Glen Campbell on Alzheimer's: Needing the ones he loves, Lord

Glen Campbell, who revealed his Alzheimer's disease diagnosis in June, will release what he's calling his "final album" next week and go out on a farewell tour starting in October — and in the meantime, he's doing a farewell round of interviews, with wife Kim Woollen filling in some of the blanks. 

"I haven't felt it yet," Campbell said of the Alzheimer's, speaking to ABC News. "I've always been forgetful anyway. I'm only, what, 78?"

Seventy-five, Woollen prompted as he looked her way.

"I just take care of him, which is a big job," said his wife of nearly 30 years. "We'd been noticing short-term memory loss for quite some time. You know, he repeats himself. Tells the same joke several times in a row."

"Well, yeah, it's funny," Campbell joked (watch the interview, below).

The couple went through a similar exchange — presumably intentionally — when they sat down with the Los Angeles Times' Randy Lewis for an profile out this Sunday.

"It hasn't affected me in any way. I haven't felt anything. In fact, I don't even know what it is. Who came up with that?" he said with a laugh.

"Your doctor," Woollen answered.

"Well, he’s probably wrong," Campbell replied.

Photos: Glen Campbell: A career in pictures

The singer also talked to The Times about his years with the Wrecking Crew, studio musicians who had a reputation for knocking out hits with the likes of Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, the Monkees and more.

Campbell, in fact, owns the fingers behind the opening riff to the Beach Boys' "Fun, Fun, Fun" and eventually wound up filling Brian Wilson's shoes in the band when the group's founder traded touring for studio work. "I was very happy to be playing with the Beach Boys. The only thing I didn't like was that I had to play bass.

"Those bass strings can grind your little pinkies down real quick," he said with a laugh.

"Ghost on the Canvas" features some poignant lyrics in "A Better Place," a song Campbell has been performing live for more than a year: "Some days I'm so confused, Lord. My past gets in my way. I need the ones I love, Lord. More and more each day.

"One thing I know, the world's been good to me."

 

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Photo: Glen Campbell and his wife, Kim, at home in July. Credit: Matt Sayles / Associated Press.

George Michael admits 'turbulent' Kenny Goss relationship is over

George Michael and longtime partner Kenny Goss have indeed broken up, with the singer admitting the split after months spent denying rumors and careless whispers that they'd gone their separate ways.

The "Faith" singer 'fessed up Monday to the audience at the opening night of his "Symphonica: The Orchestral Tour" at the Prague State Opera House.

"It's time to be honest," Michael said of his relationship with the businessman, which began in the mid-1990s.

"Kenny and I haven't been together for two and a half years," the 48-year-old announced when he dedicated his new song, "Where I Hope You Are," to his former partner. They split, he said, in part because of Goss' longtime struggle with alcohol addiction after his parents died.

"My love life has been a lot more turbulent than I've let on," Michael added. "This man has brought me a lot of joy and a lot of pain."

Together, Goss and the former Wham! singer founded the Dallas-based Goss-Michael Foundation, which exhibits British contemporary art.

During the concert, Michael also paid tribute to Amy Winehouse, saying the late singer was the only British artist to have left him in awe during his three-decade career.

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-- Nardine Saad
Twitter.com/NardineSaad

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: Kenny Goss, left, and George Michael in December 2005. Credit: Junko Kimura / Getty Images

Kimberly Stewart, Benicio Del Toro have a baby girl

Actor Benicio Del Toro and Kimberly Stewart, the second-eldest of rocker Rod Stewart's eight children, have one significant thing in common: an 8-pound, 9-ounce baby girl.

Stewart, 32, gave birth to the baby girl on Sunday in Los Angeles. The singer-model and the Academy Award-winning actor, 44, are not a couple, Del Toro's rep said in April when the pregnancy was  announced. However, the baby daddy is "very supportive."

And their lack of a relationship isn't hindering grandpa Rod Stewart's excitement.

"My joy is indescribable," he told People, calling the birth one of the happiest days of his life. Rod and third wife Penny Lancaster, Kimberly's mother Alana, new uncle (and Kim's brother) Sean Stewart and Del Toro were among the crowd who joined her at the hospital to welcome the newest member of the family.

