Favorites
TOP-20 ENTERTAINERS
Jennifer Lopez, 'N Sync, Destiny's Child and Britney Spears are among the artists who made E!'s list of the Top-20 Entertainers of 2001.
Madonna and Paul McCartney also are on the network's 12th annual list (in order of ranking):
20. Jennifer Aniston
19. The Rock
18. Mel Brooks
17. Paul McCartney
16. Sarah Jessica Parker
15. Johnny Depp
14. Denzel Washington
13. Renee Zellweger
12. Madonna
11. Reese Witherspoon
10. Kelly Ripa
9. Ray Romano
8. Britney Spears
7. Eddie Murphy
6. Destiny's Child
5. James Gandolfini
4. Julia Roberts
3. 'N Sync
2. Jennifer Lopez
1. Nicole Kidman
hairstyles for thinning hair E! Online voters also crowned Michael Jackson as the "Celebrity with the Biggest Comeback" and Lopez's love affair with Chris Judd as the "Best Celebrity Romance of the Year."
"Rank: Top 20 Entertainers of 2001" will be repeated Friday (at 10 p.m. ET/PT).

REBA MCENTIRE
Country singer Reba McEntire will be among the presenters on THE 28TH ANNUAL PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS, to be broadcast from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 13 (9-11 p.m. ET) on CBS-TV. Other presenters will include the CBS Television Network. Additional presenters will include comedian Carol Burnett and actors Tony Danza and David James Elliott.
The winners in 18 categories will be announced on the star-studded special, hosted for the second consecutive year by Kevin James ("The King of Queens"). The broadcast honors America's favorites in the fields of television, motion pictures and music, as determined by a public opinion poll of thousands of Americans conducted by The Gallup Organization.



DICK CLARK VS. MICHAEL GREENE Hairstyles for Thinning Hair
The war of words continued Thursday between producer Dick Clark and Recording Academy President and CEO Michael Greene. Clark is suing Greene, claiming he implemented a blacklist that prevented performers from appearing on both the American Music Awards, which Clark produces, and the Grammy Awards, which are presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences headed by Greene.
In an interview with the syndicated show "Access Hollywood," Greene claimed it's standard practice in the entertainment business to arrange for exclusivity when booking performers.
"We have a pact with the public and that pact, as far as I am concerned, is that we are going to give you the best artists," said Greene in the interview, which aired Thursday. "We spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on these artists, and we are going to give you the freshest show that you can see."
Greene said the Grammys telecast is seen by 2 billion people around the world, and insisted he would not "put a recycled show on the air." He repeated the accusation first leveled in the Recording Academy statement on Wednesday -- that Clark filed the suit to get attention for the 29th Annual American Music Awards.
Clark denies the lawsuit is a stunt.
"I've been doing this for a lot of years," he said. "Do they think I'm that stupid, that if I was going to do this as a publicity stunt that I would do it three weeks ahead of the show instead of three days ahead?"
The AMA telecast airs Jan. 9 on ABC. Nominations for the 44th Annual Grammy Awards will be announced Jan. 4, with the awards handed out Feb. 27 in ceremonies airing live on CBS.
Clark's lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Los Angeles, seeks more than $10 million in damages.

MIAMI HURRICANES MOTIVATED BY RAP GROUP
The Miami-based rap group No Good is providing "championship inspiration" for the Miami Hurricanes.
The rappers' tune "Ballin' Boy" has been adopted by the college football team as its "fight song," and has been played in the locker room to get the players psyched up before a game. It's apparently working: the Hurricanes are the No.1-ranked college team in the country, having been undefeated this entire season. A special copy of "Ballin' Boy" will accompany the 'Canes when they travel to Pasadena, Calif., to face the No.2-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers on Jan. 3 at the 2002 Rose Bowl game for the NCAA title.
So who does No Good have their money on to win? According to No Good's Derrick Hill, "As long as they have our 'Ballin' Boy' blasting in their locker room, Miami is taking home the trophy."
This weekend, members of the 'Canes will join No Good in the studio to record a special promo version of "Ballin' Boy."
The rap group's debut album is slated to hit stores in 2002 on ARTISTdirect Records.


All rights reserved Hairstyles.

