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It’s a boy for country star Jo Dee Messina
It’s a boy for country star Jo Dee Messina
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Country singer Jo Dee Messina and her husband have announced the birth of their first child, a boy.
Craig Campbell, the singer’s spokesman, says Noah Roger Deffenbaugh was born Monday afternoon at a Nashville-area hospital. He weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces.
Messina, 38, and Chris Deffenbaugh were married in October 2007. Messina’s hits include “Bye, Bye” and “Bring on the Rain.”
Coroner: ‘Idol’ fan committed suicide
LOS ANGELES — A coroner in Los Angeles has found that an “American Idol” hopeful found dead outside Paula Abdul’s home committed suicide with prescription drugs.
Assistant Chief of Coroner Ed Winter says Paula Goodspeed died in November of a prescription drug overdose. The report didn’t specify which drugs.
Officials had suspected suicide, but the coroner’s office had been waiting on toxicology tests. Winter said Goodspeed did not leave a note.
Goodspeed was panned for her “Proud Mary” performance at a season five audition. She said she was a huge fan of Abdul’s and created life-size paintings of her. Abdul has recently backed off criticism of “Idol” producers, who she had claimed put Goodspeed on the air despite warnings that she was obsessed.
Warner Bros. cuts 800 jobs
LOS ANGELES — Time Warner Inc.’s Warner Bros. Entertainment movie studio says it is eliminating nearly 800 jobs, or 10 percent of its global work force.
Most of the jobs will come out of the studio’s headquarters in Burbank, Calif., in a mix of layoffs, the elimination of open positions and outsourcing.
About 300 jobs in information technology and accounting are being outsourced through French company, Capgemini, and some of the jobs will move to India and Poland.
About 100 of those back office positions will be offered to current employees who will continue to be based in Burbank.
Warner Bros. says the cost savings will be substantial.
‘Housewives’ star’s spouse has cancer
NEW YORK — A representative for Marcia Cross says the husband of the “Desperate Housewives” star, stockbroker Tom Mahoney, has been diagnosed with cancer and is responding well to treatment.
Publicist Heidi Slan didn’t provide further details Tuesday.
Cross and Mahoney were married in June 2006. They have 23-month-old twin daughters, Eden and Savannah.
The 46-year-old Cross portrays Bree on the ABC show.
Today’s birthdays
Actress Ann Wedgeworth (“Evening Shade”) is 75. Blues singer Snooks Eaglin is 73. Singer Richie Havens is 68. Jill Eikenberry is 62. Guitarist Jim Ibbotson of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is 62. Singer-songwriter Billy Ocean is 59. Actor Robby Benson is 53. Actress Geena Davis is 53. Rapper Levirt of B-Rock and the Bizz is 39. DJ Chris Kilmore of Incubus is 36. Singer Emma Bunton (Baby Spice) of the Spice Girls is 33. Singer Nokio of Dru Hill is 30.