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January 12, 2009
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Katy Perry throws people for a loop when they find out how she began her career . . .

. . .then winds up with the #1 song, I Kissed a Girl.


Katy Perry has a secret past: she used to be a gospel singer.
Perry's parents are pastors and she sang in church as a kid.

She says she knew all the hymns backward and forward. Her
parents recognized her musical talent and sent her to Nashville,
where she recorded a gospel album under her real name, Katy
Hudson.

It's kind of a far cry from the Katy Perry who sings "I Kissed A
Girl," isn't it? Perry's response: "Are you still the same person
that you are when you're 15? Usually, you're not."

She says she didn't set out to do a complete turnaround,
but it's just who she is right now.

She says she still has a lot of respect for gospel music and
her own faith and she doesn't believe anyone should tell her
what to think.


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When we last saw little Grey, she had seduced Dr. McSteamy
on "Grey's Anatomy."

Now, Chyler Leigh is pregnant in real life, but her publicist
tells People.com that the pregnancy won't be written into the
show.

That's good news for McSteamy, who'd been warned by
McDreamy not to sleep with Meredith's sister.

This will be Leigh's third child with her husband Nathan West.


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Kate Walsh and Alex Young are exchanging for their first anniversary:
divorce papers.

The actress and her hubby are calling it quits after just a year of
marriage. Young was the one who filed for divorce from the star of
the "Grey's Anatomy" spin-off "Private Practice."

He cites "irreconcilable differences" -- but offers no further details.

Court papers say they have been going their separate ways since
November 22nd.

They married in September the year before. They have no kids.

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Van Halen have come a long way from the debauchery they used to demand for their dressing rooms. Now they need a study room.

The Smoking Gun Web site has posted Van Halen's tour rider from their recent tour, and one of their demands was a private room for Eddie Van Halen's son, Wolfgang, to use for his schoolwork with a tutor.

It also asked for David Lee Roth's dressing room to be as far as possible from the others.

The no-brown-M&Ms clause is gone, and instead they ask for fresh fruit, organic tortilla chips and diet sodas.

Eddie Van Halen must indulge a bit, because he asks for four mini-bottles of Gallo Twin Valley Cabernet Sauvignon for his stage cooler.


Van Halen's David Lee Roth, on the left, next to Eddie Van Halen
    
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A "Barbara Walters Special" is on ABC. Walters interviews
President-elect Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. The interview is
expected to cover topics ranging from foreign policy to the economy
to moving the family into the White House. 

Rosie O'Donnell loves classic variety shows with music, dancing
and comedy. She presents her own tonight. It's called "Rosie
Live" and it's on NBC. Liza Minnelli makes a rare TV appearance
doing a song and dance with O'Donnell. Alanis Morissette and Ne-Yo
are featured, as well as Jane Krakowski, Alec Baldwin and Kathy
Griffin.

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The big man is still in the running -- or make that the dancing. Warren Sapp makes it to the finale of "Dancing with the Stars" next week. The former defensive star for
the Super Bowl-winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers got high marks from the judges for his two dance routines this week. And the viewers agree.

"Hannah Montana" co-star Cody Linley is the latest to be bounced. He and his partner were also at the bottom of the judges' scorecard this week, so they left last night. It was a bitter-sweet night for his professional partner, Julianne Hough. Earlier the in the show, she got to perform her new country single, "My Hallelujah Song." This was Hough's first week back in competition, after getting her appendix out.

Next week's season finale will have Brooke Burke, Lance Bass and former NFL star Warren Sapp dancing for the mirror ball trophy.


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Maurice Greene won't be going the distance on "Dancing With the Stars. The former sprinter has been bounced from the ABC competition.

He and professional partner Cheryl Burke got a total score of 48 out of 60 from during for their performance on Monday. With viewer votes added to the mix, Greene gets to hang up his dancing shoes.

Greene is good with all this. He says he "had a lot of fun" on the show and that he "learned how to dance" in front of millions of people.

Greene's departure pares the list of celebrity contestants to four: former NFL star Warren Sapp, model-actress Brooke Burke, singer Lance Bass and "Hannah Montana" actor Cody Linley.


















Brooke Burke and Derek Hough

It was a perfect night for Brooke Burke on "Dancing with the Stars." She got the season's first set of perfect 10s from the judges last night.

She's been one of the judges' favorites, but had an off week last week.

This week's low-scorer is Cody Linley. But he was dancing with a new partner,
following Julianne Hough's surgery.

This week's results show will be tomorrow night, because of election coverage.


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The six remaining couples have 90 minutes to wow the judges on "Dancing With the Stars."

Lionel Richie will be the entertainment for this week's "Dancing With The Stars" results show. He'll perform "Dancing On The Ceiling." He'll also do a new song, "Good Morning," from his album "Just Go," which comes out in February. The "Dancing With The Stars" results show will be on Wednesday this week, rather than tomorrow, which, of course, is Election Day.


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Britney Spears won't have a new trial in her driver's license case. Prosecutors have decided not to pursue her misdemeanor charge for driving without a valid California driver's license when she hit a parked car and left the scene in August 2007.

A jury deliberated for two full days without reaching a decision. They were deadlocked 10-2 in favor of acquitting her.

The case has been dismissed.


Jurors have left for the day after saying earlier that they were hopelessly deadlocked. A foreman said they had voted three times since Friday, and each time failed to reach an unanimousconclusion.

The foreman said the three votes were all 10 to 2, but didn't indicate which way they went.


The panel posed at least three questions throughout the day, including a clarification of the charges and what Spears had done to be charged.


Jurors have spent about six hours deliberating so far. They resume deliberations this morning.


Spears hasn't appeared in court and didn't testify during the trial. She faces up to six months in jail and a fine if convicted.


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Roseanne Barr has claimed that she used cosmetic surgery as a way of avoiding her ex-husband. The star told the Guardian that her breast reduction surgery, tummy tuck and nose job were all methods of escaping Tom Arnold. 

Roseanne claims every time she had a break in taping her TV series, she would have surgery, explaining. "I think just to get away from him and then when I came back there'd be nurses in the house and I wouldn't be alone with him," she said.


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Rosie O'Donnell will try to revive the TV variety show next month. Variety reports that O'Donnell will host "Rosie's Variety Show" live from New York the night before
Thanksgiving.

It'll feature celebrity guests, musical acts, comedy skits and a contest that both the people at home and those in the studio audience will get to take part in.

Variety reports that if the show gets good ratings, O'Donnell could get a variety series in the new year.


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LOS ANGELES, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- Miley Cyrus insists she isn't trying to get out of her contract for the U.S. teen sit-com Hannah Montana, contrary to Internet reports claiming she is.

"I am fully committed to Hannah Montana. It's what gave me this amazing opportunity to reach out to so many people," the 15-year-old pop star and actress told People magazine. "I couldn't do it alone. We have an amazing cast that is so supportive, including my dad (Billy Ray Cyrus) who has been there for me every step of the way."

Rumors claiming Miley and her father have been showing up late to work and deliberately trying to get fired were swirling during the weekend. One report said Miley and her co-star Emily Osment had a falling-out due to Miley's allegedly unprofessional behavior.

"It's a lot of craziness," a source close to Miley told People. "Miley is really devoted to the show and she's really upset by the gossip. Miley is never late to work. Every minute of her day is planned out. When she's not shooting the movie or the series, she's recording the ('Hannah Montana') soundtrack. She has a lot invested in 'Hannah Montana.' It's not going away any time soon. ... Emily and Miley are like sisters. Occasionally they have disagreements but they make up and they never let it affect their work."

Production on the third season of "Hannah Montana" is under way.