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SOCIETY & CELEBS GRAPEVINE

Clooney denies tussle at London bar. Says he only came to a woman's defence

George Clooney, who was celebrating his latest film Good Night, and Good Luck at a London bar recently, says he did not having a shoving match with security.

NEW YORK- George Clooney denied a newspaper report that he was involved in a shoving match with a security guard outside a bar at London's West End. The Evening Standard in London said Clooney got into a pushing fight with a guard at Meza in the early hours of Friday morning after using the bar's rear entrance to avoid photographers. According to the newspaper, a reception was being held at the bar for a screening of Clooney's latest film, Good Night, and Good Luck. A statement by Clooney's Los Angeles-based publicist, Stan Rosenfield, said the actor "did not get into a fight with a security guard.... However, he did get into an argument with someone connected with the movie.... And while it had nothing to do with the paparazzi, it did have everything to do with someone being unkind to a woman. "While no punches were thrown, George told the person to knock it off." In the statement, Clooney said he was coming to the defence of a woman he believed was being mistreated. "I won't stand by while someone is being insulted and maligned," the 44-year-old actor said. The Evening Standard said Clooney left with his ex-girlfriend, British TV presenter Lisa Snowdon, in a car that had pulled up at the bar. Redbus, the company distributing Good Night, and Good Luck in Britain, said: "This is a storm in a teacup. George had travelled a long way for the premiere, and everyone was thrilled to see him and had a good time." It did not confirm or deny the incident. A Meza spokeswoman said none of the staff were involved in any incident with Clooney, but that Clooney's British management had hired security guards separately for the reception. Good Night, and Good Luck is based on the battle between TV journalist Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy during the 1950s. Clooney directed, co-wrote and starred in the film.

Madonna kicks things off at MTV Europe

The Foo Fighters perform during the MTV Europe Music Awards ceremony Thursday, at the Atlantic Pavillion in Lisbon, Portugal.

LISBON, Portugal -- British cartoon band Gorillaz took home the Best Group award at the 12th MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs) in Lisbon, Portugal on Thursday. The band, the brainchild of Blur's front man Damon Albarn, was running up against Coldplay, Green Day, Black Eyed Peas and U2. They were up for four additional awards but won no more. "Best group and we don't even exist," said the band. Earlier the band had staged the world's first 3D hologram performance to their award nominated song Feel Good Inc. British band Coldplay took the award for Best Song. This top accolade was given to the band by singer Alison Goldfrapp. "Thanks, this means a lot to us," said the band's front man Chris Martin. "In two weeks time we will be back in this building to perform again so we hope to see you then," he said. U.S. band Green Day collected two awards, one for Best Album for American Idiot and another for Best Rock band. "We've been a band for a while now. Thanks very much," they said. They were up against 50 Cent, Coldplay, Gwen Stefani and U2 for Best Album. Green Day later also received the award for Best Rock from soccer players Luis Figo and Nuno Gomes. "This is for kick-ass rock 'n' roll music forever," they added. The show kicked off with a performance by Madonna, who gave a first-ever live TV rendition of her new single Hung Up, taken from her upcoming album Confessions on a Dancefloor. Madonna would later return to hand the Free Your Mind award to Sir Bob Geldof for work done to fight poverty in Africa through his Live Aid concerts. The 47-year-old songstress showed up on stage clad in a purple bodice, leather jacket, knee high boots and sunglasses, surrounded by a group of dancers. The ceremony was hosted by Borat Sagdyev, a spoof Kazakh television presenter and an alter ego of British comedian Sacha Baron-Cohen. Baron-Cohen, known for his daring and risque sketches, had already presented the EMAs as his best known character, Ali G, in Frankfurt, Germany, in 2001. Best Female award went to Colombian bombshell Shakira. The singer said she was very surprised to receive the accolade.

