Springsteen, Billy Joel in concert for Obama

Springsteen, Billy Joel in concert for Obama

WASHINGTON — Rock stars Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel are teaming up for their first joint concert to benefit Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Obama plans to attend the concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on Oct. 16, the day after Obama’s final debate with Republican John McCain at Hofstra University, located several miles outside the city in Hempstead, N.Y.

Seeing the two superstars together won’t come cheap. Tickets start at $500 and range up to $10,000.

The event was first reported by the Huffington Post Web site and confirmed by an Obama aide.

Director, Donovan to appear at festival

WOODSTOCK, N.Y. — Director Kevin Smith and ’60s troubadour Donovan will make appearances at the ninth annual Woodstock Film Festival this week.

The festival runs Wednesday through Sunday at venues in Woodstock, New York, and nearby Kingston, Rosendale and Rhinebeck.

More than 120 films will be featured.

Honorary awards will be presented to Smith, cinematographer Haskell Wexler and veteran writer-producer James Schamus, chief executive officer of Focus Features.

Smith’s new movie, “Zack and Miri Make a Porno,” will be shown on closing night. Opening night will feature “Pride and Glory,” “Happy-Go-Lucky” and “Flash of Genius.”

Donovan will perform and appear on a panel.

Billy Joel helps pay for clam-digger’s funeral

BAYVILLE, N.Y. — Billy Joel, who has championed the cause of Long Island, New York, fishermen in songs such as “The Downeaster Alexa,” is helping with the funeral expenses for a clam-digger whose body was found not far from the singer’s mansion.

The body of Edwin Flores was found floating off a Long Island Sound beach in Lattingtown on Monday, six days after he was reported missing. The Nassau County medical examiner has confirmed the man’s identity and says an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.

Joel, who has a house in nearby Centre Island, says he has made a donation to the North Oyster Bay Baymen’s Association to help Flores’ family with funeral and other expenses. He has declined to say how much he donated.

Unknown painting by Brueghel is found

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — A previously unknown work by 17th-century painter Pieter Brueghel the Younger has been discovered in an elderly woman’s possessions, a Dutch art television program announced Tuesday.

The small, circular painting — 6.7 inches (17 centimeters) in diameter — portrays a farmer and his wife resting against a tree, and is estimated to be worth around euro100,000 ($143,000), the program “Between Art & Kitsch” said.

The owner bought the painting from an antiques dealer in 1950 for 100 guilders, around euro650 ($925) in today’s money, program spokesman Rob Schwitters said.

The painting, dated to approximately 1620, also bears Brueghel’s signature on the trunk of the tree.

The Dutch television program lets amateur collectors have their trinkets examined and valued by an expert appraiser.

Today’s birthdays

Actor James Whitmore is 87. Pianist Roger Williams is 84. Actor Tom Bosley is 81. Actress-singer Julie Andrews is 73. Saxophonist Jerry Martini of Sly and the Family Stone is 65. Actor Stephen Collins (“Seventh Heaven”) is 61. Actor Randy Quaid is 58. Singer Youssou N’Dour is 49. Actor Esai Morales (“NYPD Blue”) is 46. Actor Christopher Titus (“Titus”) is 44. Model-actress Cindy Margolis is 43. Singer-guitarist Kevin Griffin of Better Than Ezra is 40.