Fri, February 13, 2009
INTRO: The Anna Nicole opera
MOREINFO: The latest celebrity and entertainment headlines including Country Music Award nominations, an opera about Anna Nicole Smith and The Fray's number one album.
SCRIPT:
Brad Paisley, who just won two Grammys, got a leading six nominations for the Country Music Awards including a nod for the coveted entertainer of the year trophy. Former "American Idol" champ Carrie Underwood, who received a Grammy on Sunday, was nominated for three awards and was the sole female entry for entertainer of the year. The awards are handed out in Las Vegas on April 5.
Bob Marley's family has teamed up with a private equity group to handle licensing of the late Jamaican reggae legend's likeness. They will handle trademarks and themes on retail products ranging from apparel to video games. Among the possible products to be licenses are shoes, food, collectibles, luggage, musical instruments, and stationery.
The line between opera and soap opera just got a little fuzzier. Britain's Royal Opera has announced that it is planning a show based on the life of Anna Nicole Smith. The company says the libretto will be written by a co-creator of an opera of similar fare: "Jerry Springer: The Opera" The Anna Nicole storyline is due to run in the Royal Opera's 2011 season.
The Fray earns its first No. 1 album on the Billboard charts with its sophomore self-titled Epic album. The Colorado based rock act's previous album, "How To Save a Life," made it only as high as No. 14. Last week's No. 1, Bruce Springsteen's "Working on a Dream", slipped to No. 2 in its second week with a 55% sales hit.
