McCartney, Houston, Dylan lead Grammy Hall of Fame inductees

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Music by Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Elton John and late singers Whitney Houston and James Brown will be inducted into the 2013 Grammy Hall of Fame, The Recording Academy said on Wednesday.

Paul McCartney & Wings' 1973 album "Band on the Run," long credited with reigniting McCartney's career following the Beatles' split in 1970, was one of the 27 new inductees into the Grammy Hall of Fame, on display at the Grammy Museum in downtown Los Angeles.

Houston's self-titled 1985 debut album was also named an inductee, following the singer's sudden death aged 48 in February this year. Australian hard-rock band AC/DC's top-selling 1980 "Back in Black" album was also named a new entry.

The Recording Academy, which also runs the Grammy awards, picks songs and albums from all genres that are at least 25 years old, with either "qualitative or historical significance" to be considered annually for the Grammy Hall of Fame by a committee.

"Memorable for being both culturally and historically significant, we are proud to add (the 2013 inductees) to our growing catalog of outstanding recordings that have become part of our musical, social and cultural history," The Recording Academy President and CEO Neil Portnow said in a statement.

As well as albums, the Grammy Hall of Fame also includes songs of historic and cultural significance and the inductees for 2013 see a range of classic American songs.

Iconic Dylan song "The Times They Are A-Changing" from 1964, R&B singer Ray Charles' 1961 tune "Hit the Road Jack," Rat Pack star Frank Sinatra's 1980 "Theme from 'New York, New York'", and 'Godfather of soul' James Brown's 1965 classic "I Got You (I Feel Good)" were all honored.

Other 2013 inductees include Elton John's 1970 self-titled second album and American debut, Billy Joel's 1973 hit "The Piano Man" and Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton's 1953 R&B classic "Hound Dog," later covered by Elvis Presley.

(Reporting By Eric Kelsey; Editing by Piya Sinha-Roy and Andrew Hay)

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Justin Bieber will not face charges from paparazzo run-in

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Teenage pop star Justin Bieber will not face charges for an alleged altercation with a man who was taking photos of him at a suburban shopping center in May, Los Angeles prosecutors said on Wednesday.

Deputy District Attorney Mara McIlvain said in a report there was "insufficient evidence for proof beyond a reasonable doubt" that the Canadian singer scuffled with paparazzo Jose Hernandez-Duran before leaving the shopping center with his girlfriend, actress Selena Gomez.

The photographer accused Bieber, 18, of leaving a van to kick him in the abdomen and punch him in the face. Officials called to the scene in Calabasas, 30 miles west of Los Angeles, found no apparent injury or trauma to the photographer.

A later doctor's evaluation indicated "minor swelling" to the photographer's right cheek and "redness" on his lower abdomen but labeled the injuries "superficial."

McIlvain's report indicated that Bieber became frustrated when photographers obstructed his vehicle as he attempted to leave the shopping center. He then left the vehicle, charged at Hernandez-Duran and fell after taking a swing at his camera.

Witnesses told investigators they could not determine if Bieber had struck Hernandez-Duran, who kept on taking photos of the singer after the incident. They said the photographer was approached by a lawyer soon after the run-in.

McIlvain said there were no photos of a scuffle between Bieber and Hernandez-Duran, even though many photographers were present.

Bieber's publicist could not immediately be reached for comment.

The pop star swept the American Music Awards on Sunday, winning three, including the top prize of the night, and performed live during the show.

(Reporting By Eric Kelsey, editing by Piya Sinha-Roy and David Brunnstrom)

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"Big Bang Theory" star Mayim Bialik tweets pre-Thanksgiving divorce plans

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Things are bound to be a little tense around the dinner table at Mayim Bialik's house this Thanksgiving.

Bialik is divorcing her husband of nine years, Mike Stone, the "Big Bang Theory" star announced via her twitter account Wednesday.

The actress, 36, tweeted a link to a blog post about the split with the message, "I'm beating the tabloids to it and posting this Divorce Statement."

The post itself says that the pair decided to divorce "after much consideration and soul-searching," and cites irreconcilable differences as the reason for the breakup.