Del Toro and Stewart's daughter will have a couple of younger uncles to grow up with too: In February, Rod, 66, and Penny had a baby named Aiden, who joined their other son, 5-year-old Alastair.

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-- Nardine Saad
Twitter.com/NardineSaad

Photos: Kimberly Stewart and Benicio Del Toro. Credits: Los Angeles Times

Jani Lane autopsy: No quick answers in Warrant singer's death

An autopsy on rocker Jani Lane has revealed no conclusive cause of death, an L.A. County coroner's official said Friday.

That leaves family, friends and fans of the former Warrant singer to wait on results of toxicology and other tests that will, according to Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter,  come in over the next two months or so.

Lane, 47, was pronounced dead early Thursday evening after paramedics found him unresponsive in a hotel room in Woodland Hills, far from his Redondo Beach home. A half-bottle of alcohol and prescription medications were found in the hotel room where he died, though police officials said there was no indication that the father of two girls had intentionally taken his own life.

A cause of death similarly in limbo is that of 27-year-old singer Amy Winehouse, found dead July 23, whose autopsy yielded no clear answers. In that case, Winehouse's family reportedly believes sudden withdrawal from alcohol will be revealed as the culprit after toxicology and other tests results are returned.

Lane, whose lead-singer relationship with Warrant was on-again, off-again, wrote hits for the hair-metal band including "Heaven," "Cherry Pie" and "Down Boys." Warrant's first two albums -- "Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich" in 1989 and "Cherry Pie" in 1990 -- both went double-platinum. Lane first left the band in 1992, but returned years later.

"We are deeply saddened to hear the news of Jani's passing," the band said Friday on its website, also posting a concert video of Lane performing "Heaven," embedded below.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family. Jani was a very important part of our lives for a long time.
We will always be incredibly proud of the music we created together. He was a true talent and will be missed by all of us."

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— Christie D'Zurilla
Twitter.com/dzurillaville

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: Jani Lane with Warrant in January 1990. Credit: Marty Temme / WireImage.

Jani Lane dead at 47: Warrant singer's death under investigation

Police are investigating the circumstances around the death of Jani Lane, the former Warrant singer who was found dead in a Woodland Hills motel room Thursday night.

Law enforcement was investigating why the 47-year-old Lane, who has a home in Redondo Beach, was at the Comfort Inn on Ventura Boulevard, police sources told L.A. Now on Friday. Alcohol and prescription drugs were found in the room; Lane had struggled with substance issues, with a pair of DUI arrests in recent years.

Photos: Notable music deaths of 2011

The L.A. County coroner's office plans to do an autopsy to determine the hair-metal rocker's cause of death. Sources said there was no indication it was a suicide by the "Cherry Pie" singer, who was pronounced dead on the scene around 5:30 p.m. by Fire Department paramedics.

Warrant's current members will pay tribute to Lane at a concert tonight in North Dakota. "We never thought that when the song 'Heaven' was written we would be playing it someday in the memory of Jani's untimely death," guitarist Erik Turner told TMZ. "This is a very sad day for rock and roll."

Lane wrote "Heaven" as well as "Cherry Pie," which together "displayed the yin and yang of teenage desire," Times pop music critic Randall Roberts noted on Pop & Hiss:

In "Cherry Pie," the group celebrated (objectified?) the female form by comparing it with a scrumptious dessert, and the result was a scream-along anthem tailor-made for testosterone-fueled pop metal heads and the women who loved them.

Like any self-respecting metal band, though, Warrant and the bleached-blond Lane had a softer side, one that you can see on full display in the video for "Heaven," in which the viewer is treated to a love ballad and slow-motion images of Lane and the band enjoying their rock-star lives.

In 1999, Lane discussed Warrant's raunchy, then-envelope-pushing "Cherry Pie" video -- watch it below -- with MTV. "I don't think all music has to have any political significance or a deep religious meaning," he said.

"You can have fun rock and roll. ... Chuck Berry wrote about cruising around in the car, in the back seat with a girl, so that's what 'Cherry Pie' was," Lane said, "and you can take it for what it's worth."

