Spears returns to the stage
Britney Spears took the stage late Tuesday at the House of Blues, making what is believed to be her first public concert appearance in nearly three years.
Starting the five-song set with her classic “Baby One More Time,” Spears was back in top form. The boots-wearing one-time teen pop queen appeared onstage in a pink bra top and a short white skirt with her belly ring out.
The drama of the past few months appeared to be behind her. Her only words on it came as she was leaving. “Thanks everyone for coming,” she told the packed club.
Earlier this year, the 25-year-old successfully completed a stint at a luxury Malibu drug rehabilitation treatment facility after a bout of headline-generating behavior that included a February stop at a San Fernando Valley hair salon to shave her own head in front of television news cameras. On Tuesday night Spears wore a long brown wig.
Louisville, Ky.
Anna Nicole’s baby arrives in U.S.
Anna Nicole Smith’s ex-boyfriend arrived in Kentucky from the Bahamas on Tuesday with their infant daughter and said he is looking forward to introducing the baby to his family.
“It just feels good to be home,” Larry Birkhead said after stepping off a private jet and walking up to a fence where more than a dozen photographers and a handful of reporters were gathered.
Birkhead said he plans to show off 7-month-old Dannielynn to his family in Louisville and “relax and horse around.”
Birkhead, a 34-year-old photographer based in Los Angeles, said he’s unsure if he will stay in Louisville with his daughter. “This is one pit stop,” Birkhead said.
Smith, 39, collapsed and died in February from an accidental drug overdose. She was buried beside her son at a Nassau cemetery.
Birkhead was authorized by a judge last week to take Dannielynn out of the Bahamas. The ruling followed legal battles by Birkhead to prove his paternity claim and gain custody following the former Playboy playmate’s death in February.
New Orleans
Public school head stepping down
Less than two years after being given the helm of the city’s beleaguered school system, the state-appointed superintendent announced Tuesday she would step down to focus on her family and new job opportunities.
Robin Jarvis said her resignation effective May 31 was a relief after months under pressure to hire teachers and open safe schools in the city slowly recovering from Hurricane Katrina.
Jarvis’ departure comes as the state turns to the National Guard for help renovating hurricane-damaged schools it will need to accommodate the thousands of new students it expects in the state-run Recovery School District this fall.