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(Last updated Wednesday, May 23, 2012 9:15 pm CDT)
 

Prince, Donna Summer Records Tapped for Library of Congress

Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage(WASHINGTON) -- The Library of Congress Wednesday tapped 25 recordings, from spoken-word pieces to Donna Summer‘s 1977 hit “I Feel Love” and an album from A Charlie Brown Christmas, to be inducted into its National Recording Registry in its 10th year.

To be considered for selection, the recordings had to be “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” and at least 10 years old.

The recordings -- which now total 350 with Wednesday’s additions -- will be located in the library’s Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation in Culpeper, Va.

The Edison Talking Doll cylinder, created in 1888, was the registry’s oldest selection. It was found in 1967 in the desk of Thomas Edison’s assistant and had been made to allow children’s dolls to “talk.” It plays a recording of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” but had been considered unplayable because of the cylinder’s poor condition. In 2011, its surface was scanned in 3-D with digital mapping tools.

The most contemporary pick was Prince and the Revolution’s Purple Rain from 1984. In a first for Prince, this album -- his sixth -- consisted of a band, not simply the artist playing several instruments to create his unique sound. According to the Library of Congress, portions of the album were recorded in his hometown of Minneapolis.

Below is a complete list of the registry’s picks.

  1. Edison Talking Doll cylinder (1888)
  2. “Come Down Ma Evenin’ Star,” Lillian Russell (1912)
  3. “Ten Cents a Dance,” Ruth Etting (1930)
  4. “Voices from the Days of Slavery,” Various speakers (1932-1941 interviews; 2002 compilation)
  5. “I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart,” Patsy Montana (1935)
  6. “Fascinating Rhythm,” Sol Hoopii and his Novelty Five (1938)
  7. “Artistry in Rhythm,” Stan Kenton & and his Orchestra (1943)
  8. Debut performance with the New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein (Nov. 14, 1943)
  9. International Sweethearts of Rhythm: Hottest Women’s Band of the 1940s (1944-1946)
  10. “The Indians for Indians Hour” (March 25, 1947)
  11. “Hula Medley,” Gabby Pahinui (1947)
  12. “I Can Hear It Now,” Fred W. Friendly and Edward R. Murrow (1948)
  13. “Let’s Go Out to the Programs,” The Dixie Hummingbirds (1953)
  14. “Also Sprach Zarathustra,” Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (1954, 1958)
  15. “Bo Diddley” and “I’m a Man,” Bo Diddley (1955)
  16. “Green Onions,” Booker T. & the M.G.’s (1962)
  17. “Forever Changes,” Love (1967)
  18. “The Continental Harmony: Music of William Billings,” Gregg Smith Singers (1969)
  19. “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” Vince Guaraldi Trio (1970)
  20. “Coat of Many Colors,” Dolly Parton (1971)
  21. “Mothership Connection,” Parliament (1975)
  22. Barton Hall concert by the Grateful Dead (May 8, 1977)
  23. “I Feel Love,” Donna Summer (1977)
  24. “Rapper’s Delight,” Sugarhill Gang (1979)
  25. “Purple Rain,” Prince and the Revolution (1984)

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Posted Wednesday, May 23, 2012 8:42 pm CDT

Melissa Etheridge, Tammy Lynn Michaels Resolve Custody Battle

Paul Warner/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- After some heated bickering from both sides, Melissa Etheridge and her former spouse, Tammy Lynn Michaels, have reached an agreement in their custody battle.

TMZ.com reports that the ex-couple will share joint custody of their five-year-old twins. Michaels will also earn an unspecified increase in partner and child support; she’d been getting $23,000 per month prior to this settlement.

In separate court filings last month, Michaels claimed Etheridge taught their twins to treat her poorly, while the musician alleged Michaels is an “angry and vindictive” woman.

Etheridge and Michaels split in 2010.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Posted Wednesday, May 23, 2012 7:32 pm CDT

Sharon Stone Sued by Former Nanny

Michael Tran/FilmMagic(LOS ANGELES) -- Sharon Stone’s former nanny is suing her, claiming the Basic Instinct actress used racially derogatory comments around her and violated labor laws.