His family will convene Sunday for a private memorial service, manager and friend Obi Steinman said, adding that a public memorial in Hollywood, featuring performances by other metal bands, would be held Aug. 24.

Lane, who was twice divorced and the father of two girls, appeared on VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club" in 2005. According to IMDb, he was not really a fan of the tune "Cherry Pie."

 

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— Christie D'Zurilla
Twitter.com/dzurillaville

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photos: Jani Lane performing in 2005, left, and in a Warrant promo picture in 1988. Credits:  Ethan Miller / Getty Images, left; John Scarpati, right.

Britney Spears' 'Femme Fatale' lures Lady Gaga to Atlantic City

Two pop stars walk into Atlantic City -- and though we wish a rabbi and priest were there too, it was no joke that Lady Gaga attended a Britney Spears concert this weekend.

In New Jersey's seaside gambling town, Spears brought her "Femme Fatale" tour to thrill locals and high rollers. Gaga counted herself among them Saturday night, clad in a leather bikini top and cap.

"I have a very special guest here tonight, Lady Gaga is here!" Spears told fans to deafening screams. Spears blew kisses at the "Bad Romance" singer as she shot up a hand and acknowledged the fans.

The sighting makes perfect sense to the Ministry, since before Gaga hit it big, she'd penned a few tracks for Britney, and Brit caught the "Monster Ball" when Gaga came through L.A. a year ago -- but some folks seemed to think the appearance symbolized the end of an alleged feud involving the two.

Fans erupted in a Twitter war back in February over which star was more popular, and that escalated into some she-said / she-said over Gaga's onstage comments about refusing to lip-sync in concert -- which some had taken as a direct shot at Spears. Whatever was really going on, it's apparently over now.

Watch peace unfold, below.

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-- Matt Donnelly
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Photos: Lady Gaga, left, and Britney Spears. Credits: Getty Images, left; Associated Press, right.

Lollapalooza sightings: Dave Franco, Kellan Lutz, Questlove

While the underage set partied for Sunday's Teen Choice Awards, music lovers and grown-up celebs hit the Windy City for the madness of Lollapalooza this weekend.

The annual music festival saw performances from Coldplay, Eminen and Foo Fighters as well as their famous friends. While James Franco enjoyed box office success with "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," his younger brother Dave generated fanfare in Chi-town.

Gilt City hosted a "Better Than Backstage" party on the rooftop of Chicago's EnV Apartments, where Franco commanded tons of female attention according to an onlooker, one particularly excited gal almost falling in the pool to get to Dave.

Franco stuck close to his "Fright Night" costar Christopher Mintz-Plasse, moving on later to the city's popular Underground nightclub.

At the Hard Rock Hotel, the Miami "Express Yourself" Oasis suite was home to swag, cocktail soirees and a few live performances, attended by the likes of newlyweds LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian, Samantha Ronson, Taylor Momsen, Questlove, Kellan Lutz, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, and hot new band Foster the People.

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— Matt Donnelly
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Photo: Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Dave Franco at Gilt City's "Better Than Backstage" rooftop party. Credit: Francis Som.

Kings of Leon cancel U.S. tour; what the Followill is going on?

What's happening with the Kings of Leon? After a breakdown halfway through a Friday night concert, news came Monday that the rockers have canceled the remainder of their U.S. tour.

Drama stirred in the Kings' court mid-performance in Dallas as heat exhaustion allegedly got the best of lead singer Caleb Followill, one of the three Followill brothers and one cousin who make up the band. 

"For the record, I'm not drunk," he said onstage. "I'm just ... hot ... I'm about to fall down over here because I'm so daggum hot."

Caleb told the audience he was popping off to "vomit" and enjoy a beer, but would return for three more songs. He never did. Brothers Nathan, Jared and cousin Matthew were left to apologize to a venue full of angry fans.

"It's really not our fault –- it's Caleb. He can't play the rest of the show. We will be back as soon as possible," the bandmates said on stage. 

"I love our fans so much," Jared Followill said Saturday on Twitter. "I know you guys aren't stupid. I can't lie. There are problems in our band bigger than not drinking enough Gatorade."

Drama! The news that the band had scrapped the rest of its stateside appearances came Monday on the Kings of Leon website, with blame placed on Caleb's "vocal issues and exhaustion."

