Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 11

Sadly, I did not have the foresight to archive the 2000 series and deleted most of the files.

2005 Sounds

NOTE ABOUT BLUE ALERT SYSTEM (3/11/03): Some of you may recall a few years back when I used "name blends" -- rhyming sounds and off-rhyme clues from part of one name to determine what the next name in the sequence might be (or later in the year). An example was the death of Layne Stahley and how "Layne" led to "Lynne" then "Linda" and the car crash death of Linda Lovelace which followed. I surmised that "Lace" in "Lovelace" might lead to a "Leese" then "Lisa" tragedy. The next day, Lisa Lopes of TLC was killed in a car crash.

Rather than create a whole other section on this page for name blends, I will instead highlight certain names in the lists below in light blue that I feel may be influenced by celebrity deaths that have occurred this year.

IMPORTANT NOTE ON EXCLUSIONS (1/23/04): We acknowledge the passing of dancer and actress Ann Miller, age 81, and note with great regret the passing of Bob Keeshan (Captain Kangaroo), age 76. However, it is no longer the mission of this website to address the deaths of celebrities who are of advanced age or those who have had a long term health problem and are in their early elderly years. Such deaths are largely inevitable and often beyond any purposeful prediction. Also, the one and only applicable sound in Mr Keeshan's name ("eeeee") we now consider to be far too common to be remarkable or in any way useful for predictive purposes. Ergo, save for certain celebrities of advanced or elderly age who may appear on the prediction lists, we will no longer be publishing their obituaries and including comments.

Prominent name sounds must also be present. "Ray", for example, is a prominent sound, "Ay", on the other hand, is not. This distinction will become more clear as we progress through the year.

NOTE (3/9/05): "Ay" could be a prominent sound if it is combined with one or more other sounds. Again, it depends.

Possible predictions (1/7/05): Chastity Bono, Bono, Sondra Locke, Alison Krauss, Allison Parks, Bronson Pinchot, Harrison Ford, Jackson Browne, Jason Alexander, Jason Biggs, Jason Hervey, Jason Patric, Jason Priestley, Orson Bean, Wilson Cruz, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Charles Nelson Reilly, June Allyson, Loni Anderson, Ted Danson, Richard Dawson, Angie Dickinson, Mel Gibson, Kadeem Hardison, Ernie Hudson, Kate Hudson, Kate Jackson, La Toya Jackson, Michael Jackson, Reggie Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson, Don Johnson, Magic Johnson, Twiggy Lawson, Elle Macpherson, Jackie Mason, Liam Neeson, Craig T. Nelson, David Nelson, Willie Nelson, Jack Nicholson, Emma Thompson, Tony Blair, Minnie Driver, Britney Spears, Bonnie Raitt, Courtney Love, Nina Blackwood, Beau Bridges, Bo Derek, Bo Diddley, David Bowie, Adrienne Barbeau, Leon Redbone, Noah Wyle, Nolan Ryan, Bruno Campos, Chelsea Noble, Nick Nolte, Kim Novack, Diana Canova, David Faustino, Lou Ferrigno, Jay Leno, Alyssa Milano, Rita Moreno, Yoko Ono, Al Pacino, Mira Sorvino, Paul Sorvino, Quentin Tarantino. Additional predictions: (0/0/05):

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) -- Ray Peterson, whose 1960 hit "Tell Laura I Love Her" exemplified the teen tragedy song popular in early rock 'n' roll, has died. He was 65.

Peterson, who was known as "The Golden Voice of Rock 'n' Roll," died Tuesday at his home in Smyrna, a Nashville suburb, officials at Woodfin Memorial Chapel said. He had been suffering from cancer.

Peterson's version of "The Wonder of You" reached the top 30 in 1959, and Elvis Presley later hit the pop charts with a cover version. But Peterson's signature hit was "Tell Laura I Love Her," which reached No. 7 on the Billboard chart.

The recording was a best-selling example of the "teenage tragedy" subgenre that included "Teen Angel" and "Leader of the Pack."

"Corrina, Corrina" was Peterson's last major commercial success, but he toured for years after. He opened for the Beach Boys in several foreign countries and was a supporting act on their "Summer Safari" tour of 1964.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Keith Knudsen, the longtime Doobie Brothers drummer who was part of the band during a string of hits that included "Taking it to the Streets" and "Black Water," died of pneumonia Tuesday. He was 56. Knudsen had been hospitalized for more than a month, according to the band's longtime manager Bruce Cohn. "I just saw him Sunday, just before the Super Bowl," Cohn said. "He was in good spirits. He was weak, but he was OK."

Knudsen began drumming in eighth grade and joined the Doobie Brothers in 1974. "After a week's rehearsal, I went on the road with the band," Knudsen said in his biography on the band's Web site. The Doobies were known for incorporating gospel and jazz stylings into popular hit songs. They also were well-regarded for their live performances. Their other hits included "China Grove" and "Jesus is Just Alright."

Knudsen played with the Doobies until the band's 1982 farewell tour. During the band's hiatus, Knudsen and bandmate John McFee formed the country rock group Southern Pacific, which released four albums and had several hits. He rejoined the band full-time in 1993.

"He's going to be missed," said Tom Johnston, the band's founder. "We're going to miss him on drums. I'm going to miss him as a buddy." Knudsen, who lived in Sonoma County's wine country, had cancer in 1995, Johnston said. "It left him weak and I don't think he ever fully regained all his strength," Johnston said. He said the band is performing about 100 concerts a year and is scheduled to release a new album this summer.

"Ah finally made de news again ... (sniff, sniff).."

Grammy-winning singer Whitney Houston got ill on an airliner bound for France and was taken Thursday to a Paris hospital for treatment of apparent food poisoning, her publicist said.

"Whitney Houston was rushed to a hospital in Paris because of severe vomiting. She was sick on the aircraft," said Nancy Seltzer, her Los Angeles publicist. "She is doing well. She has gastroenteritis."

Gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the stomach and the intestines. Seltzer didn't know the source of the food poisoning.

Houston, 41, was traveling to Europe with a bodyguard when she fell ill, the spokeswoman said. When the aircraft landed as scheduled in Paris, the entertainer was taken to an undisclosed Paris hospital, where she was being treated in the emergency room.

It wasn't believed Houston would need to be admitted to the hospital, Seltzer said.

Houston is perhaps best known for her rendition of "I Will Always Love You" and her role in the film "The Bodyguard."

COMMENTS (3/2/05): Also best known for those Bobby Brown beatings and her luv of nose candy. Was this report really necessary??

NEW YORK (AP) -- A year after her first reported stay in rehab, Whitney Houston has again checked into a rehabilitation facility. "Whitney Houston has re-entered a rehabilitation facility today," her publicist, Nancy Seltzer, told The Associated Press Wednesday. She declined to provide details.

The news was first reported by syndicated entertainment TV show "Access Hollywood." In March 2004, Houston checked herself into an undisclosed rehabilitation center.

After years of denying drug use, the pop diva said she had used cocaine, marijuana and pills in an interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC's "Primetime" in 2002. She has said she was using the power of prayer to help her get over drugs.