Erlinda T. Elemen, a Filipino woman who worked as Stone’s live-in housekeeper and nanny for five years, filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court describing Stone’s various offenses. Elemen claims she was asked not to speak to Stone’s children because Stone did not want them to pick up her Filipino accent. Elemen also says Stone criticized her for attending church and at one point forbade her to read the Bible in the house.

Elemen claims that Stone withheld overtime payment from her. When Elemen brought it up, she claims Stone paid her the wages but accused her of stealing, berated her in front of guests, and eventually fired her for accepting the overtime pay.

The nanny is seeking an unspecified amount of unpaid wages, damages and penalties. Representatives for Stone did not immediately respond to ABC News' requests for comment.

Last year, Stone was sued by a man who slipped and fell 15 feet while working on her house. She was ordered to pay him $232,000.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Posted Wednesday, May 23, 2012 5:51 pm CDT

"American Idol" Finale to Include Rock, R&B and Country Legends

Michael Becker/Fox(LOS ANGELES) -- American Idol's big finale Wednesday night will feature the usual mix of legendary artists and current pop stars, as well as several tributes to the big names in music we've lost recently.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the female finalists will pay tribute to the late Donna Summer with help from R&B and disco icons Gloria Gaynor, Thelma Houston and Gladys Knight, as well as Nelly Furtado, Sheila E., Jennifer Holliday and Kristin Chenoweth, the latter of whom will sing the Barbra Streisand/Donna Summer duet "Enough Is Enough" with Jessica Sanchez.  The girls will also perform with Chaka Khan later in the show.

The male finalists will perform songs from the Bee Gees, in honor of the late Robin Gibb, who died on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Creedence Clearwater Revival rocker John Fogerty -- two of whose songs were performed this season -- will duet with Phillip Phillips, while country icon Reba McEntire will sing with Skylar Laine.  Joshua Ledet will perform with former Idol champ Fantasia, creating the long-awaited "Mantasia" mash-up.  Another former American Idol champ, Jordin Sparks, will duet with Hollie Cavanagh on a Broadway show tune.

In addition, legendary crooner Neil Diamond will perform a group number with the boys, and Jessica will join Jennifer Holliday for another round of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," which Holliday originated in the stage musical version of Dreamgirls.

As previously reported, Aerosmith and Rihanna will also entertain during the blowout finale, which will see either Jessica or Phillip crowned the American Idol champ.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Posted Wednesday, May 23, 2012 3:00 pm CDT

Michael McKean Recovering After Being Hit by Car

Jim Spellman/WireImage(NEW YORK) -- Not Michael McKean! The beloved comic actor was hit by a car in Manhattan on Tuesday and admitted to a hospital in critical condition. He has since stabilized, his rep told E! News, and is recovering from a broken leg, cuts, and bruises.

McKean was walking through the Upper West Side of New York City on Tuesday afternoon when he was hit. His wife, actress Annette O’Toole, is flying in from Los Angeles to be with him, according to Us Weekly.

The 64-year-old actor memorably starred in Laverne & Shirley, This Is Spinal Tap and Best in Show. His many recent TV credits include appearances on Saturday Night Live, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Happy Endings and Homeland.

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Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Posted Wednesday, May 23, 2012 11:02 am CDT

Snooki Getting Her Own "Jersey Shore" Home

Craig Barritt/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- Snooki won't be sharing a house with her Jersey Shore co-stars next season.

E! Online reports that due to her pregnancy, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi will live in a home not far from the cast's Seaside Heights, N.J., abode. MTV would not comment on the decision to E! Online.

Earlier this week, Snooki indicated to E! News that she would consider living in the Jersey Shore home, but added, "I'm definitely taking this pregnancy seriously and with all the bacteria and everyone having sex in the smoosh room it's just not where a pregnant person or a baby should be."

Snooki is expecting her first child with boyfriend Jionni LaValle.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Posted Wednesday, May 23, 2012 4:40 am CDT

Miley Cyrus Pulls Out of "American Idol" Finale Appearance

Kevin Mazur/WireImage via ABC(LOS ANGELES) -- There was at least one disappointment for American Idol’s grand finale performance edition on Wednesday.

