Gospel singer George Beverly Shea dead at 104

(Reuters) - George Beverly Shea, a gospel singer with a deep baritone voice who teamed with Billy Graham for more than 60 years, died on Tuesday after a brief illness, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association said. He was 104.

Shea, was born in Ontario, Canada, where his father was a Wesleyan Methodist minister. He first sang for Graham in 1943 and joined the first of Graham's city-wide crusades in 1947, the association said.

"Bev was one of the most humble, gracious men I have ever known and one of my closest friends," Billy Graham said in a statement announcing his death. "I loved him as a brother."

Shea recorded more than 70 albums and received 10 Grammy Award nominations, winning one in 1965. He also received a lifetime achievement award from the organization in 2011.

He was a member of the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame and the Religious Broadcasting Hall of Fame and was inducted into the inaugural class of the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists' "Hall of Faith" in 2008.

Shea, who lived in North Carolina, is survived by his wife, Karlene, and his children from his first marriage, Ronald and Elaine. His first wife, Erma, died in 1976.

(Reporting by David Bailey in Minneapolis; Editing by Paul Simao)

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One year after death, music legend Levon Helm returns in documentary

By Iain Blair

(Reuters) - Levon Helm, drummer and singer of root rock group The Band, left behind more than a lifetime of music when he died of cancer a year ago.

The four-time Grammy winner also left a documentary film portraying his career, family and friendships that opens in New York City on Friday, exactly a year after his passing.

"Ain't In It For My Health," directed by Jacob Hatley, was begun five years ago and takes an intimate look at the music legend, combining archival footage and photos with interviews with friends, family, collaborators and Helm himself on his farm and home in Woodstock, New York, called "The Barn."

Helm died of cancer on April 19, 2012, at the age of 72, after playing in various versions of The Band until 1999, launching a solo career, acting and fighting back from a first bout of throat cancer in 1998 that robbed him of his voice for a time.

Rolling Stone magazine ranked him in 2008 as one of the 100 greatest singers of all time.

Longtime Helm collaborator and musician Larry Campbell said Jacob "was like a fly on the wall, filming Levon's daily life and all of us around him as we worked on music and tried to get his career back on track."

Campbell, who first met Helm in the 1970s, told Reuters the musician "was coming out of a bad financial period, a bad health period, as he'd already battled cancer once, and we all banded together to help him. And (the film) gives a great sense of his personality and magnetism."

SEE WHAT HAPPENS

Those elements provide the driving force behind the film as Helm works on music, reminisces, visits doctors and drives his tractor around his farm where he performed regular "Midnight Ramble" concerts with artists such as Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris and Dr. John.

"No one had to persuade him to do this," said Campbell, who co-produced with Helms' daughter Amy the singer's 2008 comeback album, "Dirt Farmer," which earned a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album.

"Amy called me and said, 'Come up to the house, let's play some music and see what happens.' That was the genesis of the project, and the idea was just to focus on Levon's musical roots.

"There was no pressure, no deadline, and Levon loved being on camera. He was a real natural, as you can see in the movies he did, like 'Coalminer's Daughter.' So making this film was very much his idea," Campbell said.

The film isn't all sweetness and light, however, and it doesn't hide Helm's bitterness about The Band's eventual breakup and legacy, and his falling out with Robbie Robertson.

"I wasn't there, but he felt very strongly that the five members were all equals, and that guitarist Robbie Robertson ended up making all the money," Campbell said.

"I only heard Levon's side of the story, but he claims that Robbie didn't write all those songs by himself, and that between Robbie, the management and record companies, he was just convinced they'd all gotten completely screwed."

"I don't have an opinion about that," Campbell said. "But I do know that - apart from all his huge talent as a musician - Levon had this amazing depth of thought, which I only began to appreciate over the past decade.

"He was a really smart guy and thought a few steps ahead - but ironically he didn't live that way. He'd think ahead, but only live in the moment.

Campbell described "Ain't In It For My Health" as "definitely bittersweet for me."

"He dodged more bullets than anyone I've ever known in terms of his health, and it all just caught up with him in the end. He was a guy who never did what he was supposed to, and he'd always do what he wasn't supposed to do. That was Levon."

"Ain't In It For My Health" opens on Friday in New York City and then in select U.S. movie theaters.

(Reporting by Iain Blair in Los Angeles, editing by Jill Serjeant and Lisa Shumaker)

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Oprah, Usher, Mayer honor Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees

By Piya Sinha-Roy

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A star-studded crowd gathered to celebrate the 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees on Thursday, as Oprah Winfrey and Usher gathered to pay homage to the likes of Donna Summer, Quincy Jones, Randy Newman and Rush.