Bialik and Stone have two sons, 7-year-old Miles and 4-year-old Frederick, together.

"Divorce is terribly sad, painful and incomprehensible for children. It is not something we have decided lightly," Bialik wrote in her blog post. "The hands-on style of parenting we practice played no role in the changes that led to this decision; relationships are complicated no matter what style of parenting you choose."

The actress added, "Our sons deserve parents committed to their growth and health and that's what we are focusing on."

Bialik's post concludes, "We will be ok."

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Narnia author Lewis to be honored at Poets' Corner

LONDON (Reuters) - "Chronicles of Narnia" creator C.S. Lewis will be honored next year with a memorial stone in Poets' Corner at Westminster Abbey in central London, the abbey said on Thursday.

The novelist, poet, essayist and literary critic will join the likes of Geoffrey Chaucer, William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy who are either buried or commemorated in the famous location.

The memorial will be dedicated at a special service to be held on November 22, 2013, the 50th anniversary of Lewis's death at the age of 64. He was buried in Oxford.

Vernon White, Canon Theologian at Westminster Abbey, called Lewis "an extraordinarily imaginative and rigorous thinker and writer who was able to convey the Christian faith in a way that made it both credible and attractive to a wide range of people.

"He has had an enduring and growing influence in our national life," White added.

Lewis is best known for his Narnia children's fantasy series about the adventures of a group of children who stumble across a magical world where they encounter the talking lion Aslan and the evil White Witch among others.

The most famous was "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" published in 1950, and the seven-book series as a whole has sold over 100 million copies and been adapted for radio, television, stage and film.

Lewis's other works include "The Screwtape Letters", and Westminster Abbey described his "Mere Christianity" as "a classic of Christian apologetics, seeking to explain the fundamental Christian teachings to a general audience."

Lewis was born in Belfast in 1898 and won a scholarship to study at Oxford University in 1916.

In 1917 he was commissioned as an officer and fought on the frontline during World War One where he was wounded in 1918.

Lewis returned to Oxford where he taught English and was a close friend of "The Lord of the Rings" author J.R.R. Tolkien.

He married late in life and his relationship with American Joy Gresham was captured in Richard Attenborough's award-winning film "Shadowlands". Lewis died on the same day that U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)

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Author Bryce Courtenay dies 2 weeks after publishing final novel

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Best-selling Australian author Bryce Courtenay, who wrote about the struggles of life in Australia and South Africa, died at his home in Canberra, his publisher said on Friday, just two weeks after his latest novel was published.

His death late on Thursday came less than three months after he told fans he had stomach cancer. He was 79.

"We'd like to thank all of Bryce's family and friends and all of his fans around the world for their love and support for me and his family as he wrote the final chapter of his extraordinary life," his wife Christine Courtenay said in a joint statement with publisher Penguin Books.

Known for his dedication to work and prolific output, often writing for 12 hours a day, Courtenay sold more than 20 million books. He turned to writing in the late 1980s after a 30-year career in advertising.

His first novel, "The Power of One", the story of a child growing up under apartheid in South Africa, was an instant hit, selling more than 8 million copies and later made into a movie.

Born into poverty in South Africa, Courtenay studied journalism in London and then settled in Australia with his first wife, Benita, in 1958.

In 1993, he turned to non-fiction with "April Fool's Day", a personal account of his son Damon's death after he contracted the AIDS virus from a routine blood transfusion.

He usually wrote a book each year. His final novel, "Jack of Diamonds", was published in early November, and featured a farewell from Courtenay to his readers.

"It's been a privilege to write for you and to have you accept me as a storyteller in your lives. Now, as my story draws to an end, may I say only, 'Thank you. You have been simply wonderful'."

Courtenay is survived by his wife Christine, and two sons from his first marriage.

(Reporting by James Grubel; Editing by Chris Gallagher)

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Halle Berry's ex headed to court after Thanksgiving brawl

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The father of Halle Berry's daughter is headed to court after he was arrested following a fistfight with her fiancé outside the Oscar winning actress' Los Angeles home on Thanksgiving, police said.

