Los Angeles -- Jennifer Hudson, the U.S. singer whose mother, brother and nephew were slain this year, is set to perform at the upcoming MusiCares Person of the Year gala.

Hudson's brother-in-law has been charged with the October triple homicide.

Variety.com said Hudson is on the bill for the Feb. 6 MusiCares event, during which Coldplay and other Grammy nominees are to perform the songs of Neil Diamond and an auction will be conducted to raise money to give people in the music industry who need it financial, medical and personal assistance.

Held in Los Angeles during Grammy week, the MusiCares show will also feature appearances by Adele, Foo Fighters, Josh Groban, Raul Malo and Tim McGraw, Variety.com said.

People magazine noted this will be the first time Hudson performs in public since the three members of her family were gunned down, allegedly by her sister's estranged husband.

Los Angeles -- U.S. reality television personality Spencer Pratt stopped his courthouse wedding to Heidi Montag, stating he knew it wasn't her dream ceremony, E! News said.

The couple, who are famous for appearing on "The Hills," eloped to Mexico last month and exchanged vows, then headed to a Beverly Hills courthouse when they got home to make the out-of-country union legal.

However, E! said Spencer interrupted the second ceremony, which was filmed for Monday's season finale of "The Hills," and said he wanted to give Montag her fantasy wedding -- one in which her family would be invited.

Montag's relatives reportedly were upset they weren't asked to attend Pratt and Montag's ceremony in Mexico.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.

Los Angeles -- U.S. actress Maria Bello is developing and set to star in a new HBO crime series, Variety.com reported Tuesday.

Bello's screen credits include "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" and "The Jane Austen Book Club." She also was part of the cast of "ER" for two seasons in the mid-1990s.

The actress has signed on to be executive producer of the as-yet-untitled, hour-long drama series, in which she will play a woman who begins a life of crime after her husband is killed, ultimately involving her three teenage sons in her shady dealings, the entertainment industry trade newspaper said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.

London -- A 1973 cassette tape, featuring audio of an intoxicated John Lennon singing "Just Because," has been sold for $30,000 at an auction in Los Angeles.

The BBC said the six-minute recording of Lennon's cover of Lloyd Price's song was taped during Lennon's "lost weekend" period -- the 18 months when Lennon was estranged from his wife Yoko Ono and moved from New York to Los Angeles.

The tape featured "slurring warbling" and "debauched lyrics" uttered by "a drunk Lennon," auction house Bonhams and Butterfields said. The recording has never been played in public.

Neither the seller, nor the winning bidder have been identified, the BBC said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.

Los Angeles, United States, December 23: 2008 presidential candidate, Former Tennessee Senator and actor Fred Thompson is set to ride the radio waves now. The ‘Law & Order’ star turned presidential candidate, will start hosting a two-hour show in March, taking the place of ‘The Radio Factor With Bill O’Reilly.’

Los Angeles -- The U.S. Screen Actors Guild said Monday it would postpone a strike vote while it tries to reconcile differences between pro-strike and anti-strike members.

The union had planned to mail ballots Jan. 2 for a strike authorization vote, with results tabulated by Jan. 23. However, the issue have been contentious within SAG, and Doug Allen, the union's national executive director and chief negotiator, posted a message on the guild's Web site Monday saying members of the board were concerned "about the organized opposition to SAG's vote 'yes' campaign to encourage members to authorize" a strike.

"While almost 100 high profile members and 2,524 total members have endorsed the strike authorization vote mandated by the National Board, more than 100 high profile actors and 1,373 actors have lent their names to the opposition campaign," he said.

Stockholm, Sweden -- Sweden's Queen Silvia says she isn't planning a big official bash to mark her 65th birthday Tuesday, nor is she planning to retire any time soon.

"There won't be any grand birthday party. We are going to meet in the evening with the family and Princess Christina (the sister of Sweden's king Carl XVI Gustaf) and her family," Queen Silvia told the Swedish news agency TT.

Asked if she plans to slow down now that she has reached the traditional age of retirement, the royal replied: "I don't know that I have time for that.

Sometimes I think that I would like to have more time for myself and my family and I would also like more time to travel around Sweden. I have mixed feelings on retirement and sometimes I think it would be nice. But, on the other hand, I feel that I have so much more to give of my experiences. ...

New York -- U.S. pop star Miley Cyrus has signed on to star in a prime time New Year's Eve special, MTV has announced.

"FNMTV Presents: A Miley-Sized Surprise ... New Year's Eve 2009" will see Cyrus taking over a fan's home for the televised event, featuring performances by Metro Station, All Time Low, The Academy Is..., Kevin Rudolf and Cyrus herself, the network said.

The special is to air live Dec. 31 from 8-9:30pm ET, with an encore presentation at 10:30pm ET to include a live countdown to midnight from Times Square.

"After Miley surprises the lucky fan by showing up on her doorstep, they'll spend the day hanging out together, participating in activities for the fan's favorite charity, and visiting with friends," MTV said in a news release. "Miley will be showering her with gifts and treats throughout the festivities. Let's just say it'll be a giant 'Miley-sized' surprise like no other when the party begins, including performances by Miley from the winning fan's bedroom, another featuring Metro Station and more!"

Los Angeles -- Hollywood's Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers says it hopes to reach a new agreement with the Screen Actors Guild in early 2009.

"The last year has surely been a challenging one, but after long sessions of hard bargaining, all of the guilds and unions in our industry, except one, have reached new labor agreements," AMPTP said in a statement Monday.

"These agreements contain meaningful economic increases and first-ever new media rights and residuals," the group added. "We are proud to have made such important agreements even as the national economic crisis has worsened almost by the day. We sincerely hope that, before too much time passes in 2009, we will also reach a labor agreement with the Screen Actors Guild. For that reason, we are continuing to urge SAG members to study the producers' offer at AMPTP.org, and make an independent decision as to whether it makes sense to strike over a deal that will raise wages, raise benefits, add new residuals and establish jurisdiction in new media for the first time."

London -- Representatives for New Zealand-born actor Russell Crowe and British director Ridley Scott deny reports saying the frequent collaborators aren't getting along.

The pair have worked together on "Gladiator," "A Good Year" and "American Gangster" and are set to reunite on a retelling of the Robin Hood tale called "Nottingham" in March.

The New York Post said rumors have been swirling that there is tension between the two since their recent film "Body of Lies" bombed at the box office and Crowe reportedly has been pressuring George Freeman, the William Morris agent who represents both him and Scott, to get the director fired from "Nottingham."

"Ridley is the only one who is willing to stand up to Russell and tell him he's too fat and that he can't show up four hours late to the set," a source told the newspaper. "(Russell) wants someone he can control."