In January 2000, Houston left behind a bag at an airport in Hawaii that allegedly held less than half an ounce of marijuana and three partially smoked marijuana cigarettes; a petty misdemeanor drug charge was dismissed when a counselor said Houston did not need treatment for substance abuse.

Houston, 41, has been working with producer Clive Davis on a comeback album. The Grammy-winning singer is known for her rendition of "I Will Always Love You" and her role in the 1992 film "The Bodyguard."

Houston and R&B singer Bobby Brown have been married since 1992 and have an 12-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina. Brown has a history of drug and alcohol arrests. The couple live near Alpharetta, a suburb north of Atlanta.

Possible predictions (1/7/05): Tammy Faye Bakker Messner, Tammy Parks, Russ Tamblyn, Terence Stamp, Maryam D'Abo, Cameron Diaz, Pamela Sue Martin, Graham Nash, James Cameron, Mia Farrow, Amy Yasbeck, Steve Winwood, Winona Ryder, Wynonna Judd, Kate Winslet, Sarah Wynter, Rosanna Arquette, Carol Burnett, Farah Fawcett, Joanna Pettet, Suzanne Pleshette, Nick Cassavettes. Additional predictions: (1/23/05): Demi Moore, Tanya Roberts, Wynton Marsalis.

Sammi Smith's version of "Help Me Make It Through the Night" is considered one of the great country performances.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma (AP) -- Country singer Jewel "Sammi" Smith, known for her trademark ballad, "Help Me Make It Through The Night," and a knack for sharing everyday life in her music, died Saturday. She was 61.

Smith died at home after a long-term illness; the Guardian West Funeral Home did not release further details.

Smith won a Grammy for best country vocal performance-female in 1971 for "Help Me Make It Through The Night," which was written by Kris Kristofferson.

Smith produced her first hit, "So Long Charlie Brown," in 1967. Six years later, she moved to Dallas, where she joined the "Outlaw Movement" with Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings.

Smith also found time to celebrate her Apache heritage. She was a frequent visitor to an Apache reservation in Arizona, where she made pottery and jewelry.

COMMENT (1/18/05): OMG. "Sammi" and "Tammy." And both were country singers! I wonder if this means a female country singer won't die in a plane or car crash in March 2005 like Patsy Cline or Dottie West (because Sammi Smith died of natural causes like Tammy Wynette instead)?? However, although Help Me Make It Through The Night was a major country hit, almost as great as Wynette's Stand By Your Man, I don't feel Smith had anything approaching the fame of Tammy Wynette, Dottie West, or Patsy Cline (or Elvis Presley, for that matter, who technically was both a major rock and country star between 1972 and 1977).

Still, I can't think of any notable or less notable country stars who died in 1970 or 1984, the remaining two years on the 1963-1998 timeline of doom for (all but Elvis) female country stars. But that doesn't mean there wasn't any. If there was, then Sammi Smith could be a throwback to a less famous country tragedy. Or, it could mnean the timeline is weakening. Or, more ominous, Sammi Smith's death could be a portent for what is to come next month or later in the spring.

Thievery Corporation Longtime Thievery Corporation collaborator Pam Bricker has committed suicide, reports Australian website Undercover.

A statement on the production duo's website confirms that jazz musician Bricker, who contributed vocals to both 1997's Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi and 2002's Richest Man In Babylon albums, died last month.

The statement reads: "On Sunday, February 20th we lost our long time friend and collaborator Pam Bricker. Pam has been a Thievery Corporation mainstay, (both on tour and in the studio) contributing vocals on the first three Thievery Corporation albums, most notably on the epic Thievery track 'Lebanese Blonde'.

Her class, easy-going nature, professionalism, and her distinct, beautiful voice will be eternally missed. Music fans from DC to Istanbul and everywhere in between mourn her loss, and we mourn with you. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Pam's name to Heifer International, an organisation that she supported".

Pam Bricker, 50, an eclectic singer whose repertoire ranged from playful jazz interpretations to her ethereal vocals for the electronica group Thievery Corporation, was pronounced dead Feb. 21 at her home in Takoma Park.

A spokeswoman for the Maryland medical examiner's office said that Ms. Bricker hanged herself and that the death was ruled a suicide. Ms. Bricker's husband, Gareth Branwyn, said his wife struggled with clinical depression.

Pam Bricker's acclaim grew with Thievery Corporation, which was on the "Garden State" soundtrack.

Pam Bricker was a presence in the Washington music scene since the early 1980s, when she joined the swing vocal group Mad Romance. That provided an enduring musical partnership with founder Rick Harris and led to several well-reviewed albums.

She played at clubs with such notable musicians as guitarist Charlie Byrd, taught at George Washington University's jazz department and, in recent years, joined Thievery Corporation. Her best-known Thievery recording was "Lebanese Blonde," which appeared on the Grammy Award-winning soundtrack for the 2004 film "Garden State."

Former Emmerdale actress Amy Nuttall was mugged last weekend, according to the Sunday Mirror today.

Nuttall, who played Chloe Atkinson on the show, was pushed against a wall by two thieves, who pulled a gold, silver and diamond watch from her wrist.

The incident took place at 10.30pm last Sunday, close to her Notting Hill home. Amy tried to chase the thieves but wasn't able to keep up.

"It was a very frightening experience - and something I don't want to happen to anyone else," Nuttall told the newspaper. "My wrist was bruised in the attack. The watch has great sentimental value and I desperately want it back.

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said, "I can confirm that a woman was a victim of a theft outside a pub. She lost a high-value watch. She was shocked but not injured."

Possible predictions (1/7/05): Phil Collins, Mackenzie Phillips, Candy Clark, Susan Clark, Terence Trent D'Arby. Additional predictions: (1/23/05): Mary Hart.

Telugu film actress Aarti Agarwal was admitted to a Hyderabad hospital after she reportedly consumed a disinfectant.

"She was conscious and coherent when she was brought in. She was resuscitated, monitored closely in the ICU and in the morning, the doctors examined her and decided she was fit for discharge," said Dr K Haridas, Director-medical, Apollo Hospitals.

The grapevine worked overtime speculating on what drove the young actress to take the extreme step. After a rough patch, Aarti's last film Sankranti is doing well at the box office and another big banner movie Soggadu is to be released this Friday.

According to reports, the actress was also depressed over recent rumours linking her to a Telugu movie star.

Film industry watchers say having tasted success it is difficult for 21-year-olds like Aarti Agarwal to take even minor disappointments or setbacks in their stride.

Suresh Babu, who gave Aarti her first break in Telugu films six years ago, says parental aspirations also often weigh down upcoming stars.

"A lot of youngsters today are not focussed on what they want and when they don't get something, they move to these kind of extreme reactions,'' said Suresh Babu, producer.

Aarti is a Gujarati girl who grew up in the US and was crowned Miss New Jersey. That's when the film offers flowed in and she joined the Telugu film industry when she was just 15.

In her statement to the police, Aarti has said that she was depressed over a long period of time as a result of recurrent problems in her personal life.

COMMENTS (3/27/05): Yet another suicide bid. Maybe a seperate page should be created named Celebrity Suicides, Dope Overdoses, and Various Dummy Mishaps.

