AirTran signs Elton John

AirTran signs Elton John
ATLANTA -- Elton John's frequent flier miles are about to skyrocket. An image of the globe-trotting rock star will begin appearing this week on 20 AirTran Airways jets to promote the launch of satellite radio at each passenger seat, the company said. "The traffic controller this morning was calling it Elton One," AirTran spokesman Tad Hutcheson said Monday. AirTran, which is based in Orlando, Fla., uses Atlanta as a hub. The airline says the XM Satellite Radio systems will offer more than 100 channels of news, music, weather and entertainment. The airline wouldn't disclose details of its arrangement with the 57-year-old entertainer, who has a home in Atlanta and typically commands millions of dollars for corporate endorsements. But AirTran said it plans to give him a 6-foot-long model of a jet and a $50,000 check for the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
McConaughey's grand role
NEW YORK -- Matthew McConaughey has been selected as the grand marshal for the Daytona 500. The 35-year-old actor will give the command, "Drivers, start your engines," at the Feb. 20 race in Florida, NASCAR announced Monday. "I'm honored and excited to be the grand marshal of this year's race," McConaughey said. "There is nothing more American than NASCAR and the Daytona 500. McConaughey, whose screen credits include "Dazed and Confused" and "The Wedding Planner," stars in the upcoming thriller "Sahara," based on a novel by Clive Cussler. Previous Grand Marshals include Ben Affleck last year and John Travolta in 2003. Ashton Kutcher will be the honorary starter of this year's race. The 47th annual Dayton 500 kicks off the NASCAR season.
Kristin Davis gets pilot
NEW YORK -- "Sex and the City" co-star Kristin Davis may return to TV not as a desperate housewife, but a highly curious one. Davis will star in an ABC one-hour pilot tentatively titled, "Soccer Moms," reports Hollywood Reporter. The potential series centers on two suburban housewives who team up as private investigators. A publicist for Davis confirmed the agreement Tuesday. If picked up, the show would be ABC's second foray into the secret lives of seemingly domestic women. The network's "Desperate Housewives" has been one of the season's biggest hits. Davis, 39, played Charlotte York on "Sex and the City." The HBO series ended last year.
Aguilera's fashion acclaim
LONDON -- Apparently Christina Aguilera's 1920s flapper look hasn't helped her land on any on the best-dressed lists. The pop singer was named Glamour magazine's worst-dressed in the magazine's annual fashion list, according to a report by Agencia EFE, an online Spanish news wire. The London-based magazine consults with stylists and more than 8,000 reader-submitted votes to compile its list, with supermodel Kate Moss at No. 1.
Notable death
DETROIT -- Karl Haas, a radio personality who for more than half a century shared his love of classical music with listeners around the world, died Sunday at William Beaumont Hospital in the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak. No cause of death was given for Haas, who was 91. Haas' syndicated program, "Adventures in Good Music," for many years attracted the largest audience of any classical music radio program in the world and was carried by hundreds of stations in the United States, Canada, Australia, Mexico and Panama and on Armed Forces Radio.
Today's birthdays
Actress Kathryn Grayson is 83. Television journalist Roger Mudd is 77. Actress Janet Suzman is 66. Actress-politician Sheila James Kuehl ("The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis") is 64. Singer-songwriter Carole King is 63. Actor Joe Pesci is 62. Singer Barbara Lewis is 62. Author Alice Walker is 61. Actress Mia Farrow is 60. Singer Joe Ely is 58. Actress Judith Light is 56. R & amp;B musician Dennis "DT" Thomas (Kool & amp; the Gang) is 54. Actor Charles Shaughnessy is 50. Country singer Travis Tritt is 42. Actress Julie Warner is 40. Country singer Danni Leigh is 35. Actor Jason George is 33. Actor David Gallagher is 20. Actress Marina Malota is 17. Actress Camille Winbush ("The Bernie Mac Show") is 15.