Disco queen Summer, producer Jones and comedy-rock singer Newman were inducted along with Canadian progressive rock band Rush, blues guitarist Albert King, hip hop pioneers Public Enemy, rockers Heart and veteran producer Lou Adler.

Television personality and media mogul Winfrey, who said she was discovered by veteran R&B producer Jones when he cast her in "The Color Purple" in 1985, praised his decades-long career, during which he launched stars such as the late Michael Jackson.

"He defines the word legend, he is remarkable and everybody knows it," Winfrey said.

"I continue to be amazed at what goes on in his head ... he's of this time and so far ahead of this time," she added as she present Jones, 80, with his induction trophy.

"Queen of Disco" Summer, who died last May aged 68, was inducted by singer Kelly Rowland, who praised Summer's career for paving the way for female artists

"Her words remind us of exactly who we are," she said.

Summer's husband and daughters were on hand to accept her trophy and singer Jennifer Hudson got the crowd on their feet singing Summer's hits "Bad Girls" and "Last Dance".

Newman, 69, kicked off the night with "I Love LA", joined on stage by musicians Tom Petty, Jackson Browne and John Fogerty and later performed his songs "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" and "I'm Dead" with former Eagles member Don Henley.

Henley, who inducted Newman, criticized the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for its delay in including Newman, calling it "one of those inductions long overdue, in fact, shamefully overdue."

Newman was less critical, saying he was "glad" to be inducted while he was still alive.

"I always wanted to be respected by musicians ... it means a great deal to me that the people I respect are giving me respect," Newman said.

TRIBUTE TO THE BLUES

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter John Mayer paid homage to late pioneering American blues guitarist Albert King, who died in 1992 aged 69.

"The blues is in every undercurrent of the music that I play ... Albert is forever embedded in that music," Mayer said.

Seattle rockers Heart, fronted by sister duo Nancy and Ann Wilson, were inducted by Chris Cornell and performed their hits "Barracuda" and "Butterfly".

"Equality is coming right along. For us, music is the real church, it's a life calling, it's bigger than men and women put together, music makes us all equal and human," Nancy said.

Canadian progressive rockers Rush had the largest number of fans in the Nokia theater, receiving rousing standing ovations as they were inducted by Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins.

The night's longest speech went to Public Enemy's eccentric rapper Flavor Flav, who giggled and rambled as he talked about the influence of his group's music.

Public Enemy - comprising rappers Flavor Flav, Chuck D, Professor Griff and DJ Lord - were influential in bringing a political and social conscience to hip hop in the 1980s.

"We all come from the damn blues. Let's not get it twisted. We studied the forms of music in DJ culture ... we've always known and paid respect to where music comes from," Chuck D said.

The hip hop collective also sampled music from Summer, Jones and Rush as they performed their tracks "Bring The Noise", "911 is a Joke" and the seminal "Fight The Power".

To be eligible for induction in 2013, a candidate must have released their debut album or single at least 25 years earlier. The ceremony will be televised on HBO on May 18.

The eight inductees were chosen by some 500 voters of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, which includes past inductees and for the first time, allowed fans to vote.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Elaine Lies and Pravin Char)

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Prince Harry to join expedition to the South Pole

LONDON (Reuters) - Prince Harry, Britain's third in line to the throne, will take part in a race to the South Pole alongside wounded British servicemen and women, he announced on Friday.

The 208-mile (335-km) trek to the South Pole will see Britain's Royal compete against teams from the United States and Commonwealth countries.

"As a member of the British team, I will have a brew (tea) on ready for you when you join us at the Pole," he said in a speech, referring to participants from other countries.

Harry took part in a 2011 expedition to the North Pole organized by the same charity. Describing qualities he said he admired in his fellow participants, he said: "Physical strength, endurance, a sense of comradeship, absolutely.

"But there's something else, something deeper than that. Something that continues to draw me back to this charity and these people time and again - and always will."

(Reporting By Costas Pitas; Editing by Maria Golovnina)

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Kim Kardashian, Kris Humphries settle divorce, avoid trial

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Reality television star Kim Kardashian and NBA basketball player Kris Humphries have finally settled their divorce, avoiding a trial that was set for next month, a Los Angeles County Superior Court spokeswoman said on Friday.

Judge Hank Goldberg approved the divorce settlement for the couple, who broke up after just 72 days following their made-for-TV wedding in August 2011.

Celebrities usually settle their divorces through negotiation rather than at a trial that can fuel publicity.