Possible predictions (1/7/05): Sheryl Lee, LeAnn Rimes, Jamie Lee Curtis, Lee Majors, Lee Trevino, Lisa Kudrow, Beverly Garland, Cicely Tyson, Emily Robinson, Holly Hunter, Kylie Minogue, Lesley-Anne Down, Lesley Ann Warren, Lily Tomlin, Molly Ringwald, Natalie Maine, Sally Struthers, Sally Field, Shelley Duvall, Shelley Long, Shelley Winters, Talia Shire, Yasmine Bleeth, Lauren Holly, Season Hubley, Carol Lynley, Mary Ann Mobley, Joanne Worley, Cloris Leachman, Erika Remberg, Steve Buscemi, Grace Slick, Stevie Nicks. Additional predictions: (0/0/05):

NEW YORK (AP) -- An aspiring actress and playwright whose work explored life's darker sides was shot and killed as she confronted an armed robber during an early-morning street holdup. The robber ran off with his accomplices, police said. No arrests have been made.

Nicole duFresne, 28, had just left a bar in a trendy section of the Lower East Side with her fiance and another couple early Thursday when they were approached by four or five men. Witnesses told investigators that one of the men grabbed for the other woman's purse and duFresne intervened, asking, "What are you going to do, shoot us?" A man then fired one shot at her, police said.

"One of them said, 'Give me your money.' I didn't see he had a gun. I didn't understand what was happening," said Jeffrey Sparks, duFresne's 28-year-old fiance. Sparks, an online music producer, said he pushed the mugger aside and was pistol-whipped on the face. DuFresne died from a gunshot wound to her chest.

The couple, both from Minneapolis, moved to Brooklyn from Seattle two years ago and were to be married in October. A graduate of Emerson College in Boston, duFresne was a founding member of the Present Tense Theater Project and acted with the LAByrinth Theater Co., according to her online resume. She wrote a play called "Burning Cage" with Mary Jane Gibson, who was with her and her fiance at the time of the shooting.

"Burning Cage" is about two women in a Boston asylum who are targeted for clandestine brainwashing experiments with LSD and shock treatments. The play toured in 2002 at fringe theater festivals in Canada and the United States. DuFresne's other play, "Matter," is about an amnesiac whose apartment is taken over by a violent and seductive intruder. It was performed in Brooklyn in 2003.

COMMENT (1/28/05): What a shame ... and what a waste! Such a promising talent so thoughtlessly dispatched like so much garbage.

I think this tragedy also demonstrates that the other Nicole has good reason to be concerned about her safety.

SEOUL (Reuters) - Rising Korean actress Lee Eun-ju, 25, who starred in one of the highest-grossing movies in South Korea's history, has died, apparently after hanging herself with a necktie in a dressing room, police said.

Lee starred in the hit movie "Taeguki," and had been battling depression, her family told Korean media. She apparently killed herself on Tuesday and left a suicide note scrawled in blood, in which she wrote "Mom, I am sorry and I love you," police said.

She suffered a bout of mental illness after performing nude scenes for her role as a sultry jazz singer in the noir Korean crime movie "The Scarlet Letter," her family said. The movie was selected as the closing film last year at one of the biggest film events in Asia, the Pusan International Film Festival.

Lee is best known for her role in "Taeguki," which can be translated as "National Flag." The movie, about brothers who are forced to fight in the Korean War, set an opening-day box office record in Korea and made the rounds of the international circuit.

Lee was considered a rising star in the South Korean movie industry, one of the hottest in Asia. She scored her first major role in the 2000 movie "Oh! Soo-jung" and had graduated from Danguk University a few days before she was found dead.

A South Korean film star is believed to have committed suicide in a bout of depression after appearing nude in a film last year.

Lee Eun Joo, 25, was one of the biggest box office draws in a cinema industry that has taken off in recent years and is winning prizes at art house festivals around the world.

Lee hanged herself, leaving a note in blood addressed to her mother saying: "Mother, I am sorry and I love you."

In last year's The Scarlet Letter, Lee played a night-club singer entangled with a married policeman. Her family said Lee had been suffering from depression since appearing nude in the film, which was released last October. Her managers denied there was a connection.

She may, however, have been the victim of a clash between the new culture of South Korea's film industry and its still generally conservative society.

Fans have speculated that her death might have been linked to the "entertainment X-file", an incriminating document purported to be a list of the affairs, illegitimate children and drug use of the country's leading celebrities, drawn up by an advertising agency wanting to assess their bankability.

COMMENTS (3/2/05): It appears that Lee Eun-ju's suicide was a repeat of the sensational suicide of legendary Shanghai actress Ruan Ling-yu seventy (10x7) years ago. See the base 7 alert on 2005 (Part One).

Possible predictions (1/7/05): Dolly Parton, Annie Potts, Teena Marie, Tina Turner, Chandra West, Karen Westwood. Additional predictions: (1/23/05): Adam West.

Crowded House drummer Paul Hester found dead

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Paul Hester, the drummer from popular 1980s Australian rock band Crowded House, hanged himself in a park in southern Australia, an emergency services spokeswoman said Monday. Hester, 46, had failed to return home after taking his two dogs for a walk on Friday night. The drummer's body was later found in a park near his home in the southern city of Melbourne.

Ambulance officers arrived on the scene shortly after midday Saturday and tried to resuscitate him, but "he was dead when they arrived," Metropolitan Ambulance Service spokeswoman Liraje Memishi said.

Memishi said he had "attempted suicide" and then suffered strangulation. She declined to confirm where Hester's body was found. Reports have said he was discovered hanging from a tree.

Hester played in several small bands before joining the New Zealand group Split Enz in 1983. He and Split Enz singer Neil Finn formed Crowded House in 1985 with bass player Nick Seymour.

Crowded House was one of Australia's most successful bands in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with international hits such as "Don't Dream it's Over" and "Weather with You.

Peter Green, a longtime friend of Hester, reportedly contacted Finn and Seymour after learning of the drummer's death. Green said Hester had experienced "some dark moments," but dismissed media reports that he was struggling with depression or illness at the time of his death. "Paul never said anything about that and I never, ever, heard he was suffering from any illness," he told The Daily Telegraph newspaper for its Monday edition. "Then, after today, I wonder if anybody really knew anything."

Seymour also expressed surprise at the news, telling the paper he had seen Hester in Ireland two weeks ago. "It was all good," Seymour told the paper from Dublin. "The last words Paul told me were: 'I love you, mate. See you in town (Melbourne) in a month.'" Finn, currently touring in London, said he was deeply saddened at the loss of his friend. "I am devastated," he told the paper. "I have lost one of my best mates."

Hester quit Crowded House in 1994, citing the pressures of touring and declining motivation for the group.

He is survived by his girlfriend Mardi Sommerfield and their two daughters aged 8 and 10.

COMMENTS (4/6/05): On second thought, there are a lot of issues that can cause someone to commit suicide at age 46 or older. Personally, I am a bit alarmed at the sheer number of suicides and attempted suicides this year and since autumn of last year. I can't help but to feel the base 7 influences of Sylvia Plath (February 1963), Inger Stevens (May 1970), and Janis Joplin (October 1970), who are all on the current timeline, have much to do with it. Yet, when I compare 2005 with 1998, 1991, 1984, and 1977, I have to conclude that this year is quite possibly the worst suicide year since 1963 and 1970 (and maybe worse than those two when this year is finally over). Thus far, eight females and three males (celebrities) have committed suicide since Nafisa Joseph hanged herself last year, not to mention an extraordinary number of private citizens in the US, UK, India, and Japan. And this does not include the many failed attempts like that of actress Shelley Long (the most famous attempted suicide so far).