"The band is devastated, but in order to give their fans the shows they deserve, they need to take this break," the statement said, going on to note that tickets will be refunded.

Whatever the issues, no one should "jump to conclusions," Jared tweeted Monday. "We're not breaking up."

The band's next date is up north in Vancouver on Sept. 28, kicking off the Canadian leg of its tour.

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-- Matt Donnelly

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Photo: Nathan Followill, Jared Followill, Caleb Followill and Matthew Followill backstage with their trophies at the Staples Center, for the 52nd annual Grammy Awards. Credit: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times

 

Amy Winehouse found dead at home; singer was 27

Amy Winehouse has been found dead in her northern London home, according to London police and ambulance crews who responded to the scene around 4 p.m. Saturday.

Though police confirmed that a 27-year-old woman had been found dead in Camden, they did not offer a cause of death for the soulful, bluesy singer whose father said only days ago that despite going through some rough stuff, "the last few weeks she's been absolutely fantastic."

Winehouse, whose second album, "Back to Black," featured the hit "Rehab" and earned her five Grammys in 2008, had struggled with drugs and alcohol for years, recently canceling a European tour after being booed off the stage in Serbia.

Her father Mitch Winehouse, who started a jazz-singing career only recently, tweeted Thursday that he was off to New York, where he was booked for two Monday shows at the Blue Note. His daughter came to most of his London performances, he'd told the New York Times.

"She always gets up onstage and refuses to rehearse," Mitch Winehouse said. "So we end up doing a couple of songs which are terrible. We just end up in fits of laughter. Everyone enjoys it because they can see we are enjoying it.

"She's very, very supportive and she's a great kid and she's going through some rough stuff at the moment, but the last few weeks she's been absolutely fantastic."

Winehouse had been in and out of rehab over the years, and in and out of a relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil, and in court over allegations that she'd assaulted a fan. Winehouse had reportedly been working for years on a third album as well. She had recorded a song for Tony Bennett's "Duets II," which is scheduled for release in September, according to Pop & Hiss.

In her 90-minute Serbia set in June, Winehouse had mumbled through songs and occasionally left the stage, leaving her band to cover for her. Shortly before heading out on the road she'd checked herself out of rehab after a week, and her hotel was reportedly stripped of alcohol before the show. After the Belgrade gig, her camp decided that she should head home.

"Everyone involved wishes to do everything they can to help her return to her best and she will be given as long as it takes for this to happen," a spokesman said at the time. 

Here's a link to the video for "Tears Dry on their Own," a Ministry favorite. (How Winehouse of her to include that one well-placed cuss word that prevents us from embedding it. Sigh.)

"I cannot play myself again / I should just be my own best friend."

RIP Amy Winehouse.

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-- Christie D'Zurilla
Twitter.com/dzurillaville

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Photo: Amy Winehouse in July 2008. Credit: Victor R. Caivano / Associated Press

Jennifer Lopez shakes it like a single lady in Ukraine [Video]

Divorce? What divorce? Jennifer Lopez performed at a wedding in the Ukraine this past weekend, singing and strutting like she hadn't a care in the world. 

The gig, for the son of a Ukrainian oil tycoon near the Black Sea, saw Lopez looking fierce and belting hits such as "Waiting for Tonight" and "On the Floor." 

The booking fetched her a reported $1-million fee and was likely a welcome break from the drama of her now-defunct marriage to Marc Anthony. Since the split was announced, headlines on weekly celeb magazines have been screaming about infidelity, control issues and self-esteem disintegration in the 7-year union. 

But girlfriend pulled through. The only glitch came in the form of a sound malfunction -- during which J. Lo took the opportunity to tell the world she's got a hold of herself.

"I think they're panicking, I'm not panicked. I'm good," she said, flirting with the crowd. "I feel good." 

She looks it too, evidenced by the full clip of highlights below.

 

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-- Matt Donnelly
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Photo: Jennifer Lopez attends BAFTA's "Brits to Watch" event at the Belasco Theater in downtown L.A., during the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's official California visit earlier this month. Credit: Mario Anzuoni / Reuters