It's really over, Cher says

It's really over, Cher says
LOS ANGELES -- It's over. Finally. During her show Saturday night at the Hollywood Bowl, Cher said the concert was really the last on her perhaps-now-ending, never-ending, 325-stop, three-year farewell tour. "I'm approaching 80," she quipped, "and if I did that thing everyone does, come back in five years, I'd be driving around in one of those carts. You know, the ones with the joysticks you see in Costco." The evening started with the standard opening song, a cover of U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," and featured belly dancers, a dancing elephant, and four giant screens showing clips from the diva's entire career, including the Sonny Bono years in the '70s and clips of Cher with Carol Burnett, Ray Charles, Elton John, David Bowie and the Muppets. "This truly is it," Cher said.
Are Timberlake and Diaz getting hitched?
LONDON -- More static this week about an imminent transcendent event between two of the nation's best and brightest: Rumor that Justin Timberlake, 24, and Cameron Diaz are about to tie the knot. Brit tab News of the World has said that an aide to Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne leaked the news, saying the cuddly heavy-metal couple will miss their spawn Kelly's gig in London on Saturday because they'll be at Justin's nuptials. It's supposedly to be at exclusive Grand-Hotel Du Cap-Ferrat in the south of France, where the lovers first met two years ago while on pilgrimage to the Cannes Film Festival. Justin's rep says "no comment" to the New York Post, while E!Online quotes a rep for Cam calling the report "totally false." Meanwhile the duo has cemented another kind of union: Justin will star opposite Diaz in "Shrek 3" (due out in May '07). He's to enunciate the role of a young King Arthur. She voices Shrek's wife, Princess Fiona.)
Smiths set for BET honors
NEW YORK -- Will Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, will host the 2005 BET Awards telecast June 28. Denzel Washington and his wife, Pauletta, will receive the humanitarian award, and Gladys Knight will be honored with a lifetime achievement award during the ceremony at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Calif. Nominations for the BET Awards, which honor achievement in music, entertainment and sports, will be announced May 16.
Kristofferson inducted into Country Hall
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has two new inductees: singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson and former industry executive Jim Foglesong. The two received awards Sunday after musical salutes from artists including Ray Price, Guy Clark, Vince Gill, Billy Joe Shaver, The Oak Ridge Boys, T. Graham Brown and Garth Brooks. Kristofferson, 68, has written hits such as "Help Me Make It Through the Night," "Me and Bobby McGee" and "Sunday Morning Coming Down." A Rhodes Scholar, Kristofferson also is a successful actor with roles in movies such as "A Star Is Born," "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" and "Payback." Foglesong, 82, was president of the Nashville divisions of ABC Records, MCA and Capitol. He now teaches at Vanderbilt University.
Louise Mandrell ends show
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. -- Louise Mandrell has decided to end her long-running show. The country singer and younger sister of Barbara Mandrell has performed for eight years at her theater in Pigeon Forge. She is selling the facility to David Fee and Jim Hedrick, who operate The Comedy Barn and Black Bear Jamboree theaters nearby. Mandrell, 50, plans to move back to Nashville to spend more time with her husband, who has been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder. "I want to spend time together while he's pain free," she said. The buyers have not determined what type of entertainment they will offer at Mandrell's theater.
Today's birthdays
The president of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, is 77. Jazz musician Maynard Ferguson is 77. Opera singer Roberta Peters is 75. Jazz musician Ron Carter is 68. Rock musician Dick Dale is 68. Singer-songwriter Nick Ashford is 63. Actor Paul Gleason is 61. Pop singer Peggy Santiglia (The Angels) is 61. Country singer Stella Parton is 56. Actor-turned-clergyman Hilly Hicks is 55. Singer Jackie Jackson (The Jacksons) is 54. Country singer Randy Travis is 46. Actress Mary McDonough is 44. Comedian Ana Gasteyer is 38. Rock musician Mike Dirnt (Green Day) is 33. Rock musician Jose Castellanos is 28. Singer Lance Bass ('N Sync) is 26.