Actress Debralee Scott dies at 52

"Uhhhh, let me guess ... Draino?? Lestoil? Listerine? Clue please ..."

AMELIA ISLAND, Florida (AP) - Actress Debralee Scott, who appeared in the sitcom "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" and some of the "Police Academy" movies, has died, her family said. She was 52.

Scott died April 5 at her home in Amelia Island of natural causes, said her sister, Jeri Scott, a talent manager in Beverly Hills. Scott came from a family of show-business insiders.

Her eldest sister, Scott Bushnell, produced many of director Robert Altman's films.

Scott got her first major role at age 22, playing Cathy Shumway on "Mary Hartman." She later played the role of Hotsy Totsy on the show "Welcome Back, Kotter," and acted in 1984's "Police Academy" and 1986's "Police Academy 3: Back in Training."

She had been engaged to John Dennis Levi, a police officer with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey who was killed in the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

COMMENTS (4/13/05): For some reason I always thought she was younger than me, not a bit older. I remember watching "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" vividly. Hard to believe that was 28 and 29 years ago. Another familiar young actor dies from the Three's Company period of television -- what a pity.

"Hello again a Debralee ! ... (This a guy, he a move us all over the place...)"

Opera superstar Luciano Pavarotti has had to reschedule two forthcoming UK appearances due to ill health.

The 69-year-old tenor's 11 June concert at the Madejski Stadium in Reading has been moved to 1 July 2006. His 9 July concert at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire will take place almost a year later, on 8 July 2006.

Pavarotti's spokesperson said he had been forced to move the dates as a consequence of recent neck surgery to repair two vertebrae. The opera star was admitted to Lenox Hill Hospital in New York on 9 March for the neck operation, described as "routine and regular".

"His doctors reported that he recovered very quickly from his operation and have now advised that the second and final stage of this procedure must take place at the beginning of June 2005," said Terri Robson. "This situation requires that Pavarotti will, unfortunately, be forced to move two planned UK concert dates during this period."

All tickets already purchased will be valid for the rescheduled dates. A planned appearance at a tribute concert at London's Guildhall on 7 June is also unlikely, although Pavarotti had not been scheduled to sing at the event. Organisers for the British Red Cross Royal Gala Ball say they are looking into the possibility of a video link-up.

The legendary performer is currently in Kiev, Ukraine, as part of a farewell tour that has already seen him perform in South Africa, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates.

American Head Charge guitarist dead - Bryan Ottoson found in bunk on tour bus

NEW YORK (Billboard) -- American Head Charge guitarist Bryan Ottoson died Tuesday before the group's performance in North Charleston, South Carolina.

According to a spokesperson, the guitarist was found dead in his bunk on the group's tour bus. The cause of death is unknown pending an autopsy.

The Minnesota-based group was in the midst of a North American tour with Mudvayne, Bloodsimple and Life of Agony. Its latest album, "The Feeding," was released in March via Nirus/DRT and peaked at No. 11 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart and No. 15 on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart.

The Mudvayne tour is scheduled to continue tonight in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, but no announcement has been made about the show's status. It is also unclear whether American Head Charge will rejoin the outing at some point.

Possible predictions (1/7/05): Freda Payne, Rebecca DeMornay, Lynn Redgrave, Val Kilmer, Reese Witherspoon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Carrie-Anne Moss, Carrie Fisher, Gloria Estefan, Rex Reed, Al Green, Morgan Freeman, Ben Vereen, Sean Connery, Oprah Winfrey, Marie Osmond, Mary McCormack, Mary Quant, Mary Tyler Moore, Maria Ford, Maria Schneider, Mariel Hemingway, Marianne Faithful, Marion Ross, Tori Amos, Valerie Perrine, Valerie Curtin. Additional predictions: (3/2/05): Ed Norton, Edward Bear.

LOS ANGELES, California (Hollywood Reporter) -- The suicide of a boxer competing in the upcoming NBC reality series "The Contender" won't derail plans for the program, according to the network and its production partners.

Najai Turpin, 23, fatally shot himself in the head early Monday morning in Philadelphia, police said. He was one of 16 boxers vying for the $1 million prize on "Contender," which was produced for NBC by Mark Burnett Prods. and DreamWorks.

The circumstances surrounding Turpin's suicide were unclear immediately after his death, but various reports suggested Turpin was dealing with personal problems. The suicide occurred in a parked car in front of the home of his girlfriend -- with whom he has a 2-year-old daughter -- while she was in the car. Both Turpin's daughter and girlfriend appear on the program, which focuses on boxers' lives in and out of the ring.

The network is sticking to its plan to unveil the series March 7, a spokeswoman said, adding that there are no plans to edit "Contender" footage of Turpin.

Burnett said in a statement that he would set up a trust fund for Turpin's family and that an episode of the series would be dedicated to him. "All of us at 'Contender' mourn the loss of great fighter with tremendous heart and courage," Burnett said. "His death comes as a shock to all of us. We all came to love Najai, and the episode in which he was most depicted will stand as a wonderful testament to who he was -- it will not be changed."

NBC and Sylvester Stallone, who executive produced the series along with Burnett and DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg, also issued statements offering their condolences."Najai embodied the 'Rocky' spirit as a Philly fighter from humble beginnings," Stallone said. "In addition to being a phenomenal fighter in the ring, he was a beautiful person outside the ring."

Turpin's suicide does not represent the first round of publicity "Contender" has engendered before its debut. The reality series was the subject of bitter accusations traded between the broadcast networks and Fox over its similarities with another boxing-themed reality show, "The Next Great Champ."

ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- Edward Patten, a member of the Grammy-winning Gladys Knight & The Pips, died early Friday at a suburban Detroit hospital, said his cousin, another member of the group. He was 65.

Patten, an Atlanta native who lived Detroit, died from a stroke he suffered a few days before, said William Guest.

Gladys Knight & the Pips -- made of Knight; her brother, Merald "Bubba" Knight; and their cousins Guest and Patten -- recorded for Motown from 1966-1973 and for Buddah Records from 1973-77. They later recorded for CBS until breaking up in 1989.

The group, whose hits included "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," "If I Were Your Woman" and "Midnight Train To Georgia," won four Grammys and was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

Patten was one of the founders of Crew Records, based in Detroit and Atlanta, and sang backup for the label's recording artists, Crew spokeswoman Denise Fussell said.

Singer Edwyn Collins has undergone emergency brain surgery after suffering a haemorrhage last month. The 45-year-old Scottish musician's wife Grace Maxwell said the former Orange Juice frontman was recovering and is "as well as can be hoped for". Collins, who also had success as a solo artist, is in a London hospital while his condition is being stabilised.

Ms Maxwell, also Collins' manager, added in a message posted on his website he was "continuing to fight". She also thanked fans and well-wishers for their "loving thoughts", and said she would keep them informed of any developments in the singer's condition.