It was rumored that Miley Cyrus had been invited to appear on the show for a “surprise” guest appearance with fourth place finalist, Hollie Cavanagh.

But E! reports it became too difficult to coordinate rehearsal times between Cyrus and Cavanagh, who is just one year younger than the former Hannah Montana Star.

A rep for Cyrus told E! News, “It’s not happening.”

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Posted Wednesday, May 23, 2012 4:38 am CDT

The Situation Opens Up About Rehab, Vows to Hit the Clubs Again

JB Lacroix/WireImage(NEW YORK) -- When Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino went to rehab earlier this year, rumors abounded as to why.  In a new interview with MTV, a straight-and-narrow Sitch tries to set the record straight.

"My addiction was prescription painkillers," he says.  "At first, I thought it might have given me energy, I thought it helped me...because you're not tired anymore.  Being in this business is not easy...I for sure made a mistake by picking a substance over what I previously chose, which is fitness."

Sorrentino insisted alcohol was never a problem.

"Even though on Jersey Shore...people have seen me with a drink in my hand, but I was never drunk.  I was the guy who was the ladies man.  You can't get girls if you can't speak to them," he laughed.

And while a pregnant Snooki will reportedly be shying away from the nightlife on the upcoming sixth season of Jersey Shore, Sitch says he'll be back at the clubs.

"Oh, hell yeah," Sitch says.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Posted Wednesday, May 23, 2012 4:35 am CDT

Will Andy Samberg, Jason Sudeikis Remain on "SNL"?

C Flanigan/FilmMagic/Jamie McCarthy/WireImage(NEW YORK) -- Saturday Night Live said goodbye to longtime cast member Kristen Wiig over the weekend.  SNL creator Lorne Michaels isn't sure whether any of Wiig's co-stars, namely Andy Samberg and Jason Sudeikis, will take a cue from her and also leave the NBC series.

It's been rumored for a while that Samberg and Sudeikis will move on.

When asked by TheWrap.com whether the two will remain on SNL, Michaels answered, "You never know," then added, "I think everyone gets through the season and just the level of fatigue by the end is just overwhelming, and it's a very emotional time.  I've had a rule since the second season, which is to not make any decisions in June.  We'll see in July."

Michaels can count on Fred Armisen returning for another season.  Though he's been more busy than usual the past two years due to his work on his IFC comedy Portlandia, Armisen tells TheWrap.com he wants to continue with SNL.

He says, "I hope things keep going.  I don't take anything for granted."

Armisen joined SNL in 2002.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Posted Wednesday, May 23, 2012 4:32 am CDT

Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes Together, Taking Things Slow

Jason Merritt/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- The romance between Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes is still on, but the couple seems to be playing things cool.  Us reports that The Place Beyond the Pines co-stars are in no hurry to set up home together.

Gosling and Mendes first became close in September 2011 and have recently been seen holding hands near his New York home.  But last month there were rumors in the press about a possible split between the two.

A friend of the couple tells Us Weekly, “He says he wants to slow down and not live with her yet.”  The friend then quickly adds, "But he doesn’t want to lose her.”

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Posted Wednesday, May 23, 2012 4:30 am CDT

Donald Driver Wins "Dancing with the Stars"

ABC/ADAM TAYLOR(LOS ANGELES) -- One year after winning the Super Bowl, Donald Driver is a champion again. The Green Bay Packers wide receiver and his partner, Peta Murgatroyd, won the 14th season of ABC's Dancing with the Stars on Tuesday night.

When asked by host Tom Bergeron how it feels to receive the Mirror Ball trophy, Driver exclaimed, "Amazing! This is awesome!"

Welsh opera singer Katherine Jenkins and her partner, Mark Ballas, were the runners-up, despite earning the highest overall score during this week's finals. Jenkins, who was considered a front-runner for most of the season, thanked Ballas for being such a hard-working partner.

Telenovela actor William Levy and his partner, Cheryl Burke, finished in third place. The results were determined by combining the judges' scores with the viewers' votes.