MARIAH CAREY
Three months after her first EMI/Virgin Records release tanked, the British-based music giant reportedly is seeking to buy out Mariah Carey's contract by offering her a huge lump-sum payment in exchange for her departure.
That's according to the Los Angeles Times, which puts the value of Carey's EMI recording contract at $80 million for four albums -- although other reports have said she signed for as much as $118 million for five albums.
EMI signed Carey in April after the singer had endured an increasingly unhappy stint at Sony Corp.'s Sony Music Entertainment, which is run by her ex-husband, Tommy Mottola.
But "Glitter," Carey's Virgin debut album, has sold only two million copies worldwide since its September release. It was the soundtrack to Carey's film debut, which bombed at the box office. By comparison, her 1993 album "Music Box," released by Sony, sold more than 20 million copies.
No comment on the Times report from representatives for Carey, EMI or Virgin Records.
Carey was hospitalized for a mental and physical breakdown in July and suffered a relapse in September, limiting her availability to do advance promotion for the album and movie.

U2'S BONO
One of the more visible members of the rock music fraternity, U2 frontman Bono, has been named 2001's European of the Year by the publication European Voice.
The main reason for the choice, says the newspaper, is Bono's constant crusading for humanitarian causes. The Irish-born singer also endeared himself to millions in the past few months when he spent hours in the air, shuttling back and forth between concert obligations and the bedside of his dying father, in a Belfast hospital.
The band's Web site says the 41-year-old singer is going to donate the $4,458 prize to the Irish charity Concern. Also on the cyber site is a statement from the singer saying that the world will be a much better place for all of its citizens if the levels of health and education around the globe can be raised.

CHARLES CHAVIS DIES Thinning
Charles Chavis, the son of the late zydeco musician Boozoo Chavis, died of a heart attack last Saturday. Chavis was the frontman for his late father's band, the Magic Sounds. Charles
Chavis's death comes almost eight months after his 70-year-old father died following a heart attack and stroke in May.



CREED
A death in the family has forced Creed to postpone Friday's show at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J. Guitarist Mark Tremonti's mother has died.
The concert has been rescheduled for Fe··? In lieu of flowers, the Tremonti family asks that contributions may be made to the "With Arms Wide Open Foundation" at 525 East College Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32301 or online at:
Web Site: http://www.witharmswideopen.org
Creed's "Weathered Tour" resumes Monday in Toronto.

'FUEL THE MUSIC' TOUR
Sum 41 and American Hi-Fi are among the bands who'll take part in the "Fuel the Music" tour, sponsored by Toyota, MP3.com and Island Records. The road trip begins Saturday with simultaneous kick-off parties at Universal Studios in Hollywood with American Hi-Fi and the Universal Orlando Resort with Sum 41. MP3.com will host live webcasts of each party event at the promotional Web site:
Web Site: http://www.fuelthemusic.com/Toyota

U2
U2 may be soon looking for a new recording studio to call home.
NME.com reports the neighborhood is undergoing gentrification, and Dublin officials want to tear down the building so the area can be redeveloped to incorporate retail, residential and recreational facilities.
Fans claim the studio should be preserved as a landmark to the Irish rockers, although a statement hints that U2 would be willing to move if "change is inevitable."
"U2 love the docklands area and have always worked here," the statement reads. "Although they are very happy in their present studio, and would very much like to stay, they appreciate that change is inevitable and often for the best. They would definitely consider moving to somewhere in the vicinity, should a suitable property be offered as an alternative."
U2 has recorded four albums at the studio and currently is working on the follow up to the last CD, the Grammy-nominated "All That You Can't Leave Behind."

JENNIFER LOPEZ
Jennifer Lopez's remix album, "J To Tha L-O! -- The Remixes," includes a new track. "Alive," written by Lopez with her new husband, Cris Judd, and frequent collaborator Cory Rooney, reports Billboard.com. It will appear in the artist's upcoming film, "Enough," which opens May 24.
The album hits stores next Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the release date for Lopez's "Live in Puerto Rico" DVD/VHS has been pushed back from February to April 9. The 80-minute show includes a rendition of the Selena song "I Could Fall in Love" plus a portion of "Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)," a No. 1 pop hit for Diana Ross in 1975.

