NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

Library of Congress to honor Carole King

WASHINGTON

Carole King has a friend in the Library of Congress. She’s the first woman to win the library’s Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

In her five decades of songwriting, King’s hits have included “You’ve Got a Friend,” “So Far Away” and “[You Make Me Feel Like] A Natural Woman.” The library said Thursday that King will be the fifth person to receive the prize. Prior recipients include Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney.

Librarian of Congress James Billington says King’s work has been recorded by many artists to communicate universal human emotions like love, joy and pain.

King will receive the prize in the spring and says in a statement that she looks forward to performing in Washington. Honorees are typically saluted at the White House.

Adele, Carly Rae top music of 2012

NEW YORK

It may be 2012, but it’s a repeat of 2011 for Adele: Once again, she has the year’s top-selling album on iTunes.

Her “21,” which recently passed the 10 million mark in sales, topped the list even though it was released at the top of 2011. It remained popular this year, particularly after she nabbed six Grammys in February.

In the world of apps, “Angry Birds Space” was king of the top-paid iPhone and iPad apps, while those looking for freebies made YouTube the top iPhone app and Skype the most popular iPad app.

Elsewhere, the top-selling movie was “The Hunger Games”; the best-selling TV show was an episode of “The Walking Dead” from season three; and the top TV series purchased for a season and a season’s pass was “Downton Abbey,” season two.

George Wendt joins Broadway’s ‘Breakfast’

NEW YORK

George Wendt will play Holly Golightly’s husband when “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” hit the Broadway stage next year.

The play, a return to the story by Truman Capote, will star Emilia Clarke of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” in the role Audrey Hepburn made famous in 1961 movie.

Performances at the Cort Theatre begin March 4.

Wendt, former “Cheers” dude-at-the-bar Norm Peterson, is no stranger to the stage.

He was last on Broadway as Santa in a musical made from the Will Ferrell film “Elf.”

He also slipped on Edna Turnblad’s housecoat in Broadway’s “Hairspray” beginning in 2007, and was in the Tony Award- winning play “Art” in New York and London; he starred in the national tour of “12 Angry Men”; and appeared in a production of David Mamet’s “Lakeboat.”

Vindicator wire services