After dancing twice on Monday night, each couple was asked to perform a third time on the season finale. Jenkins and Ballas completed a perfect week with a 1950s-style jive set to "Splish Splash." Bruno Tonioli called Jenkins one of the most wonderful competitors the show has ever seen, and Carrie Ann Inaba applauded her for raising the bar for the other contestants.

Jenkins and Ballas earned a total score of 30 out of a possible 30. Their overall score, including their two dances from Monday, was 90 out of 90.

Driver and Murgatroyd danced the cha cha cha to The Four Seasons "Beggin.'" Inaba presciently anointed Driver as the celebrity to beat. Len Goodman said Driver is the best dancer of any football player to have competed on the show -- a list that also includes former champs Emmitt Smith and Hines Ward. Driver and Murgatroyd earned a 30 out of a possible 30, boosting their overall score to 89 out of 90.

Levy and Burke performed the salsa. Goodman said if salsa and rhythm were an Olympic event, Levy would be a gold medalist. Inaba added that Levy exudes "true star quality." Much like Driver and Murgatroyd, the couple earned a total score of 30 out of a possible 30 and an overall score of 89 out of 90.

The two-hour results show also featured the season's previously-eliminated contestants returning to the ballroom for one more dance. In addition, contestant Gladys Knight sang "The Way We Were," and Kelly Clarkson performed a medley of her songs "Dark Side" and "Stronger."

Dancing with the Stars will return next fall with an all-star season featuring past contestants. ABC has yet to announce the cast.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Posted Tuesday, May 22, 2012 10:56 pm CDT

Gay Marvel Superhero Plans to Tie the Knot

Jonathan Alcorn/Bloomberg News(NEW YORK) -- Marvel Comics made a splash in 1992 when one of its beloved charters declared “I am gay.”

Twenty years later -- in Astonishing X-Men, issue 50 set to hit stores on Wednesday -- Northstar will propose to longtime boyfriend Kyle. The two are set to marry in June.

Marvel and rival DC Entertainment have focused on bringing a more realistic flavor to its characters. DC recently announced that it would relaunch one of its major characters as gay in June. Marvel introduced Miles Morales, the first half-black, half-Hispanic Spider-Man last year.

Marvel made the announcement Tuesday morning on The View on ABC, but it has been the subject of fan speculation for some time.

Axel Alonso, the editor-in-chief of Marvel Entertainment, said the story line was developed around the time New York state legalized gay marriage in June 2011.

“The Marvel Universe has always reflected the world outside your window, so we strive to make sure our characters, relationships and stories are grounded in reality,” Alonso said.

In the issue, Northstar makes his intentions known to Kyle in New York’s Bryant Park, a very public place for these very private people.

“Well, private enough for a mutant celebrity -- having such a public, life-changing discussion,” said Marjorie Liu, who wrote the issue.

The scene shows Northstar out of costume and down on one knee with a ring in hand discussing some of what they’ve gone through as a superhero couple.

The cover of next month’s Astonishing X-Men issue 51 includes an all-star cast for Northstar’s and Kyle’s ceremony.

“Yes, there will be some fun guests at the wedding, but not everyone will accept the invitation,” Liu said.

“DC and Marvel are recognizing that there is an LGBT audience that has been reading their comics for years,” said Matt Kane, associate director of entertainment and media for GLAAD.

DC’s most prominent gay characters include Batwoman, who has her own series; Apollo and Midnighter, who appear in Stormwatch; and Bunker, a member of Teen Titans.

Aside from its being socially relevant -- the addition of gay characters makes good business sense.

Archie Comics introduced a gay character in 2010, which turned out to be a hit for the company. There was even a gay wedding in Riverdale in 2011.

“They are recognizing how the world is evolving,” said Kane.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Posted Tuesday, May 22, 2012 6:48 pm CDT

Alec Baldwin Warns of ‘Lying Thieves In the White House’ If Obama Loses

Sara D. Davis/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Actor Alec Baldwin has always been an Obama supporter, but he took his frustration with Republicans to another level Tuesday, warning his Twitter followers that "lying thieves" would take back the White House if President Obama loses his re-election bid.