PATTI SMITH
A double Patti Smith album is scheduled for release in mid-March, with one disc of greatest hits and a second disc of previously unreleased material, including her recording of Prince's "When Doves Cry."
Novelist Susan Sontag, the winner of last year's National Book Award, is writing liner notes for "LAND 1975-2002," which will also include a 36-page booklet of photographs, lyrics
and artwork from Smith's archives.
Tracks on the greatest-hits disc were selected based on more than 10,000 votes cast by fans
during Smith's recent concert and club tours as well as over the Internet.
Smith is planning a national tour in conjunction with the album's release.

SLOAN!
Canadian rock band Sloan! is releasing a new album, "Pretty Together," in the United States in April (on RCA Records). The band plans a U.S. tour in May.
"Pretty Together" has been nominated in six categories of Canada's East Coast Music Awards,
including Album of The Year, Group of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, SOCAN Songwriter of the Year, Video of the Year and Rock Artist/Group of the Year.

--



OLYMPIC LENO
Britney Spears, the Foo Fighters and first lady Laura Bush will help NBC kick off "The Olympic Tonight Show with Jay Leno" next Monday. The Foo Fighters are scheduled to perform on the show, which will be Olympic-themed during the next two weeks. The Winter Olympics open Friday in Salt Lake City.

THE BEATLES
The City Council in Liverpool, England, has blocked demolition of the stage where John Lennon first met Paul McCartney.
The stage -- at St. Peters Church in Liverpool -- was set to be demolished as part of a renovation. Lennon, who was playing with the Quarrymen at the time, was introduced to McCartney for the first time at a festival held at the church on July 6, 1957.
The city says it will store the wooden structure until a permanent home can be found.
Former Quarrymen member Colin Hanton says the decision is "fantastic news."
"I remember the day well and can still see John talking to this lad who I later found out to be Paul," Hanton said.

'WWF FORCED ENTRY'
The ever-feuding Scott Stapp of Creed and Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst are getting together -- kind of. MTV News reports that tracks contributed by each of the bands will co-exist on the next WWF album, "WWF Forced Entry," which is being released March 26.
Creed will be represented by "Young Grow Old," which was previously available only as a bonus track on the Australian and Japanese pressings of "Human Clay." Limp Bizkit will offer a new remix of "Rollin'."
Thirteen other artists contribute theme songs for wrestlers on the record - including Rob Zombie, Cypress Hill, Sevendust, Drowning Pool, Monster Magnet and Our Lady Peace. The previously unreleased remix of Marilyn Manson's "The Beautiful People" -- the theme for the UPN series "WWF SmackDown!" -- will also be included on the album.

GOLDEN EARRING
An expanded edition of Golden Earring's hit 1974 album "Moontan" hits stores March 5. It restores the tracks cut for the album's U.S. release and also includes some b-sides.
The Dutch band is considered a one-hit wonder in the United States -- "Radar Love" peaked at No.13 on the Billboard Hot-100 pop singles chart. But the group remains one of Europe's most popular and is still recording and touring today.

SOUL TRAIN MUSIC AWARD NOMINEES CD
Due in stores March 26 -- the first Soul Train Music Awards Nominees CD. The album will include many of the artists and songs nominated for the 16th Annual (2002) Soul Train Music Awards. The categories include Best RB/Soul Single, Female; Best RB/Soul Single, Male; Best RB/Soul Single, Group, Band or Duo; Best RB/Soul or Rap New Artist; and The Michael Jackson Award for Best RB/Soul or Rap Music Video.
Exactly who will be on the album will be announced shortly.
The 16th Annual Soul Train Music Awards will be presented March 20 at The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, and will air later in the month.

LITTLE RICHARD
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's Hall of Fame is about to get a new member -- flamboyant singer/songwriter Little Richard.
The hall says Richard will join the ranks of honorees that now include Sidney Poitier, Smokey Robinson and blues legend (now Burger King huckster) B.B. King.
The Hall of Fame was set up by the NAACP -- the oldest and largest civil rights organization in the nation -- to honor artists who have excelled in their careers and have become an "innovate force ... in their respective fields."
By the way, there's a great picture of the energetic performer and interesting biographical information and a full discography at littlerichard.com. It's not his official Web site, but it might as well be.