Issue Date: July 6, 2008
What is the ethnic background of the new international songbird from Great Britain, Leona Lewis? Will she be touring major U.S. cities anytime in the near future?
Kathi Feduke, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Lewis was born in East London and owes her exotic good looks to her Guyanese father and Welsh mother. The 23-year-old found fame as the winner during the third season of "The X Factor," the British version of "American Idol," where she was mentored by Simon Cowell. Although she has a number of magazine and TV appearances planned, including the July cover of "Blender" magazine, at press time she had no tour dates scheduled in the United States.
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Move over, Hannah Montana. There's a new girl in town, and her name is Demi Lovato. She's the opening act for the Jonas Brothers, and she just starred in the Disney Channel movie "Camp Rock." And, Demi, 15, has staying power. She'll release a debut CD this fall, and she has another Disney Channel movie, "Princess Protection Program," coming next year. Other than all of that, Demi is a typical teen who likes listening to her iPod, writing on her computer and hanging with her BFF, Selena Gomez. (The girls met on "Barney & Friends" in 2002.) Demi tells us she looks to emulate Gladys Knight, Hilary Duff and Kelly Clarkson. And she takes advice from her mom, a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, who tells her: "Be smart. Ask yourself before you do things, and you'll know the answer."
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I loved "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" and understand there were some unaired episodes. Any chance NBC will air them?
Virginia Jones, Columbus, Ohio
No, Virginia, there is no Santa Claus, nor are there unaired "Studio 60s." But I'm happy to report that its lead, Bradley Whitford, is working on Broadway now in "Boeing-Boeing." He tells us his three kids long ago accepted the fact that "Daddy wears makeup" at his job. But to see him in his latest role as an architect successfully juggling three flight attendant fiancées, they also had to understand why Daddy was kissing women who aren't Mommy. "Play kissing" is how he described it. When not onstage, Whitford, 48, makes time to write (a play, a TV show and a movie) and bikes or walks the NYC streets.
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Having been part of legendary bands like Blind Faith and Traffic and with his ninth solo album, "Nine Lives," out this spring, Steve Winwood has plenty of stories. Just don't expect to read them in an auto-biography like the one his friend Eric Clapton wrote. "I'm not sure I would be that honest," Winwood, 60, tells us. In fact, the married dad of four is rather settled. After his current tour, he'll retreat to his small farm. "I have some sheep, cattle.... I grow barley, wheat and some biofuel that we run our cars off. I'm not even sure it breaks even, but that's what I enjoy doing."
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I think the characters of "Dirty Sexy Money" on ABC are cast very well. Will the show continue in the new season?
Marilyn D. Combs, Columbia, Tenn.
You bet. And Donald Sutherland, who plays billionaire Tripp Darling, continues with it. He's at work now on new shows and tells us that "this season we're going to try to solve the murder of Nick's father." You can catch Sutherland, 72, in "Trumbo," opening this month. It's a documentary about blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo. Sutherland is one of many stars who read Trumbo's letters. He recalls advice Trumbo gave him: "He said, 'Don't forget to be happy.' That outlook carried him through those years on the outside."
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If you've been listening to Canadian rocker Bryan Adams since he released his first album in 1980, you'll be happy with his new one, titled "11" (it's the 11th). I catch him by phone on tour and ask if he's different nearly three decades later. "I'm a bit smarter," he says. "I don't get myself into the same sort of pickles as I used to." And as far as the music is concerned? "The principles of why I started this are still to make the best music I can and keep rolling." We talk about how much the music business has changed since he began in the pre-digital age, but Adams, 48 -- who is also an accomplished photographer -- has a great philosophy. He says, "Love what you do. Be really dedicated to your work. It may involve sacrifice."
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BIRTHDAYS
July 6: 50 Cent, 33; George W. Bush, 62
July 7: Jorja Fox, 40; Ringo Starr, 68
July 8: Kevin Bacon, 50; Anjelica Huston, 57
July 9: Fred Savage, 32; Tom Hanks, 52
July 10: Jessica Simpson, 28; Adrian Grenier, 32
July 11: Justin Chambers, 38; Sela Ward, 52
July 12: Topher Grace, 30; Richard Simmons, 60
Contributing: Gayle Jo Carter, Olga Khazan, Bart Mills
 Ask Lorrie Lynch a question about a celeb!
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