, and away we go." And what does it sound like? He may be biased, but Holmes says, "I think it's their best album. They've really delivered. It's a fantastic record. They've really put the work in." As for touring Holmes says, "If we can pull this off it's going to be quite different. We're going to try something a little different in the arena space."

THE FOO FIGHTERS FIGHT "WOLVERINE." Rolling Stone reports that the Foo Fighters are suing Marvel Comics. For what exactly? According to the site, the band is suing the comic book giant for copyright infringement. The band alleges that Marvel used "substantial excerpts" of their songs "Best of You" and "Free Me" as the music for the trailer of the new animated series Wolverine and The X-Men. The Foos' are seeking unspecified damages.

JORDIN SPARKS TO PREMIERE NEW VIDEO. Jordin Sparks has a new video on the way. The clip for her next single, "No Air," which is a duet with Chris Brown, debuts this Monday on Yahoo! Music. For more details, visit JordinSparks.com. The American Idol winner will hit the road with Alicia Keys beginning April 19th in Virginia.

MEET AND GREET GAVIN DeGRAW. Here's your opportunity to get up close and personal with Gavin DeGraw. The singer-songwriter has announced the launch of an auction at CharityFolks.com where fans can bid on a pair of tickets to a show on his upcoming tour, a pair of tickets to attend an exclusive pre-show sound check party and a meet and greet with the man himself. The auction is live now and you'll find a link to it at GavinDeGraw.com. His new, self-titled album comes out on April 15th and he'll hit the road beginning on Tuesday in Gainesville, Florida.

BRIT AWARDS HANDED OUT. The U-K's equivalent of the GRAMMYs were handed out earlier this week and the Foo Fighters were multiple winners, taking home gold for International Group and Album. Kylie Minogue won for International Female Solo Artist, Kanye West was her male counterpart. Finally, Mika was named Breakthrough British Act.

COLLECTIVE SOUL TO HEADLINE THIS SPRING. It may be cold out, but spring isn't so far off. That means one thing: a Collective Soul tour. The band will be headlining as the seasons change, kicking off the trek on March 21st in Reno, Nevada. The group will cross the country over the next month, wrapping things up on April 23rd in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Check out the full set of dates at CollectiveSoul.com.

THREE DAYS GRACE TALK NEW ALBUM. They've wrapped up a tour of their homeland in Canada and now, Three Days Grace is out on the road in the States. Naturally, things get yelled at the band and Adam Gontier says that one of those utterances is if the band is working on a new album. Well, the frontman has an answer. He writes in a blog on the group's Web site, "So you all know, we've started working on the new record, but for us, it's a slow process. We've got so many ideas, and we really try to take the time to sit down, focus on the really good stuff, and put it all together. I CAN say that we're going to really get the ball rolling after a short break from touring, but I CAN'T say when the new record will be out. We're certainly not going to rush anything, and because of that, I've got no doubt that the next record, when it's finished, WILL be one of our best." To read the entire post, hit up ThreeDaysGrace.com. The band plays Southaven, Mississippi tonight.

JOSH KELLEY'S NEW VIDEO. Josh Kelley is married to Katherine Heigl, he's out on the road with OneRepublic and now, he's got a new video. The admittedly "goofy" clip is for "Unfair" and it features a little spoofing of iTunes commercials. Fans can check it out now in the blog section at MySpace.com/JoshKelley. Josh plays Detroit, Michigan tonight.

JAKOB DYLAN GOES SOLO. Jakob Dylan's first solo album is coming. The Wallflowers man and son of Bob Dylan worked with mega producer Rick Rubin on Seeing Things, which is set for release on May 13th. A headlining tour behind the ten-track record will be announced soon, but Jakob is already set to play this year's Rothbury and Bonnaroo festivals.

OZZY HAS A PRE-SHOW FALL.  When Ozzy Osbourne hosted the Brit Awards this week, he was somewhat subdued.  While many thought this had to do with nervous executives who feared what the rocker might do on stage, it actually had to do with a pre-show tumble.  Ozzy hardly said a word during the two-hour event, leaving Sharon and his daughter Kelly in the limelight.  An insider explained it to the Daily Star,saying, "Ozzy gave himself a real fright.  It was touch and go whether things would go ahead as planned.  That's why he barely took part in the show."  The source added, "He was meant to be the highlight of the night, promising lots of swearing and bad behavior.  Instead, if you blinked, you missed him.  It was like he wasn't there."

MOTLEY CRUE'S DIRT TO COME OUT THIS SUMMER?  Motley Crue's ninth studio album, The Dirt, might have a release date.  Blabbermouth.net reports the record will hit shelves on July 8th, with an as-yet-unnamed single airing on radio in early April.  The disc is based on the band's 2001 memoir of the same name.  It's also their first all-new studio album since 2000's New Tattoo.  Bassist Nikki Sixx recently posted an update online, writing, "10 songs done for the new Crue album so far, I'm very proud of the songs.  I think we're onto some of the better songs we've had in years.  Time will tell, of course.  The chemistry in the studio as we're writing is unbelievable."  The band is expected to tour behind the album in June or July.

