People in the News

From The Associated Press

Kelly Clarkson, who scrapped an earlier tour this summer due to slow sales, is heading back on the road this fall. The Grammy-winning singer announced Tuesday in New York City she would kick off a theater tour Oct. 14 at New York City’s Beacon Theater, winding down in Nashville on Dec. 4 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

Living fast and dying young has long been part of rock ‘n’ roll lore. And now there are statistics that affirm the image, according to a study released Tuesday in England. Researchers at Liverpool John Moores University, whose report appeared in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, studied a sample of North American and British rock and pop stars and concluded they are more than twice as likely to die a premature death as ordinary citizens of the same age. The team studied 1,064 stars from the rock, punk, rap, R&B, electronic and new age genres in the “All Time Top 1,000” albums published in 2000. They compared each artist’s age at death with that of European and U.S. citizens of similar backgrounds, sex and ethnicity.

Jerry Lewis, 81, dropped an anti-gay slur — the same one that got Isaiah Washington of “Grey’s Anatomy” in trouble — during the 18th hour of his annual Labor Day telethon. He apologized Tuesday for a “bad choice of words.” Lewis’ telethon, in its 42nd year, set a new record by raising $63.7 million to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association, topping last year’s event by $3 million.

Italian designer Valentino, 75, whose signature flaming red couture gowns have graced royalty, Hollywood stars and the international jet set for 45 years, announced Tuesday in Rome he was stepping down as head designer of the Valentino fashion house. No individual successor was named; Valentino said his existing team would continue designing for the house.