50 Cent is adding two new kicks to his successful line of Reebok sneakers. The G-Unit G6 II is inspired by tennis shoes of the '80s, while the B1 Boot recalls the days of parkas and Timberlands. The shoes hit stores this month. ...

Usher and Paris Hilton are among Barbara Walters' picks for her "10 Most Fascinating People of 2004." The hour-long special, which also highlights Oprah Winfrey, Donald Trump, Michael Moore and Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, airs Wednesday at 9 p.m. Meanwhile, Hilton is looking to make herself even more fascinating in 2005 by finishing up her debut album, now due out this spring. "I'm in the studio every day now," she said. One of her recent accomplishments was recording covers of Blondie's "Heart of Glass" and David Bowie's "Fame." "They're really hot tracks," she said. ... Irv Gotti is planning to make "Wonderful" a little bit more magnificent with a new remix. The current incarnation of the song features Ja Rule and R. Kelly going back and forth with Ashanti chipping in with limited vocals. Gotti's princess gets more shine on the remix with an additional verse. The track should be dropping any day now. ...

Gwen Stefani must be feeling better. After canceling a few promo appearances the week of her debut album's release, she popped up as the surprise guest at KIIS-FM's annual Jingle Ball Friday in her hometown of Anaheim, California, to sing a few songs. Stefani's set included "What You Waiting For?," "Rich Girl" (her next single) and "Hollaback Girl." ... Stefani's No Doubt bandmate Adrian Young, meanwhile, is moonlighting once again. He'll be playing drums for the New York area shows for the band Oslo, who will release their self-titled debut in March. Young's gigs with the band are December 13 in Brooklyn, December 14 in Manhattan and December 15 in Hoboken, New Jersey, opening for Unwritten Law. ...

Diana DeGarmo's new single, "Emotional," hit the airwaves on Monday (December 6). The 17-year-old "American Idol" runner-up worked with producers John Shanks, David Foster and Desmond Child, as well as songwriters Kara DioGuardi and Andreas Carlsson (much of the same team that worked on Ashlee Simpson, Kelly Clarkson and Lindsay Lohan's albums) on her debut LP, Blue Skies, due Tuesday. ... Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Kelly Osbourne, Nicole Richie and Nicolette Sheridan were among those who caught LL Cool J's set at the sixth annual Motorola Hollywood holiday party benefiting Toys for Tots. Lance Bass, Rachel Hunter, Shane West, Shannon Elizabeth and Danny Masterson also attended the event Thursday at the Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre. ...

After her newborn twins made headlines last week, Julia Roberts' 13-year-old niece is primed for her time in the spotlight. Emma Roberts, daughter of actor Eric Roberts and the star of Nickelodeon's "Unfabulous," is signed to Sony and is currently recording her debut album. ... What do reality television stars do when their 15 minutes of fame are up? Record an album! Christmas in the Fishbowl features 13 tracks by 10 reality TV stars including Nikki McKibbin from the first season of "American Idol," Jenna Lewis from the first season of "Survivor" and Alton Williams from "The Real World: Las Vegas," singing holiday classics such as "Silent Night" and "Deck the Halls" as well as original compositions like "12 Minutes of Fame." The album is available exclusively at www.thefishbowl.com and a portion of the proceeds will benefit "Survivor" cast member Rupert Boneham's charity "Rupert's Kids." ...

Apparently there's a Nirvana fan out there with some deep pockets and an even deeper love of philanthropy. An unidentified bidder shelled out $7,300 for a private plane ride and lunch with former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic. The auction benefited People for the American Way, a nonprofit political organization dedicated to voter registration and awareness and defending constitutional liberties. Novoselic, who has his own Cessna Skylane jet, will pick up the winning bidder and fly them to the restaurant of his/her choice. ... Bruce Springsteen is hoping to give something back to the city that raised him by performing at the tiny venue Harry's Roadhouse in Asbury Park, New Jersey, and will hold a contest to give 10 fans the opportunity to win a free pair of tickets to the show and meet him. The catch? You have to visit a participating store in Asbury Park by December 18 to enter. Visit www.asburyguild.com for a list of stores and contest rules. The drawing will take place at 5 p.m. on December 18 and you must be 21 or over to enter. ...