“You wanna go back? To Bush? Cheney? Paulson? Rumsfeld? Unfunded wars? Death of U.S. soldiers and innocent civilians for oil?” Baldwin tweeted Tuesday afternoon. “You wanna go back to lying thieves in the White House who make war under false pretenses in order to make $ for their friends?”

Baldwin was half a world away from the general election battle that is simmering between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, but his seven-tweet rant suggested that even the Cannes Film Festival in France cannot keep the 30 Rock star’s mind off American politics.

“The election is around the corner. You want another corporate puppet who will squander more U.S. natural resources, revenue and perhaps lives?” Baldwin tweeted. “Just to protect that breed of wealth that wants America to finally accept a European model of plutocracy?”

“Obama...2012,” Baldwin concluded.

Responding to a suggestion from a fellow tweeter that he run for office himself, Baldwin said he “would run if I could win.”

“Too many reactionary haters in the RW for that to be possible,” he tweeted, purportedly referring to the “right wing.”

Baldwin, a prolific tweeter, has had his fare share of harsh words for Obama’s Republican challengers. In December, Baldwin dubbed then-GOP contender Newt Gingrich “a cranky history professor,” and said “Romney is better suited for country club president.”

Obama, on the other hand, “sees what govt’s priorities should be,” Baldwin tweeted.

In an interview on MSNBC earlier this month, Baldwin suggested that Obama has the election “in the bag” and that Republicans are “scared.”

“These guys are getting scared,” Baldwin said. "They know it is not looking good for them, and I think they are sensing now that they are really going to focus on the congressional races and Obama -- it is starting to look like he has it in the bag.”

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Posted Tuesday, May 22, 2012 5:36 pm CDT

Casino Investigates Bobbi Kristina Gambling Incident

Kevin Mazur/WireImage via ABC(LAS VEGAS) -- It seems Bobbi Kristina Brown had a little too much fun over the weekend while in Las Vegas for the Billboard Music Awards’ tribute to her late mother, Whitney Houston.

TMZ.com has posted video of Bobbi Kristina gambling on a slot machine alongside her pal — and rumored boyfriend — Nick Gordon at the MGM Resort and Casino on Saturday night. The problem: you have to be 21 or older to gamble in Vegas, and she’s only 19.

According to TMZ, the casino has launched an internal investigation into the matter. TMZ notes that underage gambling is a misdemeanor offense in Nevada and is subject to punishment of up to six months in jail or a one-thousand-dollar fine.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Posted Tuesday, May 22, 2012 11:31 am CDT

Chris Brown's Latest Controversy? Lip-Syncing

Chris Polk/FilmMagic(LOS ANGELES) -- R&B star Chris Brown is in the middle of controversy once again, this time over whether he may have turned up the music a little too much during his dance-heavy performance at the Billboard Music Awards Sunday night.

Brown had not even finished performing his new single “Turn the Music Up” at the star-studded awards show in Las Vegas before some of his fellow music stars began to turn up the heat on him, on Twitter.

“What happened to people singing live???,” boy band member Joe Jonas tweeted.

“One day if I lip-sync, I hope I do it as well as him,” rocker Pink wrote at nearly the same time.

Despite the backlash, music industry insiders say lip-syncing is not as rare as people think.

“It’s always been done,” Ian Drew, senior editor at Us Weekly told ABC News.  “You need to get the perfect shot, and you can’t do a take again, especially when it’s live TV.”

The debate over musicians lip-syncing has gone on for decades, insiders say, long before Britney Spears made her infamous blunder onstage at the MTV Video Music Awards and well before Ashlee Simpson walked off the Saturday Night Live set when an incorrect audio track caught her lip-syncing red-handed.

“If you look back, the greatest singers and most prolific artists of all time have lip-synced on TV, whether it be Prince on American Bandstand or Madonna on the VMAs or Aretha Franklin on Soul Train,” Drew said.  “Everybody uses it to some effect.”

For his part, Brown did not address his critics immediately, waiting until Monday morning to send out a cryptic tweet.

“Don’t hold ya breath waiting for me to stop doing me!,” he wrote.

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Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Posted Tuesday, May 22, 2012 11:11 am CDT

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