EXPECTING
Kiss singer Paul Stanley, 56, and his wife, Erin, 36, will round out
their family with another little rocker this winter. Baby No. 2 will
join their son, Colin, 2; Stanley also has a 14-year-old son from a
previous marriage.
BIRTHS
Clay Aiken, 29, is a new dad: His friend and producer, Jaymes Foster,
50, gave birth to their son, Parker Foster Aiken, on Aug. 8 in North
Carolina.... It's also a boy for fellow American Idol alum Bo Bice, 32,
and wife Caroline, 27. Caleb James joined big brother Aidan, 2, on Aug.
5 in Nashville.... Country singer Clay Walker, 38, and wife Jessica are
new parents: Son William Clayton arrived Aug. 5 in Texas.
REHIRED
Usher, 29, is working again with a familiar manager: mom Jonnetta
Patton, 51. The singer stopped working with his mother in May '07,
before seeing disappointing sales for his latest album, this year's Here
I Stand.
SPLIT
Dixie Chicks singer and multi-instrumentalist Emily Robison, 35,
finalized her divorce from singer Charlie Robison, 43, on Aug. 6 in
Texas. The couple, who wed in 1999, have three children together....
Former tennis pro Pam Shriver, 46, filed divorce papers against George
Lazenby, 68, in L.A. on Aug. 6. Both Shriver and the onetime James Bond
are seeking custody of their three children.... Morgan Freeman, 71, is
ending his 24-year marriage to Myrna Colley-Lee, 67. Divorce proceedings
were under way before Freeman's Aug. 3 car accident. The Dark Knight star was released from the hospital on Aug. 7; he'll be wearing a neck
brace for six to eight weeks.... Kevin Pollak (Shark), 50, filed for
divorce from Lucy Webb, 50, on Aug. 7 in L.A. The couple separated in
2005 after nine years of marriage.
COURTS
Producer Johnny Vieira sued High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens,
19, for over $5 million on Aug. 11 in L.A. Vieira claims the Disney
actress owes him money from a 2005 profit-sharing agreement, plus
damages.... Hancock director Peter Berg, 46, was sued on Aug. 6 in L.A.
by the parents of a crew member who died during the filming of 2007's
The Kingdom. Assistant prop master Nick Papac died at age 25 from
injuries sustained in an August '06 accident involving an SUV in which
Berg was a passenger; parents Mike Papac and Michele Bell are seeking
reimbursement for funeral and medical costs, plus damages.... On Aug. 8
in L.A., Richard Dreyfuss, 60, sued his father, Norman, and uncle
Gilbert. The actor claims that he lent his relatives $870,000 in 1984
and was never repaid.
DEATHS
Howard Minsky, 94, who was nominated for an Oscar for producing 1970's
Love Story, of natural causes, Aug. 10, in Palm Beach, Fla....
Playwright Simon Gray, 71, whose celebrated works include Quartermaine's
Terms and Butley, of an aneurysm, Aug. 7, in London.... Archie Comic
Publications chairman Michael Silberkleit, 76, of cancer, Aug. 5, in
NYC. Silberkleit worked at the kids' comics house for six decades....
Writer and actor George Furth, 75, of undisclosed causes, on Aug. 11, in
Santa Monica. Furth co-wrote the musical Company with Stephen Sondheim,
and had memorable small roles in such films as Butch Cassidy and the
Sundance Kid and Blazing Saddles. — with additional reporting by Beth Johnson
A NEW SUIT FOR SUGARLAND
The country duo climbed to No. 1 this month with their third album, Love
on the Inside, but the view from the top wasn't all sweet. Cofounding
singer Kristen Hall, 45, claims in a lawsuit filed on July 29 that
frontwoman Jennifer Nettles, 33, and guitarist Kristian Bush, 38, have
reneged on their agreement to share profits with her after she left the
band in late 2005. Hall is asking for more than $1.5 million. In a
statement, Sugarland's lawyer called the suit ''totally baseless and
without merit.'' — SVL
LEGACY
Bernie Brillstein (1931-2008)
In his 53-year career, Brillstein, who died Aug. 7 of pulmonary disease
in L.A., managed John Belushi, Lorne Michaels, and Gilda Radner, among
others — and never had a contract with any of them. ''It was always a
handshake,'' says Saturday Night Live creator Michaels. ''He had an
unshakable faith in the people he chose to represent.'' Brillstein got
his start in 1955, working in the William Morris Agency mailroom by day
and attending secretarial school at night. ''We had to learn shorthand
and typing because when the assistants were sick, we used to fill in,''
explains fellow mail clerk George Shapiro, now manager to Jerry
Seinfeld. It's no surprise, then, that Brillstein was promoted to agent
at WMA and later, in 1969, formed the Brillstein Company, where he
helped launch The Muppet Show and SNL. In 1991, he and protégé the Brad Grey
formed Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, which produced shows like The
Sopranos and Real Time With Bill Maher. ''He was an innovator and a
wonderful guy, and it is absolutely the end of an era,'' says Grey, who
now heads Paramount. ''I'm going to miss the laughs.'' In his 1999 memoir,
Where Did I Go Right?, Brillstein joked that his tombstone should read:
''Bernie Brillstein: From Hee-Haw to Dangerous Liaisons.'' — Vanessa Juarez
