newsmakers

October 6, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

newsmakers

Ozzy covers Lennon for 70th milestone

NEW YORK

John Lennon would have been 70 this week, and who better to honor his legacy in song than ... Ozzy Osbourne? Yes, Ozzy Osbourne. The Black Sabbath heavy-metal king has made a cover of Lennon’s “How,” available on iTunes to benefit Amnesty International. Osbourne says Lennon was a “driving force for humanity.” He also credits the Beatles as the inspiration for his musical career. A video for the song is debuting on AOL’s PopEater.com.

‘Bored’ star’s dog gets cameo on show

NEW YORK

Jason Schwartzman’s dog had the face for TV — just not the back for it. Schwartzman stars in HBO’s offbeat detective comedy “Bored To Death,” and show creator Jonathan Ames says he wanted to have Schwartzman’s French bulldog, Arrow, in the show. Ames liked Arrow because of his “incredibly beautiful, crushed, tormented face.”

Unfortunately Arrow has a bad back and was not up to the rigors of acting. So they cast another dog in his place.

Arrow did have a cameo in the show, though.

Edward Kennedy’s son writing memoir

NEW YORK

Rhode Island U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, son of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, is writing a memoir. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt announced Tuesday that Kennedy’s “Coming Clean” is planned for next fall. The publisher says Kennedy, who has struggled with depression and alcohol and drug addiction, will write “a truly revealing, intimate portrait.” The 43-year-old Democrat is retiring from Congress after serving eight terms.

Thieves swipe glasses from author Franzen

LONDON

Book ’em? American author Jonathan Franzen decided instead to give a thief freedom.

The novelist declined to press charges after his glasses were swiped at a launch party for his acclaimed new novel, “Freedom.”

Franzen’s British publisher, 4th Estate, on Tuesday confirmed the story that first appeared in The Bookseller magazine’s website.

The Bookseller says the thieves crashed the party, claiming to work for a publisher; one then grabbed Franzen’s spectacles; the other gave him a note asking for $100,000 for their return. The thieves legged it, but one suspect was detained briefly by police, who returned the glasses.