Tyler Perry, Mary J. Blige to be honored by BET

December 21, 2008 at 12:00a.m.

NEW YORK — Tyler Perry and Mary J. Blige are among the luminaries BET plans to celebrate at its second annual BET Honors.

The successful filmmaker and the R&B queen are set to join Magic Johnson, dance pioneer Judith Jamison, style guru B. Smith and South Carolina Congressman James E. Clyburn on Jan. 17.

The awards will air on the network Feb. 7. They are part of BET’s festivities for the inauguration of President-Elect Barack Obama. BET is putting on its first inaugural ball that will air on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20.

Fox plans musical aimed at youngsters

NEW YORK — The Fox network is making a musical comedy, a somewhat unusual project for prime-time television.

Fox said Tuesday it had ordered 13 episodes of “Glee,” a scripted series about a high school teacher trying to transform a glee club into a national power. The characters include a diva-in-training, a nerdy soprano and a quarterback who tries to stay cool while singing. At least three musical numbers will be performed in each show.

‘Today’ in prime time

NEW YORK — Four hours in the morning apparently isn’t enough. NBC’s “Today” show is going prime-time, for one night only.

Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, Al Roker and Ann Curry will host a one-hour review on Dec. 22 of the year’s biggest news events. It won’t be strictly serious; the show will include big moments in pop culture and “Today” show bloopers. It’s the first time they’ve tried something like this in more than a decade.

Stars line up to play New Orleans festival

NEW ORLEANS — Now hear this: Aretha Franklin, Dave Matthews, James Taylor and Tony Bennett are among the acts that will play at the 2009 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

The outdoor musical fete spans seven days over two weekends — April 24 to 26 and April 30 to May 3. Organizers announced the lineup Tuesday.

Some of the other performers will include Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Wynton Marsalis, Jimmy Buffett, Sugarland, Pete Fountain, Joe Cocker, Ben Harper, Earth, Wind and Fire, Wilco and the Neville Brothers. Diana Krall, Tim McGraw, Santana and the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band also are set to perform.

Today’s birthdays

Talk show host Phil Donahue is 73. Actress Jane Fonda is 71. Actor Samuel L. Jackson is 60. Tennis Hall-of-Famer Chris Evert is 54. Actress Jane Kaczmarek is 53. Country singer Lee Roy Parnell is 52. Actor-comedian Ray Romano is 51. Actor-comedian Andy Dick is 43. Actor Kiefer Sutherland is 42. Actress Karri Turner is 42. Country singer-musician Rhean Boyer (Carolina Rain) is 38. Country singer Luke Stricklin is 26.