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Country singer Eddy Arnold dead at 89

NASHVILLE, May 8 (UPI) -- Singer Eddy Arnold died Thursday at a care facility near Nashville, said the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum. He was 89.

Arnold's wife of 66 years, Sally Gayhart Arnold, died on March 11 at the age of 87, The New York Times said.

Arnold began playing the guitar when he was 7 and soon saw music as a way out of the poverty he saw as a child in his native Tennessee. He started performing in beer halls and cafes and on the radio when he was a teenager.

Although Arnold is primarily seen as a country music star, 37 of his hits crossed over to the pop charts, the Times said.

From 1945 to 1954, he had 57 consecutive singles in the country music Top Ten. Two of his biggest hits -- "I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)" and "I Wanna Play House with You" -- were later recorded by Elvis Presley.

Arnold was the host of several TV variety shows and starred in the Hollywood movies "Feudin' Rhythm" and "Hoedown."

He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1966.



Jason Castro voted off of 'Idol'

LOS ANGELES, May 7 (UPI) -- Jason Castro is the latest cast-off of the U.S. singing competition show "American Idol."

Castro's departure came Wednesday night, a day after he forgot some of the words while performing "Mr. Tambourine Man."

Speaking to host Ryan Seacrest before learning his fate, Castro said: "It's just getting tough for me. I think my inexperience is coming in."

In telling Castro he had been voted off of the show, Seacrest said, "I almost feel like you're relieved," to which Castro replied: "A little. It's three songs next week."

Still in the race to be crowned the next "Idol" are David Archuleta, David Cook and Syesha Mercado.



Madonna to kick off tour in Wales

LOS ANGELES, May 8 (UPI) -- Live Nation announced Thursday that U.S. pop star Madonna will kick off her upcoming "Sticky and Sweet" concert tour in Cardiff, Wales.

The tour is to support the singer's latest album "Hard Candy," which is currently No. 1 on the album charts of dozens of countries around the world.

Madonna is to kick off the tour Aug. 23 in Cardiff. She will later play arenas and stadiums throughout Europe and North America, including a number of cities where she has not performed in the past 15 years, Live Nation said.

Complete tour and ticket information can be found at http://www.livenation.com/ and http://www.madonna.com/.



'Narnia' to premiere at London's O2 Arena

LONDON, May 8 (UPI) -- About 10,000 people, including the film's stars, are expected to attend the British premiere of "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" at London's O2 Arena.

Some of the proceeds from the June 19 event, which Walt Disney Pictures described as England's biggest film premiere, are to go to the Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Scheduled to attend the British premiere are "Narnia" stars Liam Neeson, Ben Barnes, Anna Popplewell, William Moseley, Skandar Keynes and Georgie Henley, as well as director Andrew Adamson.

A giant cinema screen will be installed in the O2 arena for the occasion, Disney said.

"Prince Caspian" is the follow-up to the hit 2005 epic film "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe." Both films were based on the "Narnia" books by C.S. Lewis.

"Prince Caspian" opens June 26 in the United Kingdom.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International