They did their part to get things back on track
Arlo Guthrie and Willie Nelson gave the people of New Orleans something they’ve needed since Hurricane Katrina – good music, a good time and a reminder of what they love most about this city.
Guthrie welcomed the crowd late Saturday at legendary Tipitina’s, his last performance in a two-week railroad tour to raise money for musicians left homeless and without a place to work by Katrina.
Inspired by television coverage of the hurricane’s aftermath and by learning that Amtrak had resumed its “City of New Orleans” service to the city, Guthrie hopped a train in Illinois two weeks ago and scheduled performances along the route with other musicians.
“We are thrilled that we have been able to make some small dent in all that is wrong down here,” Guthrie said.
In an interview before the show, Nelson said he hoped his visit would encourage musicians to return and get the New Orleans music scene back on its feet.
“We want to see them come back,” he said, “but I want them to have a place to come back to, a place to live.”
Is Ashlee sinking again?
Exhaustion is being blamed for Ashlee Simpson‘s collapse following a performance in Tokyo last week.
After telling the audience at an MTV Japan show that she felt ill, the 21-year-old singer said “I love you guys” before rushing off stage Thursday. She then collapsed in an elevator and was taken to a hospital.
Simpson has been on “a strenuous tour” in support of her new CD, “I Am Me,” in the wake of last year’s “Saturday Night Live” lip-synching scandal.
Speaking of collapses …
It’s officially over between Ashlee’s big sister Jessica Simpson and her pop-star hubby Nick Lachey.
The elder Simpson, 25, filed for divorce Friday from the 32-year-old former boy band star, asking that he not be granted spousal support. (They had no prenup.)
The couple jointly announced their separation Nov. 23. They wed in October 2002.
Only he knows for sure
An internationally known hairstylist is facing felony charges in the theft of Kevin Costner‘s laptop computer, which had private photos of the actor’s wedding.
Pascal Bensimon, 44, surrendered to authorities after a 14-month investigation and was released on $5,000 bond.
The computer contained photos of Costner’s 2004 wedding to Christine Baumgartner at his Aspen-area ranch. Bensimon, who has a salon in Aspen, had been hired to style hair for some of the wedding guests.
He claims someone put drugs into his drink at the wedding, and that he never stole Costner’s Apple Powerbook or a digital camera.
She’s not that desperate
London tabloid the Daily Sport has agreed to pay “Desperate Housewives” star Teri Hatcher “very substantial damages” to settle a libel lawsuit for claiming the actress neglected her 7-year-old daughter to have sex with various men in a van outside her home.
As part of the settlement, the tabloid will also pay Hatcher’s legal fees and publish a front-page apology.
Hatcher issued a statement saying she had “tolerated many ridiculous and fabricated lies and gossip in the tabloids,” but “when a story appeared about me, insinuating that I am an irresponsible and neglectful parent, I had to draw the line.”
The birthday bunch
Comedian Charlie Callas is 78. Drummer Peter Criss (Kiss) is 60. Musician Alan Parsons is 56. Actor Michael Badalucco (“The Practice”) is 51. Singer Billy Bragg is 48. Musician Mike Watts (The Minutemen) is 48. Singer Chris Robinson (Black Crowes) is 39. Singer JoJo is 15.