Collins' biggest hit with Orange Juice was Rip It Up in 1983, which reached number three, and in 1995 he scored a big solo hit with A Girl Like You.

On BBC 6 Music's radio show Roundtable on 18 February, Collins said he had recently been ill. "I suddenly got a horrible sense of vertigo, the room started spinning around and I started puking up," he said. But he put it down to food poisoning at the time, adding: "I'm two days into recuperation and I should be fine."

Collins was a leading figure on the alternative Scottish scene in the late 1970s and 1980s, forming his first band, Nu-Sonics, aged 17. They became Orange Juice, who were independent favourites and briefly broke into the mainstream with Rip It Up. He pursued a solo career with mixed results until A Girl Like You, at the height of Britpop, which was a top 10 hit in seven countries and reached the top 40 in the US.

In 1999, he created and starred in Channel 4 sitcom West Heath Yard, which featured cameo performances from Jarvis Cocker, Natalie Imbruglia and Alan McGee. He surfaced again as a guest on Rolf Harris' album after being impressed by the Australian icon's rendition of A Girl Like You. He had recently turned to producing new bands including Sons and Daughters, The Cribs and Little Barrie.

A compilation of his early songs, The Glasgow School, is due to be released in May.

COMMENTS (3/2/05): Strange. I just noticed the "Wyn" sound. "Ed-Wyn" - "Wynette." Tammy Wynette died from a stroke or cerebral aneurysm. Edwyn Collins appears to be suffering from something similar. Anyway, Sharon Stone and I certainly wish him the best.

No kidding. I recently had a horrid sharp, stabbing, throbbing pain in the back of my head that was getting worse each day. I thought I was having an aneurysm, but the doctor said it wasn't. He put me on Mobic 15 mg a day. I'm much better, but still waiting for the pain to go away completely.

Screenwriter and producer Debra Hill, best known for her work on the 70s horror classic Halloween, has died in Los Angeles aged 54. Hill, who had been suffering from cancer, co-wrote the 1978 film, which starred Jamie Lee Curtis as a babysitter terrorised by a psychopath. Directed by John Carpenter, it made over $60m (£31.3m) worldwide - a record for independent film at that time. Hill also worked with Carpenter on Escape From New York and The Fog.

Born in New Jersey, Hill began her career as a production assistant and worked her way through the ranks, becoming an assistant director and second-unit director before she began collaborating with Carpenter.

She was regarded by many as a pioneering woman in film, taking on jobs in the 70s that were more commonly taken by men. "Back when I started in 1974, there were very few women in the industry," she said in 2003. "I was assumed to be the make-up and hair person, or the script person. I was never assumed to be the writer or producer. I took a look around and realised there weren't that many women, so I had to carve a niche for myself."

Carpenter said that working with Hill was "one of the greatest experiences of my life". "The ground that she trailblazed in the beginning can now be followed by anyone. She was incredibly capable and talented," he said.

Carpenter and Hill collaborated on a number of Halloween sequels, including Halloween II, Halloween: Resurrection and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.

Later in her career, Hill formed a production company with her friend Lynda Obst, making a string of hit films including Oscar nominee The Fisher King and teen comedy Adventures In Babysitting. Other films included the Stephen King adaptation The Dead Zone in 1983 and 1985's Clue, a comedy based on the board game Cluedo. In the 90s she pursued work in TV, although she was reunited with Carpenter in 1996 for Escape From LA, the sequel to Escape From New York.

At the time of her death she was working on a film about the last two men pulled from the rubble of the Twin Towers following the 11 September terror attacks in 2001. She was also co-producing the remake of The Fog, which is due for release early next year.

COMMENTS (3/15/05): It is sad to see Debra Hill, yet another member of the "Halloween" family, die before her time. Another lovable member of the crew and cast who passed away in 1995 was actor Donald Pleasance, whose presence as Dr Loomis always seemed to put this particular series of psycho killer films over the top. You could sort of tell that these people -- Debra Hill, John Carpenter, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Donald Pleasance -- were having a great deal of fun producing the Halloween series. The films, though graphically horrific, were always cutting edge and still seem contemporary to this day.

CAIRO, Egypt (Reuters) -- Ahmed Zaki, one of Egypt's most popular cinema actors for the past 30 years, died on Sunday after a long battle with cancer, state media reported. Zaki, 55, who was admitted to a Cairo hospital in early March, fell unconscious last Tuesday. Doctors treating him said he had lung cancer, which later spread to his liver.

He is best known for his roles in dramatized documentaries, in which he played former Egyptian presidents Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar Sadat, and the blind Egyptian writer Taha Hussein, but he also appeared in comedies and drama. During his illness, he continued to work on a film in which he portrayed popular Egyptian singer Abdel Halim Hafez and he had completed much of the shooting.

His filmography includes more than 50 films, starting with Abna el-Samt (the Children of Silence) in 1974. Early successes included Shafika and Metwalli in 1978 and Iskandaria Leh (Alexandria Why) in the same year, under the direction of Youssef Chahine.

Zaki won universal praise from critics for his ability to assume the identity of a wide range of characters. "Ahmed Zaki was a very rare actor with a very rare talent that only comes once every one hundred, two hundred or even three hundred years," critic Mahmoud Saad said. Critic Tarek el-Shenawy said: "Ahmed Zaki is a very poetic actor who goes beyond the limits of any script or scenario."

Mubarak presented Zaki a state award in 2001 for his well-received portrayal of Sadat, who was assassinated by militant Islamists during an army parade in 1981. But Shenawy said the docudramas on Nasser and Sadat did not allow Zaki to show his full ability. "I think that Zaki performs best when he has the freedom to determine the physical identity of the character," he said. "In both movies, he was limited by the former presidents' appearance. Nevertheless he did a fantastic job," he added.

Collins pictured in his days as lead singer and guitarist of Orange Juice

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Edwyn Collins, the former singer of 1980s British indie band Orange Juice, has contracted the hospital superbug MRSA after having emergency surgery. Collins was recovering from a life-saving operation in February following two brain hemorrhages, when the disease infected a surgical scar.

But his wife, Grace Maxwell, said Thursday 45-year-old Collins had since battled back and delighted doctors at Royal Free Hospital in north London with his progress. She denied reports that the Scot, best known for his 1995 solo hit A Girl Like You and 1983's Rip It Up with his band Orange Juice, was fighting for his life.

She told the Daily Record newspaper: "Edwyn does have MRSA and has had it for a few weeks but he has turned the corner and is now doing absolutely fine. "He contracted it in the wound site as a result of the operation but he received treatment and has come along brilliantly. He has had further surgery to remove the infected tissue and is fighting back, just as he has done all along."

Maxwell said doctors at the hospital were "very happy" with Collins' recovery and his family were hoping he would soon be able to go into rehabilitation.

On Monday she posted a message on the pop star turned producer's Web site saying that Collins was feeling "quite well in himself."

"This infection has been very difficult to get under control, although I'm hopeful we're turning the corner," she said. "In spite of having missed out on weeks of valuable rehab time, he continues to feel quite well in himself and is working as hard as he can in the circumstances. "So he continues to progress at a pace."

