NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Carrie Underwood is donating all the proceeds from her recent show in New Jersey to the victims of Superstorm Sandy.
People.com reports that she announced on stage at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall that she “wouldn’t feel right making any money off” the show, adding that anything she made “is going right back into the community.”
Underwood has already been giving to the Red Cross since September, donating $1 of every ticket sold on her “Blown Away” tour.
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Led Zeppelin hardly ever lets their songs be used in movies or on TV. But they’re making an exception for the NBC series “Revolution.” Next week’s episode will feature two Zeppelin songs, “Kashmir” and “Since I’ve Been Loving You.” It’s no coincidence that Revolution is produced in association with Warner Brothers Television, and Led Zeppelin has a deal with Warner Music Group’s publishing arm. The episode airs the same day the group’s “Celebration Day” album and DVD documentary are released.
WASHINGTON (AP) – Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are starting a new charity called Teen Cancer America. Daltrey says they want to open facilities and develop support programs geared specifically toward teen cancer patients. He says teens who have cancer need to be around other patients their own age. He says “they’re going through completely different emotional, psychological and physical changes in their body than adults.” He says teens wouldn’t feel so isolated if they got to unload on other teens. Daltrey and Townshend are raising money for the charity on their Who tour. They perform tonight in Washington.
NEW YORK (AP) – The guy who brings Elmo to life is taking a leave of absence from “Sesame Street” to fight what he calls a “false and defamatory allegation.” He’s being accused of having a relationship with a 16-year-old boy. Kevin Clash says while he did have a relationship with his accuser, “it was between two consenting adults.” He says he’s “deeply saddened that he is trying to characterize it as something other than what it was.” Sesame Workshop says its investigation found no evidence of an underage relationship, but it says Clash exercised “poor judgement.” It says Clash has been “disciplined for violating company policy” on using the Internet.
MOUNT OLIVE, N.J. (AP) - The New Jersey man who is donating the Christmas tree to New York's Rockefeller Center spent a nervous night during Superstorm Sandy.
Joe Balku says he learned four weeks ago that the 80-foot Norway spruce had been chosen for the honor. Then Sandy hit two weeks later.
Balku says he watched the tree, which weighs 10 tons and is 50 feet in diameter, as it swayed in the backyard of his Mount Olive property. Balku says it had been bundled for protection.
He lost two other trees and just got electricity back over the weekend.
The tree will be loaded on a flatbed truck and erected at Rockefeller Center on Wednesday. Workers will string 45,000 lights on the branches.
The 80th Christmas tree lighting will take place on Nov. 28.
NEW YORK (AP) – He had a major crush on Madonna. But that isn’t what has a former firefighter in trouble with the law. A jury in New York has convicted Robert Linhart of resisting arrest for an incident outside a building where Madonna used to live. Linhart would spray-paint love notes on items outside the home. And when police went to arrest him, he flailed his arms – leading to the resisting arrest charge. He could get up to a year in jail – but his lawyer says there will be an appeal.
LONDON (AP) – Do you have words like Jagger? You may be able to find out soon – as a batch of handwritten letters from Rolling Stones star Mick Jagger go on auction next month. The letters were written to his former lover, Marsha Hunt. The American-born singer gave birth to his first child – and was the inspiration for the Stones’ 1971 hit “Brown Sugar.” Sotheby’s says Hunt has turned over 10 letter letters from Jagger written in 1969. The handwritten letters are part of a group of writings from Jagger that are expected to fetch between $111,300 and $159,000 when auctioned.
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Steven Spielberg says he’s amazed Abraham Lincoln didn’t “crack up” as he juggled persuading Congress to abolish slavery while dealing with the death of his infant son and an unstable wife. He says it “amazes” him that Lincoln was able to get through it “with a steady moral compass and an even keel.” Spielberg’s movie about Lincoln opens in more theaters this Friday.
LOS ANGELES (AP) – The sky’s the limit for James Bond’s “Skyfall.” The 23rd Bond film opens at number-one. Skyfall hauls in a franchise-record of nearly 88 million dollars. Add in the Thursdsay night IMAX and big-screen previews and you’re talking 90 mil. “Wreck-It Ralph” drops to second, followed by “Flight.” Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” has a huge start in a handful of theaters. Lincoln takes in 900-thousand dollars playing in just 11 theaters. That’s a whopping average of nearly 82-grand each — more than three times the weekend’s number-one movie “Skyfall.”
LOS ANGELES (AP) – “America’s Funniest Home Videos” airs its 500th episode this Sunday. That’s a lot of kicks to the groin. A million in fact. The one millionth guy to get hit in the groin will be awarded the Golden Cup during the episode. The show has been on 23 seasons. During that time, it’s given away more than $12 million to the people who sent in their videos. This season, viewers will be able to vote online for the person who should get the $100,000 top prize. You can vote in a 24-hour period from Sunday night to Monday night.