"I can't believe this," Shakira said. "I didn't expect it so I don't have a speech," she added, thanking fans in perfect Brazilian Portuguese. A black clad Robbie Williams took the award for Best Male shortly after singing his latest single, Tripping. The British singer dedicated the award and the song to his mother. Williams was also nominated for the Best Pop award. The Best New Act accolade went to fellow Briton James Blunt. The singer/songwriter, who did not attend the ceremony, was running against hip hopster Akon, rockers Kaiser Chiefs, Canadian balladeer Daniel Powter and teen hip-hop sensation Rihanna. The Black Eyed Peas took the award for Best Pop. They received the accolade from the hands of British girl band Sugababes. "We'd like to thank all our fans in Europe for all their support," the Black Eyed Peas said. Fellow U.S. Rapper Snoop Dogg then took home the award for Best Hip Hop. Before, U.S. hip hop girl collective Pussycat Dolls had crowds jumping up and down to the sound of their chart topping hit Don'Cha. Additional performers included the Black Eyed Peas who played their most recent hit Humps, System of a Down, Shakira and the U.S. rockers Foo Fighters. The foursome, fronted by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, sang D.O.A from their album In Your Honor. Presenter Borat interrupted their performance to ask the way to the bathroom, sparking laughter from the packed pavilion. Other awards were given to rock band System of a Down for Best Alternative act, to U.S. R&B performer Alicia Keys for Best R&B and Best Video for the British band The Chemical Brothers for Galvanise. The red carpet pre-show kicked off with a performance by R&B singer John Legend who played a medley of his hits Ordinary People and Number One. Legend returned for a rendition of his newest single Cloud Nine. Presenters at the ceremony included actress Brittany Murphy, British girl band Sugababes, British R&B singer Craig David and actor Jared Leto, among others. MTV's annual European awards are held in a different city every. The prizes are voted by fans in Europe. Organizers estimated that 10,000 watched the show on site. Some 1 billion people were watching the televised broadcast. Joannah Mateus

HOLLYWOOD GOSSIPS

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Dennis Quaid is the top Hollywood golfer

Dennis Quaid is the top golfer among the Hollywood set

Dennis Quaid is the top golfer among the Hollywood set. Téa Leoni is the best among the women. Tom Cruise is awful at golf, but he tips the caddies well. Such are the conclusions of Golf Digest, which ranks Hollywood's top 100 golfers in a December special edition, which hits newsstands Tuesday. Quaid, a member of Bel-Air Country Club in Beverly Hills, usually stays at a home on a private course when he's on the road. "There are three things being a celebrity is good for: raising money for charity, dinner reservations and tee times," he tells the publication. Quaid is followed in the top 10 by Thomas Gibson, Tom Dreesen, Matt Craven, Chris O'Donnell, Samuel L. Jackson, brother Randy Quaid, Craig T. Nelson, Mark Wahlberg and Hugh Grant. Leoni tied for 34th with avid golfer Sylvester Stallone. Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher didn't make the list, but she has gotten a lesson from Tiger Woods. "I was so nervous," Hatcher said. "All I could think of was, 'I don't deserve a lesson with Tiger Woods.' But he instantly put me at ease and gave me some good pointers." Cruise hardly ever plays golf and was ranked last at No. 100 -- but that doesn't stop him from regularly handing out $100 bills to caddies at Bel-Air.

Aniston sidesteps all the tabloid chatter

Jennifer Aniston.

It was a kind of coming-out party: Jennifer Aniston's first appearance before the world's press since the Brad Pitt Thing and the Angelina Jolie Thing and the Vince Vaughn Thing. Even if she didn't want to talk about it, she was sort of forced to. Aniston was there to talk about her role in her new movie, the one about adultery and shaky marriages and people looking for new sexual excitement in their lives and how sometimes it's difficult to keep art and life separate." She was stuck in a bad situation.... You know how some destructive relationships keep you trapped,'' she said, of course referring to Lucinda, the character she plays in Derailed, which opens Nov. 11. Lucinda represents another kind of debut for Aniston: she's a bored wife looking for an extra-marital relationship, in what the actress describes as a "sexy psychological thriller." It is a role about as far as you can get from her part as Rachel Green on the hit TV series Friends. Lucinda's destructive relationship is with a workaholic husband, resulting in a distant marriage that drives her into the arms of Charles, an interesting stranger she meets on a train. The fact that Charles is played by Clive Owen is more or less gravy, at least until their burgeoning adultery is interrupted by a hotel robber who beats Charles and violently rapes Lucinda, threatening to destroy several lives. Someone asked her if the movie might put an end to her image of America's sweetheart. "Oh God, I hope so," she said with real sincerity, before adding, "I'm not trying to shed anything. I'm just following my instincts and doing work I feel is coming to me. I'm grateful for it." The 500-pound gorilla in the room, though, was Aniston's divorce last month from Pitt, who has since been linked with Jolie, and Aniston's subsequent relationship with Vaughn, with whom she has been spotted around town, most visibly on a balcony in a Chicago hotel where Derailed was filmed.