In a statement, the hospital said Collins' family had expressed their "gratitude and support" for its care but had asked it not to comment on his condition. "Unconnected to any individual case it is true that hospital acquired infections are always a risk with major surgery," the statement added. "Hospital acquired infections are taken extremely seriously by the trust and robust systems are in place to deal with them. "The Royal Free carries out active surveillance to ensure that any episodes that do occur are promptly and speedily managed."

COMMENTS (5/6/05): Freddie had a 'superbug' too, which killed him. Meantime, Tammy just won't let her Ed-wyn go. Sometimes you just can't "wyn" for losing. Only thing to do is "Stand By Your Man."

Possible predictions (1/7/05): Marvin Hamlisch, Martin Sheen, Marty Balin, Mariah Carey, Marlo Thomas, Martha Hyer, Martin Landau, Martie Maguire, Martha Stewart, Julianne Margulies, Penny Marshall, Steve Martin, Barbara Corday, Barbara Eden, Barbra Streisand, Carmen Electra, Carlos Santana, James Arness, Vikki Carr, Claudia Cardinale, George Carlin, Judy Carne, Kim Carnes, Richard Carpenter, Scott Carpenter, Carlene Carter, Angela Cartwright, Veronica Cartwright, Yvonne DeCarlo, Terri Garr, James Garner, Andrew McCarthy, Jenny McCarthy, Paul McCartney, Vince Vaughn, Vincent D'Onofrio, Linda Lavin, Rebecca Gayheart, Susan Day George, Susan Dey, Geena Davis, Carroll Baker, Mary Chapin-Carpenter, Carol Kane. Additional predictions: (0/0/05):

POMPANO BEACH, Florida (AP) -- Aaron Carter managed to escape serious injury Thursday when the teen pop singer's luxury sport utility vehicle erupted into flames in a bizarre accident, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Carter, 17, was driving his 2004 Cadillac Escalade north to Orlando at about 12:30 a.m. when a mattress came loose from the cargo bed of a delivery truck in front of him, said his spokesman, Brad Zeifman.

Carter drove over the mattress, which got stuck under the sport utility vehicle and caught fire, probably from the heat of the exhaust system. The singer pulled over and escaped the vehicle, then watched it explode in flames, Zeifman said. A friend traveling with him also escaped. Carter and his friend were treated at the scene.

"Everything happened in such a whirlwind," Carter said in a statement released to The Associated Press. "It was like the mattress flew out of nowhere. You think you're invincible when you're behind the steering wheel of an SUV but you're not. I'm OK but you can imagine I'm still in shock."

Carter, the younger brother of Backstreet Boy Nick Carter, has released several albums. He arrived in Orlando for a photo shoot for the cover of his next single, "Saturday Night," due out in March, Zeifman said. State troopers said the delivery truck never stopped.

COMMENT (1/11/05): And so it begins. Aaron Carter nearly ended up a victim of a fiery death, like the one predicted for December 2004. We are terribly close to the vector and will be for some months to come.

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- American actor Christian Slater has escaped a knife attack after a performance of his show in London's West End.

Slater, 35, has been starring in a stage version of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" at the Gielgud theater, which ended a three month season on Saturday.

Media reports said Slater's bodyguard took the brunt of the knife attack, which occurred outside the theater. "A 44-year old man was attacked by a knife which luckily did not penetrate his skin but only his clothes," said a Scotland Yard spokeswoman, adding that a knife was recovered from the scene and that police are continuing to investigate.

The spokesman said police were called to Shaftsbury Avenue in the heart of London's theaterland at 11 p.m. on Friday evening after reports of an attempted stabbing. No comment from Slater's agent was immediately available.

The New York-born Slater, star of films "True Romance" and "Interview with the Vampire," made his UK stage debut last August when "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" played during the Edinburgh Film Festival, before moving to London.

COMMENT (1/28/05): Something about January. Last year someone shot and wounded Ray Davies of the Kinks. But this time I think the murderous impulses are coming from whatever caused Marvin Gaye to be murdered by his father.

LONDON, England (AP) -- A British journalist has been shot dead in the Somali capital by an unidentified militiaman, witnesses said.

The British Broadcasting Corporation confirmed Wednesday that Kate Peyton, 39, an Africa producer for the broadcaster, was shot while accompanied by another BBC journalist who was not injured. It gave no further details. Witnesses said a militiaman shot her outside the Sahafi Hotel in Mogadishu. Peyton underwent surgery at a Mogadishu hospital. The BBC said "it was later reported that she died from internal bleeding."

The reason for the shooting was not immediately clear. There are many militiamen around the Sahafi Hotel because it is where Somali lawmakers are staying as they assess conditions for relocating the government from neighboring Kenya, where it is currently based. The assailant was chased by other militiamen who were guarding Peyton, but got away in a car.

Peyton had arrived in Mogadishu Wednesday morning on assignment from South Africa, where she is based. The BBC said she had arrived with BBC reporter Peter Greste to make a series of reports about the country. "Peter Greste was unharmed," it said.

In a BBC statement released in London, Director of News Helen Boaden said, "Kate was one of our most experienced and respected foreign affairs producers who had worked all over Africa and all over the world. She will be greatly missed, both professionally and personally."

Director-General Mark Thompson added, "Kate had worked for the BBC since 1993 and was dedicated to covering news across the African continent. All our thoughts are with her family and friends at this time."

Somalia has had no effective central government since warlords ousted dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. Then they turned on each other, sinking this nation of 7 million into anarchy. Mogadishu is in southern Somalia where aid agencies have posted few international staff because of security concerns.

COMMENTS (2/10/05): It is possible that this is an early fulfillment of the Jill Dando influence to come in January 2006. It will be recalled that Dando, a television news presenter, was shot by a stalker in January 1999.

Gail Porter 'in suicide bid'

By Paul Marinko, Evening Standard
ThisisLondon

22 March 2005

TV presenter Gail Porter was today
reported to have attempted suicide
after the breakdown of her marriage
to a rock musician.

The 33-year-old former Big Breakfast
and Top Of The Pops presenter
collapsed after taking an overdose
of antidepressants, according to
The Sun. She is believed to have
swallowed about 30 pills and was
also treated for cuts to her wrists
at the Royal Free Hospital,
Hampstead, last week.

An emotional discussion with
husband Dan Hipgrave, 29,
the former Toploader guitarist,
is said to have led to the
overdose. "Gail and Dan tried
to work through their problems
to save the marriage but it
has come to an end" one
friend said.

"She got a bit confused and
was feeling very down over
the break-up. It's horrible
having to deal with things
like who will live where. And
they have a gorgeous daughter."

Porter, who lives in Belsize Park, is said
to have been prescribed the pills for
postnatal depression after the
birth of Honey two years ago.

Hipgrave today played down the
overdose and said Porter had
gone to Disneyland with
their daughter. "That's
not something you'd do if
you were not well," he added.

'Gail tried to commit suicide'

By Beth Hardie, Reporter
icHarrow

Mar 22 2005

Gail Porter was admitted to
hospital after taking an
overdose and trying to
slit her wrists.

According to The Sun, the TV
presenter made the suicide bid
last week after talks between
her and estranged husband Dan
Hipgrave – father of her daughter
Honey, two - broke down.