Humphries, 28, had been demanding an annulment, alleging that Kardashian, who cited irreconcilable difference when filing for divorce, had no intention of keeping to the marriage, which was filmed as part of her reality show.

Terms of the divorce were not made public. Kardashian, 32, attended the hearing, but Humphries, who plays for the Brooklyn Nets, did not.

Kardashian's publicist declined to comment on the settlement. Humphries' spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The socialite started dating rapper Kanye West in April last year and is now about six months pregnant with her first child.

The divorce will be Kardashian's second. She was married to music producer Damon Thomas for four years, separating in 2004.

Kardashian, who stars with her sisters in reality show "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," also has a clothing line and several product endorsements, and was the most-searched person on the Yahoo! website in 2012.

(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Mohammad Zargham)

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British comedian Dawn French marries for a second time

LONDON (Reuters) - British comedian Dawn French, who plays "The Vicar of Dibley" in the award-winning television comedy, has married for the second time, her publicist said on Monday.

French, 55, married charity worker Mark Bignell at the Scarlett Hotel near Newquay in Cornwall, south west England, on Saturday. The hotel describes itself as a luxury, eco venue overlooking the ocean.

Her first marriage, to comedian Lenny Henry, ended in 2010 after 25 years. The pair have an adopted daughter, Billie.

Besides the Emmy-winning "Vicar of Dibley", French is best known for her comedy collaboration with Jennifer Saunders in the popular long-running BBC comedy "French & Saunders".

Bignell is the chief executive of Hamoaze House which helps recovering drug and alcohol abusers reintegrate into society.

(Reporting by Belinda Goldsmith, editing by Paul Casciato)

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Khloe Kardashian out as "X Factor" co-host

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Reality TV star Khloe Kardashian will not be returning to "The X Factor" after just one season as co-host of the TV talent show.

Fox television on Monday announced that presenter and actor Mario Lopez would return for a second season but the statement made no mention of Kardashian.

An "X Factor" spokesman said Kardashian, 28, who with her California socialite sisters Kim and Kourtney rose to fame in "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," would not be returning when the U.S. version of the singing competition returns in September.

"We really enjoyed working with her and wish her all the best in the future," the spokesman said.

Kardashian, one of the most popular faces on U.S. television, was brought in by "X Factor" creator Simon Cowell last year as part of a revamp that included the hiring of singers Britney Spears and Demi Lovato as judges after a disappointing first season in 2011.

A source close to the show said Kardashian, who had no previous experience as a TV host, was not asked to renew her contract.

Spears quit after one season and her replacement has yet to be named but Lovato will be back in September.

Kardashian married basketball player Lamar Odom in 2009, and the pair got their own spinoff show. She has more than 8 million followers on Twitter and has been in the news for several months over the couple's efforts to have a baby.

Lopez, a former actor, is the co-host of entertainment magazine show "Extra" and radio show "On with Mario Lopez." He is also an author of several fitness books.

"I'm thrilled Mario is back for Season Three of 'The X Factor,'" Cowell said in a statement. "Hosting a live show and keeping the judges - especially Demi - in line, is not an easy job, but Mario is a pro and we are glad he's coming back."

Fox is a unit of News Corp

(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Kenneth Barry)

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Malaria turns comedy's Richard Curtis from laughter to tears

By Barbara Lewis

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Brussels and Washington are the two great lobbying capitals of the world, where campaigners talk themselves hoarse trying to shift the political dial.

Some of them have had the fortune to recruit British director and screenwriter Richard Curtis, whose powers of persuasion move hearts as well as minds.

Known for his romantic comedies, such as "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "Notting Hill", Curtis has turned his hand to a didactic tragedy - "Mary and Martha" - being screened across the globe to coincide with world malaria day on April 25.

"You could take a simple story and take it straight into the heart of politics," he told a Brussels audience of lobbyists, politicians and representatives of the European Commission.

"Mary and Martha" tells the story of two mothers, one American (played by Hilary Swank), one British (played by Brenda Blethyn), who lose their sons to malaria then lobby Washington politicians to try to prevent other mothers losing their children too.

For the developed world, theirs is an exceptional tragedy. In Africa, death from malaria is a daily occurrence. The continent accounts for the vast majority of the well over half a million annual deaths from a preventable and treatable disease.

Curtis, who wrote the screenplay, is appalled that a quirk of geography can be so unjust.

"If 650,000 children in Europe were going to die this year of one disease - if it were only 6,000 - everything would be stopped to do something," he said. "I can't understand why this tiny bit of geography should make it not matter."

Brussels says it is listening.

European Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs met Curtis and said the European Commission would honor a pledge of 330 million euros ($430 million) for the Global Fund, set up by world leaders to tackle malaria, AIDS and tuberculosis.

But after the current funding period, 2011-2013, there might be "a lower budget than expected", Piebalgs said in a speech.

Over the coming weeks, EU member states and parliament are likely to freeze development spending - meaning a real-term cut - when they sign off on a seven-year financing plan for 2014-20 agreed after lengthy and difficult talks.

Curtis has a long track record in combining worthy causes with making people laugh. He helped to found British charity Comic Relief, set up in response to famine in Ethiopia in 1985.

Comic Relief, uses humor to raise funds to tackle poverty and social injustice and Curtis told his Brussels audience his foray into tragic script-writing did not mean he had given up on comedy.

"I have been getting more reflective as I get older, but I hope I have a couple of jokes in me too," he said.

($1 = 0.7674 euros)

(Additional reporting by Charlie Dunmore, editing by Paul Casciato)

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Kuwait author wins Arabic book prize for tale of foreign workers

LONDON (Reuters) - Kuwaiti author Saud Alsanousi has won the 2013 International Prize for Arabic Fiction for his portrayal of the lives of foreign workers in Gulf countries in "The Bamboo Stalk".

The 31-year-old Alsanousi became the youngest winner in the $50,000-prize's six-year history for the story seen through the eyes of Issa, the son of a Kuwaiti father and a Filipina mother.

"All the judges agreed on the superior quality of this novel, both artistically and also in terms of its social and humanitarian content," the panel's chair Egyptian writer Galal Amin said in a statement on Tuesday.

On returning to his father's homeland as an adult, Issa finds himself in a difficult position.

Rather than the mythical country his mother has described to him, he discovers he is caught between the natural, biological ties he shares with his father's family and the prejudices of a traditional society, which views a child of Kuwaiti-Filipina heritage as socially unacceptable.

Alsanousi's work has appeared in a number of Kuwaiti publications, including Al-Watan newspaper and Al-Arabi, Al-Kuwait and Al-Abwab magazines and he currently writes for Al-Qabas newspaper. He wins $50,000.

His first novel "The Prisoner of Mirrors" was published in 2010 and in the same year won the fourth Laila al-Othman Prize, awarded for novels and short stories by young writers.

Alsanousi beat five other finalists for the prize. Each finalist, including the winner, will receive $10,000.

The other finalists were Iraqi Sinan Antoon for "Hail Mary", Tunisian Houcine El Oued for "His Excellency the Minister", Lebanese author Jana Elhassan for "Me, She and the Other Women", Saudi Mohammed Hasan Alwan for "The Beaver" and Egyptian Ibrahim Issa for "Our Master".

The prize is supported by the Booker Prize Foundation in London and funded by the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, which marks its first year as the new sponsor in 2013.

(Reporting by Paul Casciato; Editing by Alison Williams)

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Michael Jackson wrongful death trial set to get underway Monday

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The civil trial over the death of Michael Jackson is set to get formally underway next week after jury selection was completed on Tuesday in the $40 billion case that pits the pop star's mother against concert promoters AEG Live.

Six alternate jurors were chosen on Tuesday following the selection a day earlier of a jury of six men and six women for what is expected to be an emotional three-month trial.

The conclusion of the month-long search for a jury set the stage for opening statements to begin in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday.

Jackson's 82-year-old mother, Katherine, is suing AEG Live, the promoters of his never-realized series of 2009 London comeback concerts, for the wrongful death of her son.

The lawsuit alleges AEG Live was negligent in hiring Dr. Conrad Murray to care for the singer while he rehearsed for a series of 50 shows.

AEG Live contends that it did not hire or supervise Murray and that Jackson was addicted to prescription drugs for years before he agreed to do the "This Is It" London concerts.

The concert promoters also argue that they could not have foreseen that Murray, who was convicted in 2011 of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death, posed a danger to the singer.

Jackson, 50, died in Los Angeles on June 25, 2009, from a lethal dose of the surgical anesthetic propofol that Murray was administering for sleep problems. Murray, who is not being sued, formally appealed against his criminal conviction on Monday.

Potential witnesses in the civil trial include Jackson's mother, his two oldest children, Prince, 16, and Paris, 15, as well as Murray, singers Prince and Diana Ross, and Jackson's ex-wives, Lisa Marie Presley and Debbie Rowe.

Katherine Jackson and her son's three children are seeking some $40 billion in damages from privately held AEG Live for loss of the singer's earnings and other damages. The final amount will be determined by the jury should it hold AEG Live negligent.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Eric Beech)

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