Madonna will be the new face of Versace. Donatella Versace told Italian TV news that the singer shot print ads with Mario Testino in London last week for Versace's upcoming spring/summer 2005 fashion line because "she's a big star who knows how to reinvent herself every time and is more and more charming and more and more feminine ... and she never gives up." Madonna reportedly received $10.5 million for the gig. ... Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell is taking a small break from his boy band to do a song for a Christian compilation CD due out early next year. He's planning to release a full Christian album next fall. ...

Jimmy Eat World have added a few dates to their tour in support of their latest album, Futures. The new run starts January 7 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and continues through January 15 in Austin, Texas. ... The first batch of dates for the Epitaph Tour have been announced. The trek, featuring the punk label's recent signings like From First to Last, Matchbook Romance and Motion City Soundtrack, kicks off February 3 in DeKalb, Illinois, and runs until March 3 in Washington, D.C. ...

Producer Bryan Cox celebrated his birthday in Houston over the weekend at two clubs. The first spot was Hush, then it was off to Visions, where Slim Thug, Mannie Fresh and NBA star Dikembe Mutombo all came out. ... Fans of psychedelic Welsh rockers Super Furry Animals have reason to rejoice. Frontman Gruff Rhys is planning to release his first solo album on March 8. Yr Atal Genhedlaeth (which, roughly translated from Rhys' native Welsh, means "The Stuttering Generation") was recorded between the summers of 2003 and 2004 by longtime Furry producer Gorwel Owen. ...

12.3.2004

Joss Stone and the Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am and Fergie will join the throngs of media outlets on hand Tuesday in Hollywood for the announcement of the nominees for the 47th annual Grammy Awards. The artists are the latest additions to the crop of celebrities that will rattle off the list of hopefuls for music's highest honor. The awards ceremony is set for February 13 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. ...

Living your life on camera must be addictive -- "Newlyweds" star Nick Lachey is branching out with his own reality show on MTV. The program, which was just greenlit, has the working title of "The Nick Lachey Project" and captures the singer as he works to rebuild his solo career, from constructing a studio inside his home to hiring producers and writers to searching for a new record deal to recording and finally working with the label to get his second solo CD in stores. Meanwhile, Lachey can be seen on the third season of "Newlyweds," which returns in January. ... New Era has started lining up celebrity designers for its 2005 59Fifty "Capture the Flag" hat series. Fat Joe and G-Unit's Game have been tapped to design their own limited-edition baseball caps, with profits from each going to a charity of their choice. Fat Joe's cap will hit stores on January 27, with Game's following on February 24. ...

Evanescence and country singer Keith Urban have been added to the lineup of performers for the Billboard Music Awards on December 8. Urban will be joined during his performance by Sheryl Crow. Britney Spears is slated to make a special appearance at the awards show. ... Spears turned 23 on Thursday, and instead of throwing a big shindig, the singer celebrated with a quiet night at home with husband Kevin Federline, according to a source close to the singer. ... Ashlee Simpson, Black Eyed Peas, Train and Chaka Khan are among the artists lined up for a CBS special called "A Home for the Holidays," a special about the joys of adoption. Rod Stewart will duet with Jamie Foxx on one song during the one-hour broadcast, which airs December 22 at 8 p.m. ET. ...

Nelly is slated to guest star on "MADtv" later this month. The rapper's episode, which will have a holiday theme, will air December 18 at 11 p.m. ET. ... The Pixies have announced an additional stop on their reunion tour: December 9 at the Avalon in Boston. Even with the numerous shows on their current trek, the Pixies hadn't scheduled any dates in their onetime hometown, where the quartet first formed 17 years ago. Tickets go on sale Saturday at noon. The Pixies' tour wraps on December 18 in New York. ... The second album by rock duo the Kills, No Wow, is slated for a March 8 release. A full tour to support the follow-up to 2003's Keep on Your Mean Side is scheduled for March. ...