A friend of the Scottish beauty told
the paper it was a “cry for help”.

They said: “Gail and Dan tried to work
through their problems to save the
marriage but it has finally come to an end.

“She got a bit confused and was feeling
very down over the break-up. They are
both moving on but she found it hard
to deal with all the issues that go
with divorce.

“It’s horrible having to deal with things
like who will live where. And they have
a gorgeous daughter they both adore.”

Gail, 34 tomorrow (Mar 23), admitted
herself to the Royal Free Hospital
in North London.

Her stomach was pumped after she
admitted she couldn’t remember
how many anti-depressants
she had taken. She also had
butterfly stitches in her wrists.

The presenter of DEAD FAMOUS
was released the next day and
referred to the Priory hospital
in South West London.

Former Toploader guitarist
Dan, 29, and Gail have been
married for four years, but
after much media spec-
ulation finally announced the
relationship hit the skids ...

COMMENTS (3/28/05): Yet another suicide bid ... and by Ms 'Dead Famous' herself. Almost earned her title! What the 'ell, considering how many female celebrities have committed suicide since last fall, or have been trying to, maybe there aught to be a special swimsuit issue (a page of which might look something like the above presentation - thanks, Gail!). Eight so far ... four more and there'll be enough for a special 2006 calendar!

Seriously, I think this is the Sylvia Plath/Inger Stevens influence at work with a vengeance.

Possible predictions (1/7/05): Andy Griffith, Andy Williams, Brandy, Mandy Moore, Randy Quaid, Randy Travis, Sandy Duncan, Sandahl Bergman, Tony Orlando, Anne Rice, Sue Ane Langdon, Anna Kournikova, Diana Rigg, Diahann Carroll, Diane Ladd, Diane Lane, Diane Keaton, Diane Sawyer, Diane McBain, Ivana Trump, Joanna Cassidy, Susannah York, Suzanne Somers, Suzanne Vega, Vanna White, Amanda Pays, Lance Bass, Laurie Anderson, Dyan Cannon, Jackie Chan, Rue McClanahan, Jack Palance, Susan Sarandon, Jackie Shannon, Dido, Dee Wallace-Stone, Dee Dee Sharp, Goldie Hawn, Mindy Sterling, Cindy Williams, Woody Allen, Claudine Longet, Billy Dee Williams, Kiki Dee, Sandra Dee, Cat Deeley, David Cassidy, Shaun Cassidy, Dustin Hoffman, Justine Bateman, Honor Blackman, Joan Blackman, Tracy Chapman, Gene Hackman, Sally Kellerman, Jack Klugman, Dennis Rodman, Tracy Ullman. Additional predictions: (0/0/05):

NEW YORK (AP) -- Idina Menzel, the Tony-winning star of "Wicked," fell through a trap door during the Saturday matinee of the Broadway musical and cracked a lower rib.

The show, a prequel to "The Wizard of Oz," was halted for about 45 minutes while Menzel's understudy, Shoshana Bean, prepared to go on as the green-skinned Elphaba, according to Bob Fennell, a spokesman for the musical. Bean also played the Saturday evening performance and the Sunday matinee, which was to have been Menzel's last performance after a more than 16-month run in the show.

In Sunday's final scene, Menzel, wearing a track suit because her injury prevented her from getting into costume, went on stage for about 30 seconds of dialogue and singing. The audience applauded Menzel after a curtain call. "I love you all," Menzel said. "It's been the best year of my life. Thank you."

The accident occurred near the end of the performance at the Gershwin Theatre, during what's known as "the melting sequence," Fennell said Sunday. During the scene, a trap door opened and an elevator that was to have lowered Menzel had already partially descended, according to the spokesman, causing the actress to fall and hurt her side.

"Wicked," based on Gregory Maguire's cult novel, tells the story of two young witches-to-be, one green and brooding, played by Menzel, and the other blond and bubbly, portrayed by Jennifer Laura Thompson. With a score by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman, "Wicked" has been one of Broadway's biggest success stories. In December, the lavish musical recouped its $14 million production costs, 14 months after opening at the Gershwin.

Bean originally was to have assumed the role of Elphaba next Tuesday.Menzel, who won the 2004 actress-musical Tony for her performance, shortly begins filming the movie version of "Rent," in which she will recreate the role of Maureen, the part she played in the original Broadway production alongside her husband, actor Taye Diggs.

COMMENT (1/11/05): The flotsam and jetsam of the new year is still being stirred, so some strange aberrations like "men" instead of "man" are bound to occur. Note the "el" from "Elvis" and stong "dee" from "Andy" and "Kennedy." Idina Menzel and her husband, Taye Diggs, were last reported in December as receiving death threats, so caution is definitely the order of the year.

NOTE: My mistake! Actually "man" is the aberration in "Kaufman." The proper pronunciation of "man" in "Kaufman" is "men" or even "min"!! So "Menzel" is just fine at this location.

SYDNEY, Australia (Reuters) -- Police were investigating a possible bugging attempt on Australian actress Nicole Kidman after a listening device was found across the road from her Sydney harborside home. "At the time this device was found there were media paparazzi, if I may use that term, in the street," police inspector Grant Taylor told reporters Tuesday.

Police had notified the Oscar-winning Hollywood star of the discovery of the device, Taylor said. "She is undoubtedly concerned in regards to why this device may have been placed there and if she is the potential target of this device," he said.

The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that security footage shot from Kidman's home showed a man planting the listening device on Sunday, shortly after she returned home to prepare for a new film, "Eucalyptus," based on an Australian novel of that name.

"We have conclusive evidence that it was planted and this has been captured on video," Noel McMaster, director of Kidman's personal security agency, told the newspaper. "There is no doubt that any information that we were transmitting would have been heard," he said.

Security footage from the star's Sydney home allegedly showed a man planting a listening device.

Police said the listening device was commonly available in electronics stores and was being examined by police.

It was not the first time Kidman has been at the center of a bugging scandal. In 1999, a freelance journalist was convicted in the United States of illegally taping an intercepted telephone call from Kidman to her then husband, actor Tom Cruise, and selling the tape to a tabloid newspaper.

The tabloid newspaper said a woman's voice on the tape could be heard telling a man that their marriage was "hanging by a thread." The couple's 10-year marriage ended in 2001.

LATEST: Actress NICOLE KIDMAN fears photographers will kill her in a car chase - like late British royal DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES.

The COLD MOUNTAIN star has asked a court to serve a restraining order on two photographers after a listening device was discovered near a security van monitoring her Sydney, Australia, home.

And she claims she feared for her life when the same snappers chased her on Sunday (23JAN05) while she was travelling to a family reunion. She alleges the papparazi drove through red lights on the wrong side of the road to get a picture of her, and almost forced her off the road, which has sparked her concerns she could be killed like Princess Diana, who died in 1997 when photographers chased her limousine until it crashed in Paris, France's Pont d'Alma tunnel.

A court statement reads, "She believed she and her driver were going to be involved in a serious motor vehicle accident. "She has cancelled arrangements for her children to stay at her home given her fears for their safety while travelling in a vehicle at this time."

