Legendary songwriter mourned

Fans are in mourning for legendary Great Balls of Fire and Fever songwriter Otis Blackwell.

Blackwell also wrote Elvis hits Don't Be Cruel, Return to Sender and All Shook Up as well as 1,000 other songs.

Blackwell, 70, suffered an apparent heart attack on Monday night and was pronounced dead on arrival at Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee.

Ray Charles, Billy Joel, The Who and Otis Redding were also among those who covered his songs.

---

Grateful Dead guitars sold

Two guitars belonging to Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia were sold at auction for $1.74m (£1.2m), the president of Guernsey's auction house said.

Custom-made guitars dubbed Tiger and Wolf were the highlight of a memorabilia auction, held at New York's Studio 54.

They were the subject of a long legal battle between lawyers for the surviving members of the band and maker Tom Irwin, who Garcia had willed four guitars to.

The dispute was settled in January with Irwin gaining control of Tiger, sold for $850,000 (£583,000), and Wolf, sold for $700,000 (£480,000).

---

Zeta Jones plans new arrival

Hollywood star Catherine Zeta Jones is hoping for another addition to the Douglas dynasty next year, she has disclosed.

The 32-year-old actress and wife of Michael Douglas said she would like to try for a brother or sister for son Dylan.

"I'd like to try next year, because Dylan is two in August and I'd like as many as I can pop out," she told Elle magazine.

"Michael and I were talking about this the other night. I'm one of three, so I have it in my head that three is the perfect number.

---

Star of his own life story

Eighties pop star Boy George has joined the cast of the hit musical based on his life.

The former Culture Club frontman appears as outrageous performance artist Leigh Bowery in the West End musical Taboo until 15 June, having written the music and lyrics.

Actor Euan Morton plays George as the production follows him from his early days as a wannabe pop star during the New Romantic movement in the early 1980s.

It charts his rise and fall from chart-topping star to heroin addict, and eventual redemption after discovering Eastern religion.

---

Young and Gates do battle again

Will Young and Gareth Gates are set to battle it out once again as they go head-to-head for a top entertainment award.

The Pop Idol winner and runner-up have both been nominated for the Best Male title in the Disney Channel Kids Awards.

Kylie will vie for the Best Female prize with the likes of Atomic Kitten, Sophie Ellis Bextor and Samantha Mumba.

The awards, which are voted for by the channel's two million young viewers, will be held at London's Docklands Arena on 12 October.

---

Hong Kong denies racism over writer

Hong Kong immigration authorities have denied the recent detention of Indian writer Amit Chaudhuri was motivated by racism.

The award-winning writer was held while visiting the territory for a literary festival.

In a letter published in the South China Morning Post, a senior official said Chaudhuri was not detained and only questioned for 36 minutes.

Businessmen and tourists from south Asia often complain they are more likely to be stopped at Hong Kong's immigration counters than Europeans or ethnic Chinese visitors.