Country star Travis in critical condition
Country music star Randy Travis was in critical condition Monday in a Texas hospital, a day after he was hospitalized with viral cardiomyopathy.
A news release from the singer’s publicist said Travis was admitted to the hospital Sunday in Dallas and is in critical condition. Kirt Webster, Travis’ publicist, said no other details about Travis’ condition were available Monday.
Viral cardiomyopathy is a heart condition caused by a virus that can lead to heart failure.
The illness is a continuation of a tough run for the 54-year-old “Three Wooden Crosses” singer after a handful of recent high-profile appearances.
Travis pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated in January following his arrest last year when he was found naked after crashing his Pontiac Trans Am.
Travis was sentenced to two years of probation, fined $2,000 and given a 180-day suspended jail sentence. He was required to spend at least 30 days at an alcohol treatment facility and complete 100 hours of community service.
Hill starts prison term for tax lapse
Grammy-winning singer Lauryn Hill began serving a three-month prison sentence in Connecticut on Monday for failing to pay about $1 million in taxes over the past decade.
Hill reported to federal prison in Danbury, said Ed Ross, a spokesman for the federal Bureau of Prisons. Inmates at the minimum-security prison live in open dormitory-style living quarters and are expected to work jobs such as maintenance, food service or landscaping.
Hill, who released her multiplatinum album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” in 1998, pleaded guilty last year in New Jersey to failing to pay taxes on more than $1.8 million earned from 2005 to 2007.
Bon Jovi gives $1 million for Sandy aid
Jon Bon Jovi went home Monday to present a $1 million check from his band to a fund to help New Jersey recover from Superstorm Sandy.
The rocker joined Gov. Chris Christie and first lady Mary Pat Christie to announce the donation during a ceremony where the native son rocker got bigger cheers than the popular governor.
“My being here is not political,” Bon Jovi said during a news conference in front of the borough hall in the central New Jersey town of Sayreville. “It’s emotional.”
Bon Jovi, who has long had philanthropic interests, has been highly visible in his home state since the storm hit.
The birthday bunch
Actor Brian Dennehy is 75. Singer Debbie Sledge (Sister Sledge) is 59. Actor Tom Hanks is 57. Singer Courtney Love is 49. Musician Jack White is 38. Actor Fred Savage is 37. Actress Georgie Henley (“The Chronicles of Narnia”) is 18.