COMMENT (1/28/05): What's going on? Last month Madonna said she was afraid of being shot like John Lennon. Now Nicole Kidman is afraid of being chased into a car crash like Princess Diana. Bad vibes are definitely afoot in 2005, and I think they are still coming from last year, which was the seventh anniversary of Diana's death, the 35th of Sharon Tate's murder, and 42nd of Marilyn Monroe's "suicide" (and more besides that).

I think I'll call this overlap the "Lombard Lag" or the "Tardy Todd" because Carole Lombard died in January 1942 rather than in August/September 1941 and likewise Thelma Todd died in December 1935 rather than August/September 1934. Thus far, those two have been the only late-bloomers on the 1913-2004 timeline. I would pay special attention to Kidman's remarks. Something sinister is really going on in her life and evoking Diana's death is chilling since we are so close to that seventh anniversary still. The one chance she has got is that she is not primarily a blonde, but a redhead most of the time, although she may have been blonde in a few films. The 1913-2004 timeline of tragedy is primarily a timeline of doomed and ultra-famous blonde female celebrities with a few males (one, James Dean, d. 1955, also a blonde) thrown in instead.

COMMENT (1/30/05): My mistake. Kidman is no longer a redhead -- she is a blonde as these latest photos show. Bad timing for Nicole!

Nicole DeHuff, an actress who played Teri Polo's sister in Meet the Parents, has died of causes related to pneumonia. She was 30. The actress died Feb. 16 in Hollywood, four days after she reportedly checked into a Los Angeles hospital, was misdiagnosed and sent home with orders to take Tylenol.

When her condition worsened, she returned to the hospital and was prescribed antibiotics for bronchitis and again sent home. Two days later, paramedics were called to her home after she collapsed, gasping for breath. By the time she reached the hospital, she was unconscious and passed away soon after.

Meet the Parents marked DeHuff's feature-film debut. She played Deborah Byrnes, the sister whose wedding prompts Gaylord "Greg" Focker's (Ben Stiller) visit to girlfriend Pam Byrne's (Polo) childhood home to attend the ceremony and, as suggested by the title, meet the parents. Hilarity ensues. In one of the movie's most memorable scenes, a Speedo-clad Stiller spikes a volleyball into DeHuff's face, breaking the bride-to-be's nose and cementing his own unpopularity.

DeHuff also appeared in 2004's Suspect Zero with Ben Kingsley and in an independent film called Killing Cinderella. She also starred in the as yet unreleased independent film Unbeatable Harold, directed by her husband, Ari Palitz, and costarring Dylan McDermott and Gordon Michaels. On the small screen, DeHuff had roles in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Court, The Practice, Dragnet, Without a Trace and Monk. She also appeared in the TV movie See Arnold Run.

A native of Oklahoma, DeHuff graduated from the Carnegie Mellon University acting program. She is survived by Palitz, her husband of four years, as well as her sister, her mother and her father.

COMMENTS (3/15/05): Yet another warning that celebrity icon Nicole Kidman may be in postive peril of losing her life soon. It seems that Death is working his way up the alphabet: from Nicole duFresne (F) in January to Nicole DeHuff (H) in February. The next letter should be a J (if there is one) or a K (which places Kidman in great danger), quite possibly this month of March or in April.

DAVIE, Florida (AP) -- Danny Joe Brown, the lead singer of the Southern rock band Molly Hatchet, died of complications from diabetes, his family said Monday. He was 53.

Brown died Thursday at his home in Davie, a suburb of Fort Lauderdale, his sister Lyndia Brown said. "He had been in the hospital for about four weeks before he died, and he wanted to come home and he was home for 30 minutes when he died," Lyndia Brown told The Associated Press. "He was surrounded by his children and his wife."

In 1975, the Jacksonville native joined Molly Hatchet, named after a Southern prostitute who allegedly beheaded and mutilated her clients. Brown was frontman for its self-titled album in 1978, which went platinum. In 1979 the next album, "Flirtin' With Disaster," sold over 2 million copies.

Brown left the band in the early 1980s because of his diabetes. After creating his own group, the Danny Joe Brown Band, he rejoined Molly Hatchet in 1982 to participate in the album "No Guts ... No Glory." The was album had limited success and the group eventually disbanded.

Molly Hatchet reunited and toured in 1996 for release of the album "Devil's Canyon."

Brown ended his career after a stroke in 1998, according to reports. "Danny was way more than a singer for a rock 'n' roll band. He was a great brother, a wonderful son," Lyndia said. "He is going to be missed terribly by everybody."

Possible predictions (1/7/05): Elvis Costello, Elton John, Alvin Lee, Alice Cooper, Ellen Burstyn, Elias Koteas, Helen Hunt, Kelly Packard, Stella Stevens, Dawn Wells, Tuesday Weld, Maria Bello, Lori Spelling, James Belushi, Kate Nelligan, Dean Stockwell, Geri Halliwell, Liza Minnelli, Valerie Bertinelli, Priscilla Presley, Jaime Pressly, Billy Preston. Additional predictions: (0/0/05):

LONDON, England (AP) -- Jennifer Lopez is canceling a trip to London and her European concert tour because she's too sick to leave Los Angeles, she said Wednesday.

The actress and singer had been scheduled to attend the British charity premiere of her movie "Shall We Dance?" with co-star Richard Gere, but called off the trip at the last minute.

"I very much wanted to be in London today but unfortunately I'm not well," she said in the statement released in London by Buena Vista International, the movie's distributor. "At the advice of my doctors I'm unable to travel. Being sick has also caused me to cancel my European album tour."

"Please accept my sincerest apologies as I have to remain in Los Angeles," the statement said.

COMMENT (2/18/05): J.Lo's mystery illness is one of several trends that seem to be pointing to serious trouble for Madonna in late February or mid-March. The announcement of evidence of life found on Mars on February 16, the earlier landing of probes on Titan, the Internet Valentine's Day mass suicide by hanging that was thwarted (cult-like), the increasing number of Internet suicide pacts carried out in cars and tents in Japan (cult-like), and the murder of "Germany's Versace," Rudolph Moshammer (artisan) by an Iraqi loner (monk), all point to either a post- late March 1997 period or a post- mid-July 1997 period. These are analogous to the 1997 Mars mission, the Heaven's Gate mass suicide, and the murder of Gianni Versace -- all events that happened shortly before Diana's death on August 31, 1997. Also, Comet Machholz is a weak version of Hale-Bopp or Hyakutake. For some people, J.Lo and Madonna seem cut from the same cloth.

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Jessica Simpson was briefly hospitalized in Chicago for a stomach virus while shooting a segment for "The Oprah Winfrey Show," the singer's spokesman said Tuesday.

Simpson, 24, became dehydrated and was admitted to the hospital Monday, said her spokesman, Brad Cafarelli.

She has since returned to Los Angeles and is "feeling better," his statement said.

The Oprah segment -- "Red Carpet Makeovers with Jessica Simpson" -- is scheduled to air Friday, two days beffore the Academy Awards. Other stars who will appear in the segment include actress Lara Flynn Boyle and singer Ashanti.

COMMENTS (3/2/05): Must have been that same tummy flu Whitney had. Was this report really necessary??

Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 11

New Sound Systems

2005 Sounds

Crowded House drummer Paul Hester found dead

Actress Debralee Scott dies at 52