Tonight’s the knight: Rod Stewart becomes Sir Rod at palace
Rocker Rod Stewart donned tartan trousers – a nod to his Scottish heritage – and a scarlet-trimmed military-style tunic to be knighted by Prince William at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday. The raspy-voiced singer of Maggie May and You Wear It Well was honoured “for services to music and charity.” The 71-year-old singer will be able to call himself Sir Roderick David Stewart. Stewart said he and the prince “talked about music, and he said ‘It’s great that you’re still going’ and I said: ‘I have to – I’ve got eight children!’”. Stewart was joined by wife Penny Lancaster and sons Alastair, 10, and Aiden, 5, for the investiture ceremony. When the award was announced by Queen Elizabeth II earlier this year, Stewart said it was “a monumental honour”. He added: “I thank her majesty and promise to ‘wear it well’”. – AP
Clint Eastwood to direct film on kidnapped American aid worker
Actor-filmmaker Clint Eastwood will reportedly direct the film adaptation of Impossible Odds, an autobiography by Jessica Buchanan, the American humanitarian aid worker who was kidnapped by Somali militants and later rescued by a Navy SEALs team in 2012. The memoir was written by Buchanan, her husband Erik Landemalm and Anthony Flacco, and tells how Buchanan travelled to Somalia to help children, only to be kidnapped by militants and held for ransom for 93 days. In recent times, Eastwood has shown keen interest in films about ordinary people who are thrown into extraordinary situations, including box office hits like American Sniper and Sully, which is currently showing in UAE cinemas. – IANS
Michelle Williams might star in Janis Joplin biopic
Actress Michelle Williams is reportedly in talks to star as the iconic rock star Janis Joplin in Canadian director Sean Durkins biopic Janis. Producer Peter Newman has long held rights to a good portion of Joplin's catalogue and a large collection of written materials, which will be used to create a depiction of the last six months of her life, according to website variety.com. Joplin was a rock n' roll icon in the 1960s who rose to fame with Big Brother and the Holding Company, and later as a solo artist, before dying of a drug overdose in 1970 at the age of 27. – IANS
Ex-wife Mayte added to Prince tribute concert in Minnesota
Prince’s ex-wife Mayte Garcia has joined the line-up for the Thursday, October 13, tribute concert honouring the late Purple Rain megastar in St Paul. Other newly announced performers include former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, Portuguese fado singer Ana Moura - whom Prince would feature in international performances - and Prince’s former bandmate Andre Cymone. Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera, Chaka Khan, John Mayer and Tori Kelly are among the stars already lined up for the concert that is sanctioned by Prince’s family. Prince died of an accidental painkiller overdose at his Paisley Park recording complex in April. – AP
MS Dhoni biggest earning biopic in Indian cinema
MS Dhoni - The Untold Story, a film based on the life of cricket star Mahendra Singh Dhoni, has minted over Rs 112 crore since its release on September 30, becoming the biggest earning biopic in Indian cinema, claim its makers. The film, directed by Neeraj Pandey, narrates Dhoni's journey from the lanes of Ranchi to his becoming the captain of the Indian cricket team. Vijay Singh, CEO of producers Fox Star Studios, said: "MS Dhoni – The Untold Story is now the highest earning biopic ever made (in Indian cinema). This goes to show the love people have for Mahi and how they have been discovered, adopted and promoted the film." The film stars Sushant Singh Rajput in the title role, and also features Kiara Advani, Disha Patani and Anupam Kher. – IANS
Founder of vintage girl group The Dixie Cups dies
Joan Marie Johnson, one of the founding members of the New Orleans girl group, The Dixie Cups, who had an influential US number one hit in 1964 with Chapel of Love, has died at a hospice in New Orleans. She was 72. Johnson, who was only with the group for its first few years because she was diagnosed with sickle-cell anaemia, died of congestive heart failure October 3, according to former bandmate Barbara Ann Hawkins. Chapel of Love, written by Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry, supplanted the Beatles's Love Me Do in the pop charts. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame later included it in the 500 Songs that Shaped Rock & Roll. – AP
Priyanka Chopra in hot water over magazine shoot
A social media storm has broken out over a T-shirt flaunted by Priyanka Chopra for an international magazine cover shoot. Mixing messages about refugees, immigrants and travellers, the stunt has provoked a sharp response from fans, prompting a spokesperson from Condé Nast Traveller to step forward. The magazine issued an official statement on Tuesday saying the message was misinterpreted. "At Conde Nast Traveller, we believe that the opening up of borders and the breaking down of walls can help us discover the world, and open up our minds and hearts," said the statement. "So, when we had actress Priyanka Chopra wear a T-shirt we created on the cover of our sixth anniversary issue, we had a point to make. And it's not about privilege. or fashion." The actress, who features in American TV series Quantico, wore a white tank top that read "Refugee, Immigrant, Outsider, Traveller" with all but the last word crossed out for the cover. – IANS