LIL WAYNE WENT BACK TO HIGH SCHOOL. XXL magazine reports Lil Wayne paid a visit to his former high school, the Eleanor McMain Magnet Secondary School, on Tuesday to thank students for their help with an art project. According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Weezy spent about 45 minutes talking with a group of 40 students at the school on South Claiborne Avenue in New Orleans. The visit was the rapper's way of thanking the kids for designing a logo for his charitable organization, the One Family Foundation. The rapper answered questions from the students, but had to turn down an invitation to the prom because of a scheduling conflict.

PETA CRITICIZES ARETHA FRANKLIN. Animal rights organization PETA has criticized Aretha Franklin for wearing fur.  A press release directed at the classic soul singer reads, "You might be a queen, but you don't know jack about compassion." Franklin wasn't the only person included in the criticism directed at entertainment figures. Also on PETA's list:  Marilyn Manson, Eva Longoria, Lindsay Lohan, Kate Moss and Kylie Minogue.

RAZAH TALKS ABOUT THE "RAIN." Razah is releasing his self titled debut album on April 1st. He stopped by to tell us about his new single, "Rain." "You everybody goes through heartbreaks. And you got that one girl. That's what that was about. I had this girl when I was in high school, I was with her for six years, she was my high school sweetheart. We broke up, whatever. So it's basically about that, like I really don't want to be without you baby, but I'll move on if I have to." He doesn't have to move on career wise just yet, Razah is headed out on tour with Trey Songz and J. Holiday.

NEW MUSIC LABEL LAUNCHES ON MOBILE PHONES. Flycell, Inc., a leading mobile and online media and entertainment company, and Island Def Jam Music Group have announced an exclusive and pioneering agreement to create IDJ Mobile, a first-of-its-kind, label-centric mobile subscription service. IDJ Mobile will offer fans exclusive online and mobile content like ringtones, graphics, games and text services, as well as label news, artist mobile blogs and sweepstakes for prizes such as VIP backstage passes to concerts. IDJ Mobile launched this week with chart-topping superstar Kanye West as the flagship artist. West's works, as well as all IDJ Mobile products, are available to Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Virgin Mobile, Boost, Alltel, Cellular One, Metro PCS and Suncom subscribers.

RADIOHEAD PLAY ALL POINTS WEST FEST. It has been confirmed that Radiohead will headline both Friday and Saturday, August 8th and 9th, of the inaugural All Points West music festival. Jack Johnson will be headlining on Sunday night, August 10th.  It'll all takes place at Liberty State Park in New Jersey and will also feature performances from the Kings of Leon, Cat Power and more. Tickets go on sale on February 29th at 12 PM on Ticketmaster.com.

GROUP OUT TO FIND ANSWERS TO HENDRIX' GUITAR MYSTERY.  During a gig in England in 1967, someone stole Jimi Hendrix' guitar and now, a group of ambitious youngsters are hoping to figure out who was behind the caper.  The youth service project, My Generation, is looking into what might have happened to the instrument.  According to the U-K's Gazette Live, the group is hoping to make a documentary about the search and they are seeking anecdotes or memorabilia that might help their quest.  If you have any, drop a note to Michael.Clark@ darlington.gov.uk.

MOTLEY CRUE'S DIRT TO COME OUT THIS SUMMER?  Motley Crue's ninth studio album, The Dirt, might have a release date.  Blabbermouth.net reports the record will hit shelves on July 8th, with an as-yet-unnamed single airing on radio in early April.  The disc is based on the band's 2001 memoir of the same name.  It's also their first all-new studio album since 2000's New Tattoo.  Bassist Nikki Sixx recently posted an update online, writing, "10 songs done for the new Crue album so far, I'm very proud of the songs.  I think we're onto some of the better songs we've had in years.  Time will tell, of course.  The chemistry in the studio as we're writing is unbelievable."  The band is expected to tour behind the album in June or July.

SERJ TANKIAN GOES JAZZ. Serj Tankian is currently touring his debut solo album Elect the Dead, but when we caught up with him this week he was already talking about his next album. Here's what he had to say. "Right now in my plan for my next solo record is to not have a rock record. I want to have it on the intimate side of jazz kind of record. And on the grand side as a orchestral record. So it'll be a jazz orchestral record." Elect the Dead is out now. Serj plays Binghamton, New York tonight.

AGAINST ME ON PLAYING MSG. Against Me are out on the road with the Foo Fighters and got to play New York's legendary Madison Square Garden for the first time this week. What did they think? Frontman Tom Gabel is not easily impressed. "Unfortunately a lot of the mystic and illusions of the Garden were ruined by what pricks the security guards were. And what a hassle it was to play there.  I mean maybe it's a lot more amazing when you're the headlining band and everyone's there to see you. To us it was just another arena." Against Me's latest album New Wave is out now. They play Binghamton, New York tonight.

30 SECONDS IN 2008. What do 30 Seconds to Mars have planned for the rest of the year? We'll let singer Jared Leto tell you. "We're going to go to South Africa in March. And then we come back to the U-K in May to headline a festival. But throughout this time we're going to be working on new material and I'm going to be writing and writing. Kind of just experimenting and exploring." For updates from 30 Seconds check out 30SecondsToMars.com.