Affleck misses movie premiere

Affleck missesmovie premiere
NEW YORK -- Ben Affleck missed the London premiere of "Jersey Girl" this week because he was hospitalized in Boston for severe bronchitis, his New York-based publicist confirmed Friday.
The 31-year-old actor had been hospitalized at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center but was now recuperating at his Boston home, Ken Sunshine told AP Radio.
The London screening of the film, directed by Kevin Smith, took place Wednesday night. "Jersey Girl," which included a cameo by Affleck's former fiancee, Jennifer Lopez, reaped just $8.3 million in its March debut.
Creed breaks up,3 go on without Stapp
NEW YORK -- The spiritually inclined band Creed, whose anthemic hits "Higher" and "With Arms Wide Open" helped them become one of the top-selling rock acts of the past decade, has called it quits.
Three former Creed members immediately announced they were forming a new band -- minus singer Scott Stapp -- but were quick to say it was not "just Creed with a different singer."
Creed's three albums sold a combined 24 million copies in the United States. While many critics dismissed them as pale Pearl Jam imitators, Creed members used that as creative fuel and laughed all the way to the bank.
Lyricist Stapp grew up with a strict religious upbringing and often explored those topics in song. At one point five of the first eight queries on the "frequently asked questions" section of the Florida-based band's Web site dealt with Christianity, including "Is Creed a Christian band?"
The band always said no.
Stapp and guitarist Mark Tremonti were longtime friends and songwriting partners whose relationship soured in the past couple of years, as Tremonti explained in a recent interview with MTV.com.
That caused tension in the band. "There was a lot more drama," drummer Scott Phillips told The Associated Press on Friday. "It wasn't necessarily created by anyone in particular. It just stopped being fun."
Musician returnsbass player's guitar
WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- Nearly 40 years after he lost it, Rolling Stones bass player Bill Wyman has one of his guitars back, thanks to a New Zealand musician.
Wellington music maker and business consultant Nick Sceats airfreighted the bass to Wyman two months ago after discovering that it belonged to the rock star.
Now, Wyman has sent a note to Sceats, thanking him for the bass that he thought he'd lost forever, local media reported Friday.
"It doesn't look too bad for wear and tear, considering what it has gone through and the traveling it has done over the years," Wyman wrote in the letter, excerpts of which were printed in Wellington's Dominion Post newspaper.
"Once again, thank you. Your kindness was well appreciated," he said.
The rare guitar, called a Wyman bass, was one of a small number that the manufacturer Vox made in the 1960s, and the only Vox guitar adorned with an endorser's name: Wyman.
It's still unknown how the 67-year-old rocker lost the guitar in Wellington in 1966 on tour with the Rolling Stones.
Sceats, who had the guitar in his possession for 15 years, said it was known among local musicians as the "legendary Wyman bass." So he wrote Wyman saying he had a bass guitar which may have belonged to him, and offering to return it.
Sceats said he was stunned when Wyman wrote back to say it was definitely his, and that he would love to have it back.
Today's Birthdays
Broadcast journalist Bill Moyers is 70. Rhythm and blues singer Floyd Butler (Friends of Distinction) is 63. Country singer Don Reid (The Statler Brothers) is 59. Rock musician Fred Stone (Sly and the Family Stone) is 58. Rock singer Laurie Anderson is 57. Rock musician Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden) is 50. Jazz musician Kenny G is 48. Rock singer Richard Butler (Psychedelic Furs) is 48. Singer Brian McKnight is 35. Rock musician Claus Norreen (Aqua) is 34. Actor Mark Wahlberg is 33. Actor Chad Allen is 30. Rock musician P-nut (311) is 30.
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