One reporter noted with some delicacy that she seems to have taken the high road in the tabloid scandal that followed, and asked her how she stays grounded when her own life is derailed, and how she would advise others in the same situation. "I'm not a role model, or the poster child on how to do anything," Aniston replied. "It was my first time at this particular picnic... this is nothing out of the ordinary: people have walked through this stuff all the time." She said she was happy to have work to do -- work that includes Derailed and the upcoming Rumor Has It, in which a woman learns her family was the inspiration for the film The Graduate. She has also finished shooting the romantic comedy The Break Up with Vaughn. If she's being stalked by irony, however, she doesn't show it. Looking comfortably svelte in tight jeans, thigh-high leather boots, a sleeveless black blouse topped by a black jacket, Aniston, 36, said she's not bothered by her sudden appearance on every other celebrity magazine. "I don't look at magazine covers," she said. "It's toxic." Jay Stowe

TALENTS BUT NO FAT BANK ACCOUNTS

Susan Barth on the guitar. A terrific talent and your kind of a gal.

A new wave of recording artists are breaking through thin wires of restricted celebrity status. They are the "independent artists" who co-produce their own albums. So, they have to suffer for a while, until lady luck knocks on their doors. They do not lack talents but the opportunity of bumping into music industry executives and studios bosses.

Susan Barth: Down to earth, explosive and sensuous singer.

Well, nothing is new, really. It did happen before to Liberace, Elvis and Andre Rieu. The time will come, when those free-spirited independent artists would stand on a firm ground and cut deals. Among those talented and creative artists, we can mention Joan Bender from New York, Susan Barth and Donna Rawlins from California, and Sofia Laiti from New York. We called it "new wave of recording artists", because they are in their first, second or third album, but unfortunately, they did not get (YET) a record deal. Many of them are well established in their community and enjoy wide recognition but, the specter of royalty is still hovering over the horizon. Susan Barth is an accomplished songwriter and singer. Yet, she has to work at a lamp factory to make a living. Her talent shines brighter than Manhattan neon but HELAS! it takes sometime an eternity to reach global stardom. She sings extremely well. Her voice is sultry and sensuous imbibed with sincere emotions and refreshing rebellious flair. Her recently release CD "WONDERLAND" could launch the career of Barth, but again, "good contact" and right mingling" with "right studios executives" is de rigueur.

Donna Rawlins' Image Singer and songwriter, Donna Rawlins. A great talent at many levels.

Donna Rawlins, a.k.a. Donatella is another example of a brilliant talent that needs "a tiger in the tank". Her second CD "ALMOST LIVE", recorded with the Rosemont Crossing is a marvel. But how long would it take to recognize Donna Rawlins as an international star? Nobody knows, for her talent is phenomenal. But once again, without major promotion campaigns, Rawlins creativity and vocal virtuosity will remain a glittering bright echo in a dark alley. "ALMOST LIVE" is a superb product. The music is haunting, the tempo is just right, the lyrics uplifting and Rawlins' voice is beautifully angelic. Perhaps patience is a virtue. But as we all know, many virtues are vices and curses in the recording industry. Perhaps, Susan Barth knows more on the subject than I do. She is the bright talent who is fighting all odds to get established, despite her enormous talent. But she is on her way to stardom no matter what. I hope, one day, when Susan Barth reaches her kingdom, she would and could remember my words, my advice and my name?

Gail Swanson: A world class singer. Almost perfect.

The prolific Gail Swanson who wrote "Half a HEART" and recorded it with Willie Nelson got a wide range of recognition. She received numerous awards, and her song was selected as the best song of the year. Yet, this magnificent songwriter and singer still works as a real estate agent in Hawaii. Once you listen to Swanson's ballades and tunes, you realize how sublime and enchanting her talent is. Of course, she is doing fine, but not as fine as Britney Spears et al. And take it from me, she is as good as Spears, and perhaps much better. Thankfully, Swanson's "Living in a Movie" made the billboard of the 10 popular hit songs of the month.

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