Canadian model Gabriel Aubry, 37, was later released on $20,000 bail after being charged with misdemeanor battery following the punch-up with Berry's fiancé, French actor Olivier Martinez, 46, in the driveway of her house on Thursday.

The altercation occurred during a custodial hand-off involving Berry's 4-year-old daughter with Aubry, Nahla, according to Los Angeles police officer Julie Boyer.

Following the scuffle, Aubry and Martinez were both taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center with "non-life-threatening injuries," Boyer said. Aubry is due to appear in court on December 13.

Berry, 46, who won a best actress Oscar for her role in 2001 film "Monster's Ball," has been embroiled in a bitter custody battle with Aubry since they broke up in April 2010. Earlier this month, a judge denied Berry's request to move to France with Nahla.

Berry and Martinez met while filming the movie "Dark Tide." They announced their engagement in March.

A judge has since issued an emergency protective order requiring Aubry to stay at least 100 yards (meters) from Berry, their daughter and Martinez, according to celebrity website, TMZ.com.

(Reporting by Tim Gaynor; Editing by Sandra Maler)

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One Direction makes Billboard history, holds off Aguilera, Del Rey

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - British boyband One Direction made Billboard chart history on Wednesday after storming to the top of the 200 album chart with their second album "Take Me Home," holding off competition from Christina Aguilera, Soundgarden and Lana Del Rey.

"Take Me Home" notched the third-biggest opening week sales of the year with 540,000 units sold according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan, placing it behind only Mumford & Son's "Babel" and Taylor Swift's "Red," which had the year's biggest opening with 1.2 million copies sold.

This is also the first time a British band have seen their first two albums debut at the top of the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. Their first album "Up All Night" shot to the top of the chart with 176,000 copies in March this year.

The lead single from "Take Me Home," "Live While We're Young" also made Billboard chart history after selling 341,000 copies in its first week, becoming the biggest opening week single sales for a non-U.S. artist.

One Direction were able to trump a new release from pop star and "The Voice" judge Aguilera, who debuted at No. 7 with her fifth studio album "Lotus," selling 73,000 copies.

She was unable to replicate the success of fellow "Voice" judge Adam Levine, whose band Maroon 5 shot to No. 2 on the album chart in July with "Overexposed," selling 222,000 copies.

The members of the British-Irish quintet One Direction, aged between 18 and 20, are Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne. They have come a long way since forming on Britain's "The X Factor," coming in third place and going on to conquer the U.S. and build a devoted following of fans.

Their success has also piqued the curiosity of interviewer Barbara Walters, who will be speaking to the band for her annual "The 10 Most Fascinating People," airing on ABC on December 12.

The band will face stiff competition from R&B star Rihanna for the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart next week, as her new album "Unapologetic" is set for a big debut.

Elsewhere on the album chart, seven new debuts entered the top 10 this week.

Taylor Swift's "Red" was knocked down to No. 2 by One Direction's debut, while the soundtrack for the final "Twilight" film, "Breaking Dawn - Part 2," debuted at No. 3 with sales of 93,000 after the film hit theaters last week.

The soundtrack features lead single "The Forgotten" by Green Day and songs by Passion Pit, Ellie Goulding, Fiest and a duet between "Twilight" cast member Nikki Reed and husband Paul McDonald, a former "American Idol" finalist.

Canadian R&B star The Weeknd landed at No. 4 this week with his hotly anticipated debut, "Trilogy," while 1990s grunge rock band Soundgarden rounded out the top five with "King Animal," their first album in 16 years.

Green Day's "Dos!," the second installment of their trilogy of new albums this year, came in at No. 9 on the chart with 69,000 copies, a big drop from their first album "Uno!," which debuted at No. 2 in October with sales of 139,000 copies. The third installment, "Tre!," is due out on December 11.

Indie-pop songstress Del Rey rounded out the top ten with her latest studio set "Paradise," an eight-song record which was also offered as part of a deluxe edition of her debut album "Born To Die," which notched No. 2 on the chart in February.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; editing by Patricia Reaney and Marguerita Choy)

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